1937 50c Boone, Matte PR

The 1938 Boone commemorative half dollars mark the fifth and final year of this commemorative series, one marked by controversy as described in detail with the 1935 and 1937 issues -- stories well worth the read. Suffice it to say, the Boone commemorative half dollars, designed by Augustus Lukeman and marking the 200th anniversary of American folk hero and Kentucky pioneer Daniel Boone, were well intended but were the subject of great market and financial manipulation by Secretary of the Boone Commission Frank C. Dunn.

The last year of issue for the Boone half dollars was fairly unceremonious, with a small run of 2,100 pieces sold in sets of three for $6.50 The three-piece set include one example each of a Boone half dollar from the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. All of these coins are about equally scarce today, though the 1938-D issue seems to surface in the marketplace with greater frequency than the Philly or S-Mint examples from that year. Most 1938 Boones are encountered in MS63-66 grades, with examples grading MS67 or higher relatively rare -- especially for the 1938 Philly piece. These coins generally boast nice luster and eye appeal.