Commems Collection: 1936 Rhode Island Tercentenary - Sponsor?

In a recent post about a 1936 Rhode Island Historical Map,

- 1936 Providence, RI Tercentenary - Historical Map

I wrote "The 1936 commemorative half dollar that collectors are familiar with was sponsored by the localized Providence Tercentenary Committee (per its authorizing legislation)."

I included the phrase seen within the ()'s for a specific reason - the legislation appears to have been in error!

The 1936 Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary Half Dollar is one example within the classic-era series of sponsor confusion. By that, I don't mean its sponsor was confused, but rather that there is confusion as to the proper identity of the coin's sponsor.

There were three primary organizations in charge of different facets of Rhode Island's Tercentenary celebration:

1. Rhode Island Tercentenary Commission
2. Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee
3. Providence Tercentenary Committee

Rhode Island Tercentenary Commission

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations created the Rhode Island Tercentenary Commission ("State Commission"). The State Commission was created by the RI General Assembly on May 31, 1935. It was comprised of three representative citizens (Very Reverend Lorenzo, C. McCarthy, OP; John Nicholas Brown and Ira Lloyd Letts), the Lieutenant Governor (President of the Senate), two Senators (one Republican, one Democrat), the Speaker of the House and two Representatives (one Republican and one Democrat).

The State Commission was charged with planning, preparing, supervising and carrying out the State's official observance of its tercentenary of founding by Roger Williams. Its focus was educational projects that would be of lasting value to citizens of the state; it was not intended to run/manage commercial ventures.

Upon its creation, the Commission learned of an existing group that was also making plans for state-wide celebrations.

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee, Inc.

The Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee, Inc. ("Jubilee Committee") was a private sector organization formed in 1931 by members of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Though it had been developing plans for celebration events since its formation, it did not yet have much solidly in place in 1935 as the tercentenary drew near. As a result, the Committee was reorganized, with Ira Lloyd Letts of the State Commission being tapped to lead the new team. (Note: After the State Commission was created, this Committee was generally referred to as the "Jubilee Committee" to help differentiate it and the projects it managed from the State Commission.)

One project that the Jubilee Committee did move along by the time the State Commission had been formed was seeking a commemorative coin. The Jubilee Committee had already developed the concept for a commemorative half dollar, had arranged for the introduction of its bill in Congress and had already received approval for its coining (President Franklin D. Roosevelt had signed its bill into law on May 2, 1935).

It had also already launched a design competition for the coin. As a result, the coin remained the jurisdiction of the Jubilee Committee, with the non-profit State Commission focusing on more educational projects, including placing historical markers throughout the state, publishing multiple books and pamphlets about Rhode Island and its history and taking charge of the commemorative postage stamp initiative. In addition to the coin, the Jubilee Committee also took the lead on supporting towns across the state, helping them plan their tercentenary observance/celebration.

1936 Rhode Island Tercentenary Commemorative Postage Stamp



Providence Tercentenary Committee

The city of Providence - Rhode Island's first European settlement - organized its own celebration committee, the Providence Tercentenary Committee ("Providence Committee") circa 1932. The Providence Committee was created from members of the City Council of Providence, RI.

Though it was able to stage several events early in the Tercentenary's calendar, including the 1936 re-enactment of the May 4, 1676 history-making session of the Rhode Island General Assembly at which the Rhode Island Declaration of Independence was approved, the group ran into serious financial difficulties. (Note: The State Commission had designated May 4, 1936 as the launch date for RI's Tercentenary commemoration.)

Most of the group's tercentenary events under performed financially. As a result, the Committee was not able to complete its planned commemoration events and ceased operations before the State's Tercentenary celebration came to a close. It did not manage/oversee the commemorative half dollar distribution.

Other

Several towns within Rhode Island also established Tercentenary Committees to plan/manage their local event(s) (e.g., Bristol, Newport, Warwick).


If the bill/Act authorizing the Rhode Island Tercentenary half dollar is examined, two interesting thing come to light:

1) It does not call for coins in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, but rather for the 300th anniversary of City of Providence, RI:

"the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city of Providence, Rhode Island."

2) The Providence Tercentenary Committee is the named sponsor of the coin vs. the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee even though the latter's management of the coin project is well documented.

"shall be issued at par and only upon the request of the Providence Tercentenary Committee."

Was it a simple mistake or inaccurate abbreviation incorporated by Senator Jesse Houghton Metcalf (R-RI) when he created the language of the legislation he introduced for the coin? Metcalf was born in Providence and had strong ties to the city, maybe this influenced him?

It should be noted that in the bill Senator Metcalf introduced in the Senate in January 1935, no sponsor was listed. When he offered his Providence, RI Tercentenary amendment to the Hudson, NY 250th Anniversary coin bill - the bill that was ultimately authorized and approved - in April 1935, the Providence Tercentenary Committee was named. IMO, the name issue was simply a mistake resulting from momentary confusion considering it was the Jubilee Committee that originally worked with Metcalf to get a standalone bill introduced, and continued working with him to explore all options to gain the coin's approval (leading to the amendment to the Hudson, NY coin bill).

Regardless of the bill's language, it was the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee that was in charge of the commemorative half dollar not the Providence Tercentenary Committee.

Promotional Coin Flyer from Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Tercentenary Committee



So, now when you read a reference regarding the 1936 Providence, RI half dollar and it lists the Providence Tercentenary Committee as its sponsor, you'll recognize it as a misstatement based on the incorrect language incorporated in the coin's authorizing legislation.


Note: The name used for Rhode Island in the above text was as per 1936. In 2020, however, the residents of the State voted to change the name from "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" to just "State of Rhode Island."


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