Commemorative coin
A coin issued to mark or honor a person, event, place, or anniversary. It may circulate as money or be produced mainly for collectors.
Coin: A piece of metal or other material issued by an authority as money. Commemorative coins remain coins even when collectors, rather than shoppers, are their main audience.
United States commemorative coins: Coins authorized by the United States to honor people, events, and institutions. Their changing programs show how commemoratives serve public memory and fundraising.
Maria Theresa thaler: A silver coin first struck under Maria Theresa and later continued as a trade coin bearing her 1780 date. Its enduring portrait commemorates a ruler, but its long trade use exceeds a typical commemorative issue.
Medal: A stamped or cast token made to honor a person, event, or achievement, generally without monetary denomination. Medals commemorate similar subjects but are not ordinarily issued as money.
Legal tender: Money that must be accepted to settle debts under a jurisdiction’s law. Many commemoratives have legal-tender status despite rarely being spent.
Euro commemorative coins: Euro coins with national designs issued to mark events or subjects of special significance. They circulate alongside ordinary euro coins while carrying commemorative designs.
D-Day 50th anniversary coin: A United States commemorative silver dollar issued in 1993 to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Its design links a specific historical anniversary to a national coin issue.
Bullion coin: A coin valued chiefly for its precious-metal content, often sold as an investment. Bullion coins prioritize metal value, while commemoratives foreground a subject or occasion.
Numismatics: The study and collection of coins, currency, medals, and related objects. Collectors assess commemoratives through the practices and knowledge of numismatics.
Olympic coins: Coins issued by countries to mark the Olympic Games or related anniversaries. The Games provide a recurring international occasion for commemorative coin programs.