National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 Gold Commemorative Coin

Commemorative Coin Programs

Background

The U.S. Mint released the National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 Gold Coin as part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Program in 2014. It celebrates the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 75th anniversary. The program includes a $5 gold coin, $1 silver coin, and a half dollar clad coin with the same obverse and reverse designs. A public design competition decided the common obverse.

Curved, Not Flat

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins have a shape such that the obverse is concave and the reverse is convex. These are the first curved coins ever minted by the U.S. Mint. In 1973, the Mint did produce a curved Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Roberto Walker Clemente, the late Pittsburgh Pirates star right fielder.

The National Baseball Commemorative Coin Act specifically refers to modeling the coins after the convex/concave 2009 International Year of Astronomy Coins minted and issued by the Monnaie de Paris (French Mint). The United States Mint’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins were also closely modeled after the Royal Australian Mint’s Southern Cross curved coins.

Research and development on the curved National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins is unprecedented in recent U.S. Mint history. It covered height of relief limitations; milling, turning and grinding operations; coinability issues; laser frosting and proof polishing; and proof, uncirculated and clad test strikes.

During the planning phase for the minting and production of its first-ever curved coins, the Royal Australian and Perth Mints provided valuable technical insight to the United States Mint.

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Recipient Organization: National Baseball Hall of Fame

Surcharges of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each half-dollar, which are authorized to be paid to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an independent not-for-profit educational institution, to help fund its operations.

Commemorative Coin Surcharges

Commemorative coin programs are created by acts of Congress to honor a person, place, or event. Surcharges from the sales of these coins help fund a variety of organizations and projects that benefit the public. Commemorative coins are only available from the United States Mint for a limited time, as specified by public law.

Characteristics

The obverse (heads) design depicts a glove that, combined with the baseball design featured on the reverse, exemplifies the most basic elements of our national pastime or a simple game of catch in the backyard or at the local sandlot. The glove design also highlights the unique concavity of the coin.

The reverse (tails) design of each coin depicts a baseball similar to those used in Major League Baseball®.

Obverse Inscriptions

  • LIBERTY
  • IN GOD WE TRUST
  • 2014

Reverse Inscriptions

  • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  • E PLURIBUS UNUM
  • FIVE DOLLARS

Mint and Mint Mark

Specifications

Composition: 90% gold, 10% alloy
Diameter: 0.850 inch (± 0.005) 21.59 mm (± 0.127)
Weight: 8.359 grams
Overall Height: 0.141 inch (± 0.005)
Mintage Limit: 50,000 across all gold product options

Artist Information

Obverse
  • Sculptor: Don Everhart, Sculptor-Engraver
  • Designer: Cassie McFarland
Reverse
  • Don Everhart, Sculptor-Engraver

Related Information

Content last reviewed February 25, 2021

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