Here are a few interesting notes about the 1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial Half Dollar that I've collected over the years:
1. The Sesqui-Centennial Commission met in late June 1936, and voted to send A. Wolfe Davidson, the coin's designer/sculptor, to New York and Washington, DC to settle the issues that had been raised by the Commission of Fine Arts and/or US Mint. It was expected that the face-to-face meetings - which were to include a review of updated coin models - would quell calls for Davidson to be replaced, and that coin production would be given the go-ahead.
Davidson's trip proved successful and he reported to the Sesqui-Centennial Commission in early August 1936 that coin production would start soon.
2. US Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, approved the models for the Columbia, SC coin on July 30, 1936; word of the approval was sent to the Columbia Sesqui-Centennial Commission via telegram by Mary Margaret O'Reilly, Acting Director of the US Mint.
3. The US Mint agreed to strike the 25,000 authorized Columbia, SC half dollars at the Mint facilities in Philadelphia (9,000), Denver (8,000) and San Francisco (8,000). The Mint notified the Sesqui-Centennial Commission of this in late July 1936. (This made the Commission very happy!)
4. In late October/early November rumors began circulating that the Columbia Sesqui-Centennial Commission had started to ship coin orders. It had not, and sent out a Press Release that stated that no coins had yet been shipped and that the Commission was still reviewing the orders it had received to "prevent duplication and prevent any racket." The release also noted that the coin had been over-subscribed by "approximately 100 percent." As a result, large orders were reduced, and many late-arriving orders/checks were returned.
5. The delivery/mailing of the Columbia, SC half dollar (P-D-S Sets) began on December 12, 1936 - 400 sets were mailed. The mailings were fulfillment of orders for single sets of the coins. Fulfillment of orders for multiple sets were begun later in December.
And wrapping up with a story that made me smile...
An unnamed coin collector from Providence, RI traveled down to Columbia, SC to purchase 400 sets of the Columbia half dollars in late October 1936. He vowed that he would remain in Columbia until the coins were made available. As orders for the Columbia Sets were not filled until mid-December, the collector would have racked up quite a hotel bill if he made good on his vow!
After speaking with the Columbia, SC Chamber of Commerce and hearing of the limits to be placed on the over-subscribed coin, he was reported to have reduced his request to 40 Sets. The Sesqui-Centennial Commission established a limit of 10 Sets per collector, which I assume applied to this out-of-state collector as well.
I could not find a follow-up report on the collector's outcomes, but regardless, you have to admire his efforts in making a 1,000+ mile trip in order to secure a group of commemorative coins!
1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including many more on the Columbia, SC half dollar, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 08/04/2025 06:37 am
