Commems Collection Classic: 1936 Rhode Island Tercentenary - Origin Story

I've written before about the Hudson, NY 250th Anniversary / Providence, RI Tercentenary two-coin bill before (see link below), but wanted to return for a closer look at the Providence, RI half dollar proposal.

A bill calling for a half dollar "in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city of Providence, Rhode Island." was introduced by Senator Jesse Houghton Metcalf (R-RI) in January 1936. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency.

The bill sought 100,000 50-cent pieces to be struck at "the mints of the United States" (i.e., multiple Mint facilities could be engaged). The bill did not specify a year/date to be placed on the coins, nor did it specify an expiration date for the ordering/striking of the coins. Such a combination could have translated into a multi-Mint, multi-Year program a la the Oregon Trail Memorial program, the Arkansas Statehood Centennial program, the Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial program and/or the Texas Independence Centennial program that was each in active release at the time.

The bill also lacked the name of a sponsor, and did not include any specification regarding who was to pay for or receive the half dollars once struck. The bill did, however, include language that prevented the Federal Government from incurring any costs for the coins. So, an outside entity was clearly intended to be involved. Such an omission in a commemorative coin bill was unusual in the mid-1930s - though not unheard of in the early 1920s.

The bill was not acted upon by the Senate Committee, and was quite possibility on the road to failure. In April 1935, however, a window of opportunity opened for Senator Metcalf when a House bill calling for a half dollar for the sesquicentennial of Hudson, NY was brought up in the Senate for consideration. Metcalf requested that a Providence, RI coin be amended to the bill.

The amendment reduced the original request for 100,000 coins to 50,000 and added the name of a sponsor / financially-responsible party - the Providence Tercentenary Committee; no expiration date for the coin was added, however.

The combination Hudson, NY / Providence, RI bill was passed by the Senate without debate and was sent to the House for concurrence with its amendments. The House passed the Senate-amended bill without debate and it was prepared for final approval by the President. Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill into law on May 2, 1935 (Public Law 74-48).

So, with a little help from a friend, the Providence, RI Tercentenary coin - the coin is commonly referred to as the "Rhode Island" - was authorized and became a member of the classic series of US commemorative coins. The original multi-Mint facility provision remained in the bill, as did its open-ended minting allowance. The Tercentenary Committee made use of the Mints in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco for its coin (i.e., P/D/S sets were minted), but limited its issue to just 1936. Such restraint was likely tied to the fact that Rhode Island's official celebration of its 300th anniversary did not extend beyond 1936.

1936 Providence, RI - "Rhode Island" - Tercentenary Half Dollar


For more discussion regarding the Hudson, NY coin bill and its Providence, RI amendment, see:

- 1935 Hudson, NY Sesquicentennial - Congressional Path


For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including more on the history and design of the Providence, RI / Rhode Island half dollar, see: Commems Collection.