The Booker T. Washington Memorial half dollar was designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway and minted in silver between 1946 and 1951.

"[1] The Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial Commission, which aimed to strike a commemorative coin in Washington's honor due to his importance in both American and African-American history, had successfully raised funds to buy and maintain his birthplace in Franklin County, Virginia.

The funds also helped the commission to get legislation passed on August 7, 1946, which authorized the mintage of up to 5 million commemorative half dollars.

Meanwhile, African-American artist Isaac Scott Hathaway learned of the coin program and offered his own design models for free, which were based on a life mask of Washington.

One exception to this trend is the 1950 San Francisco and 1951 Philadelphia issues, which the commission sold as a part of a promotion which also involved schools and hospitals.