1994 World Cup Tournament Commemorative Silver Dollars

The 1994 World Cup Tournament Commemorative Silver Dollars were struck by the US Mint to celebrate the United States hosting of the 15th World Cup Tournament that year. Also struck were half dollar clad coins and $5 gold coins marking the same event and containing the same reverse design.

World Cup competitions can be traced back to the 1930’s, although the sport of football (known as soccer to Americans) goes back much further. The World Cup is held as a month long tournament throughout several cities in the host nation.

The 1994 World Cup was played in nine different cities with the final occurring at the Rose Bowl of Pasadena, California. Other host cities included Pontiac, Michigan, Stanford, California, East Rutherford, New Jersey, Orlando, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas, Texas, Foxborough, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Average attendance at the events was 69,000 people, with all of the events adding up to a record 3.6 million.

Silver Dollar Information

The 1994 World Cup Tournament Silver Dollars were authorized by Title II of Public Law 102-281, known as the World Cup USA 1994 Commemorative Coin Act. In this Act, a nationwide competition for the design of the coins was required to be held, of which ten were to be selected by the Director of the US Mint and forwarded to the Treasury Secretary for the final selection after consultation with the Organizing Committee of the 1994 World Cup.

On the obverse of the silver dollar, to competing players are shown converging on the ball. The design was the work of Dean McMullen and also shows the inscriptions of LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 1994.

The reverse of the silver dollar was also designed by Dean McMullen and was used as well on the clad half dollar and $5 gold World Cup coins. It shows the official WORLD CUP USA 1994 logo with laurel branches on each side. Included as well are the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, HALF DOLLAR and the mintmark.

The Uncirculated World Cup Tournament Commemorative Silver Dollars were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Denver. Proof silver dollars were struck at the US Mint’s facility in San Francisco.

Authorizing legislation on the strikes dictated that the surcharges collected on the sale of them should be given to the "Organizing Committee for purposes of organizing and staging the 1994 World Cup, with 10 percent of such funds to be made available through the United States Soccer Federation Foundation, Inc., for distribution to institutions for scholastic scholarships to qualified students."

1994 World Cup Tournament Silver Dollar Coin Specifications