US Commemorative Coin Series: Quick Bits #46 - Calendar Dates On Coins

@nickelsearcher asked:


The coin that comes immediately to mind is the 1927 Battle of Bennington/Vermont Independence Sesquicentennial Half Dollar. The coin features the date "Aug 16 [1777]" on its reverse. The inscription corresponds to the date of the Battle of Bennington in a field in Walloomsac, New York (a town that is about 10 miles from Bennington, VT, but "Battle of Bennington" rolls off the tongue more easily than "Battle of Walloomsac"!

1927 Battle of Bennington/Vermont Independence Sesquicentennial



Another classic-era commemorative half dollar with a specific date is the 1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary coin. Underneath the depiction of "Burnside's Bridge" on the coin's reverse is seen "September 17, 1862" - the date of the battle. The date is recalled as the single bloodiest day of the US US Civil War, with nearly 23,000 casualties (over 3,600 killed).

1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary



To circle back, the date on the Wisconsin coin is presented as the inscription: "4th DAY OF JULY ANNO DOMINI 1836" vs. a simple "July 4, 1836," but it is specific nonetheless. A bit of background for the coin's historical date: The Territory of Wisconsin was created via Congressional Act (signed by US President Andrew Jackson) on April 20, 1836; the date on the coin refers to the date upon which Henry Dodge, the Territory's first Governor, assumed office (appointed by President Jackson).

1936 Wisconsin Territorial Centennial