As with its Civil War "cousin," the 1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary Half Dollar, the 1936 Battle of Gettysburg 75th Anniversary Half Dollar is one of today's more popular classic US commemorative coin series issues. However, with an issue date coming at the tail end of the mid-1930s US commemorative coin boom - in 1937 - the Gettysburg coin was barely able to sell more than half of its authorized mintage/production.
The enabling Act for the Gettysburg coin authorized the striking of up to 50,000 silver 50-cent pieces "in commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg." The coin was sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Commission, operating out of Gettysburg, PA. The Commission was authorized by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in April 1935, and approved by Governor George Earle III the same month.
In October 1936, the American Numismatic Association (
ANA) ran a release from the Commission that stated it had already received orders for half of its issue. With such a total, a sell-out of the issue appeared plausible and the Commission predicted it would happen before the end of 1936. (Note: The US Mint did not strike the coins until June 1937, so the Commission was reporting and forecasting on pre-orders.)
When available in July 1937, the coins were sold for $1.65 each (including postage and insurance). The price was in line with other issues of the time, but the issue price was not the coin's main problem. An advertisement in the September issue of the American Numismatic Association (
ANA)
The Numismatist magazine claimed "LIMITED NUMBER AVAILABLE." but this would prove to be misleading.
Unfortunately for the Commission, the early forecasts of a sell-out did not come true, and sales of the coin languished as the coin's issue came on the "wrong side" of the commemorative coin boom/bust of 1936. With buyers hard to find, the Commission engaged the American Legion - Pennsylvania Department to take over coin sales in 1938. The Legion attempted to sell the coins at an advanced price ($2.65) and promote them using a "rarity" angle. The ploy did not work, however, and 23,100 of the coins were eventually returned to the Mint to be melted. The coin's ~46.2% melt rate left a net mintage/distribution of 26,900, an amount barely more than the alleged orders-for-half-of-the-issue claim made by the Commission in mid-1936. The net count appears to be enough to satisfy today's collector demand, however, as the Gettysburg's market price, while several hundred dollars for nice examples, is not outrageous.
1936 Battle of Gettysburg 75th Anniversary
For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including more on the Gettysburg half dollar, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 06/19/2024 11:11 am
The Gettysburg does have one of the strongest designs of the series. It has always given me a good sense of the event it commemorates!
