1934 50C Texas (Regular Strike)

The Texas commemorative series ran from 1934 thru 1938 and 13 different dates and mint mark combinations were issued. For each of the years 1935 thru 1938, coins were struck at all three Mints; Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. But for the 1934 Texas, only Philadelphia Mint coins were issued. The original issue price was $1.00 per coin. The Texas comemorative have generally been very popular with collectors, especially Texas collectors! However, the design of the Texas commem has a lot of elements and some collectors feel the design is too "crowded". In my early career as a mail order dealer I once had a customer return a Texas for a refund because he said the design was "too busy". I personally think the design is beautiful, but obviously beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, even in the coin market.

The 1934 was the largest mintage in the Texas series with 61,463 coins distributed. And today, the 1934 Texas is the most plentiful of the Texas commemoratives. Interestingly, the 1934 Texas, while relatively common in grades MS64 to MS66, is one of the very rarest Texas issues in Superb Gem MS67 condition. The typical 1934 Texas can have either frosty or satin-like luster. Toning runs the gauntlet of various shades and degrees of eye appeal, both positive and negative.