The game of basketball has excited players and fans for more than 125 years. This fast-paced game was invented on December 21, 1891, by Dr. James Naismith. From its humble roots in a gymnasium, the game has grown into a global phenomenon, embraced by players and fans around the world. Today, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame carries on Naismith’s vision for his game of “basket ball.”
The coins in this three-coin Basketball Hall of Fame program (gold $5 coin, silver dollar, and clad half dollar) share a common design and are curved.
Celebrate the game and the 60th anniversary of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the purchase of a Basketball Hall of Fame Colorized Clad Half-Dollar Coin for your own collection, a special player, or dedicated fan.
Obverse: The design portrays the intense, hands-on action of the game-the constant struggle for possession of the ball and the skill required to overcome the opponent and put the ball through the hoop. The design features three different figures all reaching for the ball in unison, suggesting how the sport has brought together millions of diverse people around the world through a simple, universal, and unifying athletic experience. Their arms are intentionally elongated, just slightly, to emphasize the full exertion of physical and mental effort required to excel in the game. The rim and net are presented as subtle background elements to complement the primary figures. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2020.”
Reverse: This design depicts a basketball with black channels about to pass through a white net and a rim delineated in a familiar orange hue associated with the sport and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The historic United States Mint Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Colorized Coins are the first to have color applied to their design elements. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “ONE DOLLAR.”