A total of 859,408 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollars were returned to the Mint for melting.
The Philadelphia Mint produced 1,000,528 half dollars for the anniversary commission, including pieces reserved for assay and inspection. The commission expected strong public demand, but the coins sold poorly. Many were returned after the exposition rather than remaining in circulation or with collectors.
The coin was sold for $1 even though its face value was 50 cents. Its obverse showed George Washington and Calvin Coolidge, and its reverse displayed the Liberty Bell. Despite its historical design, the issue did not achieve the sales success organizers had anticipated.
The returned quantity illustrates a recurring challenge in commemorative coin programs: an anniversary can be nationally important without creating enough demand for a large premium issue. America250 coinage is being produced under different legal and commercial conditions, but the 1926 experience remains part of the background for understanding earlier U.S. anniversary collectibles.