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Message:: [QUOTE="Conder101, post: 4516737, member: 66"]I believe (without checking) the Booker T Washington was originally authorized for a mintage of 5 million.  As mentioned sales were bad and after several years of selling (and melting) various dates and mints the remaining coins were melted, and they were made into planchets, and used to strike Washington/Carver commemorative half dollars, marketed by the same person/organization.  And THOSE were then sold (poorly) for several years. with a range of different dates and mints.  All told they tried to sell that authorized 5 million coins from 1946 thru 1954.  And when it was all over the project it was meant to fund was in serious debt. The way these early commemorative programs worked was the sponsoring organization was able to get the coins from the government at face value.  What they weren't able to sell they could send back to have their debt for the coins reduced.  In the later programs they would aften send the unsold coins back and have them made into new coins for the next year and sell them again.  that was the case with the Booker T Washingtons'. when sales died send them back and have a new P,D,& S set made the following year.[/QUOTE]