West Virginia commemorative coin sells out

The limited edition silver commemorative rounds marking West Virginia’s 150th birthday sold out within 12 hours of their debut.

“It shows a lot of people have an interest in having one to keep,” said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. “We have a lot of the specialty type coin collectors in West Virginia and this is one they can pass down to the kids or their grand kids.”

The state had created 1,863 of the coins to reflect the year West Virginia gained statehood. Online sales began shortly after midnight and all the coins were gone by 11:15 a.m. Monday.

The coins sold for $49 each and depicted the official sesquicentennial logo on one side and a detailed engraving of the state seal on the other side.

“To have that many people call in that quickly says they’re proud of their state,” said Tomblin.

A brass version of the coin set into a key chain continues to be offered by the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission. It can be purchased online for $8.

Activities commemorating the state’s birth are leading up to a major celebration in Charleston that runs from June 20 through the June 23 anniversary of statehood.

The last time the state issued a commemorative coin was in 1963, when it turned 100.