Commems Collection Classic: Quick Bits 153 - An Island Connection

While not plentiful, the classic series of United States ("US") commemorative coins does include several coins with an "island" heritage.

First up, the 1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial Half Dollar. The coin was issued to mark the 150th Anniversary of the sighting/landing on the present-day Hawaiian islands by British explorer Captain James Cook (1778).

Note: Hawaii was a Territory of the US at the time of the coin's issue, it did not become a US State until August 1959.

1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial Half Dollar


Next up, the 1936 Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar. The half dollar was issued to mark the 300th Anniversary of the roots of European settlement on the (present-day) New York island. The majority of the island's early settlers were Dutch.

1936 Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar


The last coin on this "Quick Bits" list is the 1936 Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary Half Dollar. The coin was issued in commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the founding of Providence (in present-day Rhode Island) as one of the Colony's/State's earliest settlements.

Included among the short list of Rhode Island's founding settlements are Portsmouth and Newport. both of which are located on Aquidneck Island, which is the source of the State's name - a combined derivation of the monikers applied by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who compared today's Aquidneck with the Greek island of Rhodes in 1542 and Dutch explorer Adriaen Block who referred to the island as "roodlich Eylande" or "Red Island" due to its soil color (a red clay) in 1614.

1936 Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary Half Dollar



For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including much more about the three coins referenced here, see: Commems Collection