Commems Collection Classic: Battle Of Sharpsburg Half Dollar?

Growing up in the "North," I learned about the US Civil War from a different perspective vs. many in the "South." I became acutely aware of this when I became a "Yankee" in the land of the Confederacy. The names of some battles were different and while the conflict was universally called "The Civil War" in my original neck of the woods, it was frequently referred to as the "War of Northern Aggression" by many native residents in my new locale. (Good thing no one was holding a grudge! )

One particularly noteworthy battle whose name can vary is the fierce battle between Union and Confederate forces that took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862. The Union/North generally referred to the battle as the "Battle of Antietam" (the name being derived from the nearby creek of that name). Within the Confederacy, the battle was typically referred to as the "Battle of Sharpsburg" (the name being derived from the nearby town),

Considering this, I've occasionally wondered how close we came to having a commemorative half dollar for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Sharpsburg rather than Antietam.

The Battle of Antietam commemorative half dollar was introduced in Congress in March 1936 when Senator Millard Evelyn Tydings (D-MD) proposed the striking of up to 5,000 half dollars "in commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Antietam."

During the War, Maryland was a State divided - within the State were Pro-Union residents and Pro-Confederacy residents. Maryland's General Assembly considered seceding, but, ultimately, Maryland did not secede and remained part of the Union. (The Federal Government and Union troops intervened to "help" keep Maryland in the Union - a story beyond the scope of this post.)

As the Union emerged victorious in the overall War (and with a strategic victory at Antietam) along with Maryland's continued "Northern State" membership, "Antietam" became the more recognized/accepted reference name for the battle. I can't help but wonder, however, which name would have been used if the coin's bill had been introduced by a Congressman from a State more sympathetic to the Confederate cause - say Virginia or Alabama. After all, Congress had previously shown its willingness to honor the Confederacy with the 1925 Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar, so a Battle of Sharpsburg Half Dollar doesn't seem an impossibility.

What do you think?

1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including a number about yjr Antietam, see: Commems Collection - Classic link.