The Stone Mountain Half Dollar: A Coin Carved in Controversy

Step into the complex history of the 1925 Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar—one of the most controversial coins in U.S. commemorative history. This silver half dollar, minted in Philadelphia, features Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and was created to fund the Stone Mountain Confederate monument in Georgia. Designed by Gutzon Borglum—who later sculpted Mount Rushmore and was associated with the Ku Klux Klan—the coin reflects deep ties to white supremacy and institutional racism of the era.

Backed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the fundraising campaign—dubbed the “Harvest Campaign”—distributed coins based on white population and bank deposits. Despite over 2 million coins minted, nearly half were melted due to poor sales and growing national controversy.

On this episode of Coins & Coins & Coins, we unpack the coin’s design, symbolism, historical context, and modern collectibility. From Civil War memory to the politics of public monuments, this episode explores how a seemingly simple coin became a lightning rod for cultural conflict—then and now.

If you’re a coin collector, history buff, or curious listener, this is one story you won’t want to miss.