Seven products for collectors make their way to availability at noon (EDT) today with the launching of the United States Mint 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Program. These releases include pairings of proof and uncirculated $5 gold coins, silver dollars, and clad half-dollars as well as a special enhanced uncirculated half-dollar that is exclusive to a set for kids.
Every coin is curved and features a design recognizing the 60th Anniversary of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (www.hoophall.com). This latest coin program marks the third round of dome-shaped coins with concave obverses (heads) and convex reverses (tails). The U.S. Mint in 2014 issued curved Baseball coins and in 2019 the bureau offered curved Apollo 11 coins.
Later this year, the U.S. Mint will tread into new territory with their first-ever colorized coins which happen to also be associated with this program. There will be a proof Basketball 50c coin with a colorized obverse and a proof Basketball silver dollar with a colorized reverse.
Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Designs
The Basketball coins share common obverse and reverse designs.
The concave obverse design was selected from a public competition as directed by Public Law No: 115-343. Created by Justin Kunz and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso, it depicts three players reaching for a basketball, and reflects, as described by the Mint,
"how the sport of basketball has brought together diverse people around the world through a simple, universal, and unifying athletic experience."
Background elements include the rim and net, along with inscriptions of "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "2020."
The shared convex reverse design depicts a basketball about to pass through the net. The image was created by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
Reverse inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and the coin’s face value — "FIVE DOLLARS" for the gold coins, "ONE DOLLAR" for the silver dollars, and "HALF DOLLAR" for the clad fifty-cent pieces.
Mintmarks on the coins indicate that each U.S. Mint production facility has taken a part in the program. The $5 gold coins are produced at the West Point Mint, the silver dollars are made at the Philadelphia Mint, the proof half-dollars are struck at the San Francisco Mint, the uncirculated half-dollars are produced at the Denver Mint, and the enhanced uncirculated half-dollar in the Kids Set is made at the San Francisco Mint.
Coin Specifications
The table below shows the specifications for coins of the Basketball Hall of Fame series:
| $5 Gold Coin | Silver Dollar | 50c Clad | ||
| Finish | Proof and Uncirculated | Proof and Uncirculated | Proof, Uncirculated and Enhanced Uncirculated | |
| Composition | 90% Gold, 6% Silver, Balance Copper | 99.9% Silver | 8.33% Nickel, Balance Copper | |
| Weight | 8.359 Grams | 26.73 Grams | 11.34 Grams | |
| Diameter | 0.850 Inches | 1.500 Inches | 1.205 Inches | |
Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Pricing and Limits
The U.S. Mint will sell their Basketball coins at the following prices with the listed order limits:
| Introductory Price* | Regular Price | Mintage Limit | Household Order Limit | |
| Proof $5 Gold Coin** | $644.50 | $649.50 | 50,000 | 1 |
| Uncirculated $5 Gold Coin** | $634.50 | $639.50 | 1 | |
| Proof Silver Dollar Coin | $69 | $74 | 400,000 | 25 |
| Uncirculated Silver Dollar Coin | $64 | $69 | 25 | |
| Proof Clad Half Dollar Coin | $39 | $44 | 750,000 | None |
| Uncirculated Clad Half Dollar Coin | $37 | $42 | None | |
| Kids Set | N/A | $45 | 75,000 | 5 |
*Introductory prices are in effect until July 6, 2020, at 3 p.m. EDT. Household order limits will apply for the first 24 hours.
**Gold coin pricing may be adjusted weekly. They are priced according to the Mint’s table of Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, Platinum and Palladium Products.
Surcharges
Based on the authorizing law, prices include surcharges of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each half-dollar coin. Provided the coins turn a profit, proceeds from these surcharges are to be paid to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to fund an endowment that will enable increased operations and educational programming.
Ordering
The U.S. Mint will accept orders from its online catalog of commemorative coins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telephone orders are currently not being accepted.
Shipment of the Kids Set is delayed until September.
I wanted to order the Half Dollar Kids Set and hit the enter button at exactly 9:00AM Pacific Time. It was already on back-order! Now how the dickens can that happen or be right?
“Shipment of the Kids Set is delayed until September, 2020”
You can still place the order, it just won’t be shipped until later this year.
Wow, $70 for the proof silver dollar, and a 25 quantity household limit.
What real collector is going to buy 25 of these, especially at $70 a piece?
The concave obverse side is so cluttered that any detail is lost.
This may be why they plan to make a colourised version.
This is an easy pass for me.
MCM, Apmex, and TV shopping networks would be the only savior to this product line.
I thought it was just me but IF I look or stare @ the obverse for a minute I start getting dizzy!! If I bought the $1 I’d get dizzy by the +70$ cost…….such a deal kid$
Since they will not be shipping the Kids Unc Half Sets till September because COV19, the mint advised me the charge to my credit cards for my coins would not be until they shipped. Then I Order a few sets and they charged my credit card today 4Jun20. Why does the mint give out such poor unprofessional information? They say one thing and do another, My credit card will charge interest 3 months while the mint sits on coins.
Raphaelo the charge will come off in a few days.They will charge when they ship.
I usually order 1 each of the dollar proof and unc and the half proof and unc and some of the gold proof but I don’t care for the design of this coins so I’ll pass and won’t be ordering.
Will the Limited Edition “Kids Set” at just 75,000 sets sell out? They only have a little less than 7 months left to sell them by the public law that created this coin program.
NumisdudeTX
Seth,
Do not worry. “Mike” likely already has 40k or more and will flip them to kid’s grand parents/ parents at 3 times the price. Think “rocket ship”.
What about Mr “ebay” Rick Tomaska have they got a DEAL for you !!!!
Yeah, Rick gets too $ for any offering…I have his book on Kennedy) Franklin’s as a reference for coins I am interested in…His market value prices are often unrealistically high, but in his world, he can get his price…He actually bought a coin from me a while back…He has staff hunting the internet for coins he can flip for a big $$$…I learn by watching his TV show, but have never bought from him…
I have it too. I felt it was very light on background information especially re the Franklin, compared to, say, Dave Bowers’ books.
A summary of the commemorative products first-day sales are available here:
https://www.coinnews.net/2020/06/05/basketball-commemorative-coins-first-day-sales/
My issue is the U.S. Mint advised me my credit card would not be charge untill items ships. They still charged my card right away.
That would be surprising. The initial ‘cost’ that shows on the order might include the ‘back-ordered’ item, but the actual charge to the credit charge should only include items actually shipped at this time. And indeed, that is all that shows on my credit card, which is consistent as to what has happened in the past with any of my orders. And then in the future when the item is available for shipping the credit card is charged for that specific item.
chuck –
I bet you are right for sure!
Unfortunately for consumers of the HSN t.v. coin collector shows with rip-off artist Mike Mezack, buyers will be taken advantage of – Strike 1, 2, 3, Out!!
NumisdudeTX
Still the “KING” of coin collecting. Repeat Repeat Repeat Understand!!!
I bought all 3 proof coins, and I am now sorry I did that. The gold coin is very small and, because of that, the busy obverse design does not show up well. And, the Mint needs to learn how to place their coins in the cases. The silver coin is so tightly wedged in the case that I cannot remove it, particularly because the finger hole is tiny. I do not want to jam anything in there because I don’t want to scratch or break the plastic coin holder. I was so looking forward to this release and it… Read more »
US Mint ‘quality control’ is nonexistent it seems these days. Call & get a paid return label, tell them it’s fuguly & you want to return it for ‘spite’…….seriously the design is so busy I see it as hypno coin like, dizzy IF you stare @ it too long, boring if you buy them as they all ARE THE SAME DESIGN!! I reject same design commems, it’s dumb. I only got the 5z Apollo 11 no others. And as many other have posted I used to be a mint junkie,now I just DON’T CARE…..
Thank you for your post.
Now, I’m definitely glad I passed on these coins.