Commems Collection Modern: 2014 Baseball Hall Of Fame Young Collectors Set

The 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins evoked a myriad of conflicting emotions for me.

I am a life-long baseball fan and played the game for 30+ years (hardball NOT softball) so I was excited when the coins were first proposed.

I was later disappointed to learn that the same design was to be used on each of the three coins in the program (Gold Half Eagle, Silver Dollar and CuNi Clad Half Dollar). I would have much preferred three distinct designs.

I was intrigued by the plan for curved/domed coins being produced by the US Mint.

I was bothered by the fact that the coins were going to support the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum - not because of any issues that I had/have with the Hall and Museum - I enjoyed my visit to it and I was a dues paying member for a number of years - but because it is private corporation that operates a museum with an admission fee, generates millions of dollars in annual revenue and has assets worth tens of millions of dollars. I didn't see why they needed surcharge funds from commemorative coins.

But regardless of my mixed emotions, I purchased examples of each denomination, as well as multiple of the Young Collectors Set - a bit of proactive gift planning! I also purchased the set of commemorative medals licensed by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and sold in attractive, content-rich, folders, each covering a specific era in the Hall's history. I've previously posted about these medal sets; you can access them all via the links included in the Wrap-Up post I created about them:

- 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Cousins - Wrap-Up

My focus here is the Young Collectors Set (YCS) for the program; it include several distinct features that previous Young Collector Sets did not include:

1. The encapsulated Uncirculated Half Dollar it includes is mounted in a pivoting brace that allows the coin to be rotated/flipped while in the folder.

2. The folder has a tab and slot that allows it to be set up as a table-top display (see image below).

3. The folder includes a QR code that could be used (at the time of issue) to view the answers to questions presented on the folder (Note: the web page no longer exists on the US Mint web site).

As with previous YCS, the NBHoF presentation folder uses a cartoon theme with the young boy, young girl and dog characters of the Mint that are seen on other sets. The Set includes a six-panel coin folder inserted into an outer slipcase that has its opening at the top vs. at the side (as with other YCS). The front of the slipcase shares its design with the front panel of the coin folder; the back of the slipcase presents a simple illustration of the Hall of Fame and Museum building in Cooperstown, NY along with the coin's Certificate of Authenticity.

The interior panels of the folder present the story of Narional Baseball Hall of Fame, with a brief review of its history and purpose. Though brief, I think the content does a good job at introducing the reader to the Hall and the honor it bestows upon its enshrinees.

The YCS went on sale on July 28, 2014 (individual coins went on sale March 27. 2014). The Set's issue price was $24.95 and it had total sales of 29,683 units; its issue limit was 50,000.


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Slipcase - Front


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Slipcase - Back


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Front Cover Panel


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Inside Front Cover Panel


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Interior Flap - Front


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Interior Flap - Back


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Inside Back Cover Panel


2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Back Cover Panel


The answers to the Quiz questions:

1. 1939
2. 306
3, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner
4. 14,000
5. Yes

2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Folder - Tabletop Setup

(Image Credit: US Mint Media Image.)

2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Cu-Ni Clad Half Dollar




For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Modern US Commemorative stories, see: Commems Collection.