Commems Collection Classic: 1934 Maryland Tercentenary, Collectors To Blame For Mintage Increase?

I've written before about how the original bill calling for a Maryland Tercentenary half dollar specified a maximum mintage of 10,000 coins, but when it was considered by the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures the mintage limit was raised to 25,000. (You can read more about it here, 1934 Maryland Tercentenary - Amended Request.)

Why was it raised?

Fear. The Maryland Tercentenary Commission feared that, with a mintage of just 10,000 coins, coin collectors from across the country would scoop up so many of the available coins that too few would be available for non-collectors simply seeking a souvenir of Maryland's 300th anniversary, whether a Maryland resident or a Tercentenary visitor.

The Commission feared that the high volume of collector purchases would drive a sell-out of the coins and subsequently drive up the price of the coins to the point that the general public would no longer be interested in buying them. IMO, their fears were likely well-founded, and the authoeized 25,000 mintage basically worked out to be a positive for the Commission - though some coins were sold at a discount in 1935.

Somtimes - but not always - fear can dirve a good course of action!

1934 Province of Maryland Tercentenary Half Dollar




For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more on the history of the Maryland half dollar, see: Commems Collection.