Whitman Expo
1946-PDS Set Booker T. Washington XF40
Greysheet & CPG® PRICE GUIDE
Booker T. Washington half dollars were struck for six years, with the first minted in 1946 and the last in 1951. The BTW half dollar was an interesting issue for -- critical time on the American civil rights scene. The coin, honoring the renowned author and presidential advisor, was designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, the first African American to ever design -- U.S. coin. It was issued to help raise funds for the construction of memorials to the memory of Washington, who lived from 1856 through 1915. The coin bears the powerful inscription FROM SLAVE CABIN TO HALL OF FAME. The Booker T. Washington half dollar was struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints and is extremely common in Mint State grades, though they are rare in grades of MS67 or higher. This is attributed to the flatness of the design, which lends for more evident marks and surface detractions.
Obverse: The obverse bears the portrait of the honored figure framed by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and BOOKER T. WASHINGTON. To the left of the portrait is the date and words HALF DOLLAR. To the right of the portrait is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Reverse: The reverse bears BTW's memorial building centered at the top. Many words appear on the reverse including: BOOKER T. WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE MEMORIAL * LIBERTY, around the periphery. FROM SLAVE CABIN TO HALL OF FAME appears below the memorial. IN GOD WE TRUST * FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA appear directly below flanking the likeness of the slave cabin.
See More See LessAbout CDN Prices
All CDN prices are based on proprietary market knowledge and technology developed by CDN Publishing, LLC.
CPG® prices represent retail levels. Collectors should refer to CPG values as a starting place for their negotiations, or auction bid reference.
Greysheet/Greensheet prices are wholesale market levels for collectible coins/paper money intended to indicate what a dealer, or wholesale, buyer would pay for the described item in the specified grade. Greysheet/Greensheet represent "sight-seen" values based on a buyer's in-hand review. The actual value can be more or less than this depending on factors including eye appeal and market timing.
Bluesheet (NGC & PCGS) prices represent the highest sight-unseen offers to buy on dealer networks like CDN Exchange. In many cases, there are no active sight-unseen buy offers, so CDN looks to the recent lowest market values for such an item. For this reason, Bluesheet values typically represent the floor of the market for the specified item. CDN only tracks Bluesheet on certain items.
CAC prices are for U.S. coins that meet the standards of the Certified Acceptance Corporation. You can learn more about CAC on their web site.
Price movement is indicated for price changes in the last 30 days.
The prices listed in our database are intended to be used as an indication only. Users are strongly encouraged to seek multiple sources of pricing before making a final determination of value. CDN Publishing is not responsible for typographical or database-related errors. Your use of this site indicates full acceptance of these terms.
Greysheet News
View All News
1861-S Paquet Double Eagle, rare 1930-S Indian Eagle and early U.S. gold also rank among July 16-18 event highlights.
The website will be maintained as a fully functional resource to preserve its extensive historical content and the thousands of existing links that researchers and collectors rely upon.
Demand for early copper and Colonial-era numismatic treasures drives strong results in Heritage Auctions' July 13 Early Copper & Colonial U.S. Coins Showcase Auction