The 1982 George Washington silver dollars were introduced in order to commemorate George Washington’s 250th birth date.

Obverse: On the obverse of the coin George Washington is portrayed on top an elegant horse. His name (George Washington) is prominently arched above the obverse of the design. The inscription 250th ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH-1982 is arched towards the bottom of the coin.

The word Liberty is also on the obverse of the coin, located towards the left of the central design. The initials “EJ” are located behind Washington’s lower back. The “D” mint mark is located to the right of the coins design and right above the date 1982.

Reverse: On the reverse of the coin, Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home) is displayed. Arched above the building are the words “United Sates of America” and “In God We Trust.” Below Mount Vernon there is an eagle holding a ribbon between its wings which indicates “E Pluribus Unum.” On the eagle's right claw it holds several branches with leaves while on its left claw it holds a bundle of arrows. Towards the bottom of the eagle the words Half Dollar are inscribed.

History: The last time the U.S. Mint produced a commemorative coin was in 1954, when it produced the Washington-Carver half dollars. Due to the 28 year hiatus, the Denver Mint anticipated a large demand for the new 1982 George Washington commemorative silver dollars.

Mint Statistics: The Denver Mint struck 2,689,204 coins in order to meet the anticipated demand. However, it seems as if the U.S. Mint overrated the demand for these coins as it produced hundreds of thousands of extra coins that were never sold. Out of the total production run, the Mint later melted 478,716 coins as they could not sell all of the coins that they produced. After the melting of hundreds of thousands of coins, the final mintage was set at 2,210,458.

Overview: Mint state coins were only produced at the Denver Mint. However, the San Francisco Mint did produce proof coins as well. The proof coins contain an "S" mint mark, the same date of 1982 and the same exact design as mint state coins.

The 1982 Washington commemorative silver dollar have proved to be a very popular coin, as they were the first coins introducing the modern commemorative series.

The Maximum Authorized Mintage was set at 10,000,000 coins for both Uncirculated and proof versions combined. Mint Pre-Issue Price $10. Regular Price $12.