Up next is one of two commemorative half-dollars to mark the 75th anniversary of an important battle of the Civil War, presented here is a Gettysburg coin in PCGS MS-65.
The three-day Battle of Gettysburg is acknowledged as the Civil War battle with the highest number of casualties and, with the North emerging victorious, the point in the war at which the North began to take firm control of its outcome. I cannot do the Battle of Gettysburg justice here, so I refer the reader to the source of his/her choice to review the details of this pivotal event in US history.
In 1938, there was planned a "Blue and Gray Reunion" in Gettysburg to honor surviving veterans of the Battle of Gettysburg upon its 75th anniversary. To help mark the event, a commemorative half-dollar coin was sought by the Pennsylvania State Commission. 50,000 of the 1936-dated coins were struck in 1937 to commemorate the 1938 anniversary -- I just love the "date games" that were played with some of the classic issues! In the end, only about 27,000 coins were sold (prices ranged from $1.65 to $2.65 each), with the rest being returned to the Mint to be melted.
Read More: Commems CollectionThe coin features right-facing, conjoined portraits of a Union soldier (foreground) and a Confederate soldier (background); the portraits are unnamed and meant to be representative of each side's forces. The reverse presents the Union (left) and Confederate (right) shields along with a commemorative inscription. The coin is the work of Frank Vittor.
The coin presented is a brilliant "minty fresh" example with wonderful luster on both sides. This is one of the coins in the series that is definitely available in higher grades -- MS-66 and MS-67 -- on a regular basis. Mine has a few marks that are characteristic of a nice MS-65, but it will likely be a part of my collection for the foreseeable future as I concentrate my upgrades on other coins. I like it!
To round out the coin's story, I've also included the original plain white unprinted cardboard holder that the coins were shipped in -- the Commission originally expected coins to be struck at all three mints -- along with the attractive mailing envelope and the letterhead from the Pennsylvania State Commission. As the holder is unprinted, it can be easily counterfeited. I would suggest that it only be purchased if accompanied by at least the mailing envelope shown or inserted coins with appropriate tab toning, so at least you would have a higher confidence in its authenticity.
Enjoy!
1936 Battle of Gettysburg -- Obverse
1936 Battle of Gettysburg -- Reverse
1936 Battle of Gettysburg -- Original Coin Holder (Mailer)
1936 Battle of Gettysburg -- Original Mailing Envelope
Letterhead of Pennsylvania State Commission (Coin's Sponsor)
Posted 04/15/2012 02:36 am
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