Earlier this year I posted about the 1936 Cleveland Centennial and Great Lakes Exposition half-dollar and included one of the original two-coin holders used to distribute the coins.
Original Post:
http://goccf.com/t/116328Tonight I thought I would offer a supplement to that post with a few images of the two single-coin holders that are also in my collection.
The first, and more noteworthy, of the two holders is an example of the notarized holders that were used to house coins that were among the first 201 to be struck. This early batch of coins received special treatment at the Mint -- as each was struck, it was caught by a mint press operator wearing white gloves and placed individually in a numbered envelope (vs. simply falling into a collection bin).
Read More: Commems CollectionAfter the special coins were received by the coin's sponsor, each was placed into either a one- or two-coin holder that featured a notarized certificate indicating which number coin was in the holder. The process was handled by Thomas G. Melish, the collector who had conceived the coin and served as the Treasurer for the Cleveland Centennial Commemorative Coin Association; his signature is seen on the holder below. (Melish was also the driver behind Ohio's other classic commemorative, the Cincinnati Music Center half-dollar.) The coin in the holder shown is indicated as the 24th struck. Anthony Swiatek reports that these early coins were initially distributed to VIPs and friends of Melish.
The other single-coin holder shown is not one of the notarized holders -- it is the same physical holder, but features a coin that was not among the first 201 struck; overall, 50,000 coins were struck and distributed. The Cleveland coins were sold in these holders at the Great Lakes Exposition and were used to distribute coins to collectors who placed orders via the mail. This non-notarized holder is similar to the two-coin holder I previously displayed.
Enjoy!
1936 Cleveland Centennial Half-Dollar in Notarized Holder - Obverse
1936 Cleveland Centennial Half-Dollar in Notarized Holder - Reverse
1936 Cleveland Centennial Half-Dollar in Plain Holder - Obverse
1936 Cleveland Centennial Half-Dollar - Obverse
1936 Cleveland Centennial Half-Dollar - Reverse
Posted 09/09/2012 10:24 pm
