Commems Collection Classic: "Did You Know?" 1937 Circulating US Constitution Commemorative Half #11

In 1936, to help mark the upcoming sesquicentennial of the adoption of the US Constitution in 1937, a bill was introduced into the House for a special commemorative half-dollar. As the bill did not have enough time to work through Congress before it adjourned for the year, essentially the same bill was introduced by Representative Marcellus Evans of New York on the first day of the 81st Congress in 1937; it was referred to the Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures.

The interesting wrinkle of this bill was the fact that it proposed a circulating half-dollar to be coined rather than the typical "collector-only" commemorative coin that was the norm of the day. The coin was to be dated "1937" and during that year would have replaced the standard half-dollar (the Walking Liberty design). Its mintage would not have been limited and it could have been struck at one or multiple of the mints at the discretion of the Director of the Mint.

The coin's design was to "relate to the Constitution or its adoption" and "include there-on, in addition to all other matters now required by law, the date of September 17, 1787."

The bill, unfortunately, never made it out of the Committee to which it was referred, and so the nation was deprived of what I believe would have been a wonderful, historically significant commemorative coin. I think it would have made a great companion piece to the 1926 Independence Sesquicentennial coins.

At least we got our act together for the Constitution's 200th anniversary!


1987 US Constitution Bicentennial Silver Dollar - Obverse




1987 US Constitution Bicentennial Silver Dollar - Reverse




1987 US Constitution Bicentennial Gold Half Eagle - Obverse




1987 US Constitution Bicentennial Gold Half Eagle - Reverse