Commems Collection Classic: 1936 Wisconsin Territorial Centennial - Orders Rush In

In August of 1936, newspaper headlines in Wisconsin blared "State Centennial Coins In Demand All Over Country" and "Great Demand Arises for Wisconsin Centennial Coin". The articles (based on press releases from the Wisconsin Territorial Coin Committee) behind the headlines exclaimed "Orders pouring in from every corner of the civilized world for Wisconsin Territorial Centennial Commemorative half dollars have given the offices of the state department of public instruction the appearance of the banking department, its next door neighbor, in the state capitol."

The articles stated that pre-orders for ~15,000 coins (of the 25,000 mintage) had been received before the coin was available for sale, and that additional orders were being received at a rate of ~100 per day. The US Mint struck the coins, in Philadelphia, in July 1936.

The articles also provided several reasons for what - potentially - was driving the demand:

1. Potential for future price appreciation - the papers believed the coin's limited mintage would not meet overall demand, and thus the price to acquire one would soon rise above the $1.50 issue price.

2. The interest of students of American History - while not necessarily coin collectors, these individuals would want to add an example of the Wisconsin coin because of their interest in history.

3. Foreign Demand - the coin's appeal would extend beyond the borders of the United States.

It was also noted that the Wisconsin Centennial Committee was temporarily refusing large orders from dealers in order to give interested Wisconsin residents a chance to acquire a coin, but interested parties were urged to send in their orders promptly.

History tells us that while the articles included a bit of "marketing speak", they were not simple hyperbole used to catalyze lagging coin sales. The full mintage of 25,000 Wisconsin Territorial Centennial half dollars was distributed and none were sent back to the Mint to be melted.

I wonder if I would have gotten my order in on time if I had been alive back then?

1936 Wisconsin Territorial Centennial Half Dollar



For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Wisconsine half dollar stories, see: Commems Collection.