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The Oregon Trail half dollar commemorative coin was minted to honor the migration of settlers to the west prior to the California Gold Rush, which began in 1849. In 1926, the Oregon Trail Memorial Association, Inc., whose president was the pioneer Ezra Meeker, petitioned Congress to authorize a half dollar to "commemorate the heroism of our fathers and mothers who traversed the Oregon Trail to the far west with great hardship, daring, and loss of life, which not only resulted in adding new states to the Union, but earned a well-deserved and imperishable fame for the pioneers." Congress passed the legislation on May 17, 1926 authorizing the minting of "no more than six million" coins.

The coin was designed by James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser. The obverse depicts a Conestoga wagon drawn by oxen heading into a setting sun. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears at the upper perimeter. Below the wagon it reads OREGON TRAIL MEMORIAL and the date. The designers' initials are behind the wagon. The reverse depicts an Indian standing erect with an outstretched arm as if to say, "Stop." The Indian is superimposed on a map of the United States showing a line of Conestoga wagons heading West. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA borders the Indian on the left and right. HALF DOLLAR appears on the lower perimeter. This coin was minted from 1926-1939.

Mints
The Oregon Trail Commemorative Half Dollar was minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. The 1933 issue marked the first striking of a US commemorative at the Denver Mint. The mint mark for the Denver (D) and San Francisco (S) issues appears to the left of the F in HALF. The Philadelphia issues do not have a mint mark.

Mintages
There was a total of 203,102 coins minted. Philadelphia minted 72,999 coins, Denver minted 33,031, and San Francisco minted 97,092. All of the strikes tend to be good, with the exception of the 1926 Philadelphia issue which usually shows a noticeable lack of detail in the Indian's hand.