Delaware Tercentenary – 1938

Anniversary of the Swedish Arrival and a Design Contest

The Delaware Tercentenary Commemorative Half Dollar was struck to honor the 300^th Anniversary of the Swedes Landing in Delaware. The celebrations were held in Wilmington, Delaware primarily but also back in Sweden. The coin is very interesting in that the legislation was authorized in 1936, the coin was struck in 1937 and the celebrations took place in 1938. Both the 1936 and 1938 dates appear on the coin itself. 

The legislation was brought before the US Congress and, after several amendments, it was passed and signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt. The distribution of the coins and the distribution of the funds fell to the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission. In a departure from how other commemorative coins were designed, an open competition was held and Carl L. Schmitz won the competition and the $500 design prize.

Schmitz chooses the well-known and popular Old Swedes Church in Wilmington as the central vignette for the obverse of the coin.  There is an ominous cloud above the church and the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “HALF DOLLAR” adorn the periphery. Under the church is the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” and the date “1936.”

The reverse depicts the ship that the Swedes used to land in Delaware, named the “Kalmar Nyckel” in full sail to the left. Around the periphery are the words and dates “DELAWARE TERCENTENARY – 1638 – 1938” and directly under the ship are “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and “LIBERTY” on two lines.  

No one doubted that the coin representing the First State would have its legislation easily pass through Congress and it did. The Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Committee had requested coins to be struck at each operating Mint but instead, all of the coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint.

Sweden, for its part, also celebrated this Tercentenary anniversary. The King of Sweden and members of the Royal Family came to America to honor their ancestors. Sweden also issued a 2-Kronor Silver coin which also bore a rendition of the same Kalmar Nyckel ship as well.

The Philadelphia Mint struck 25,025 coins being the maximum amount authorized and 15 coins for assay. Coins were sold during the celebrations and through the mail by the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Committee. The coins purchased through the mail were shipped in mailing envelopes and small imprinted binders that could hold up to five coins.

(The imprinted 5-coin holder for the 1938 Delaware Tercentenary Commemorative Half Dollar.)

 The coins were distributed by the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Committee through the Equitable Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Of the 25,000 coins minted a total of 20,978 coins were sold and distributed to collectors across Delaware, the United States, Sweden and around the world.

The simplicity of the design and the equitable distribution of coins to the collecting public assured that the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Committee did a commendable job and there were no reported abuses as had occurred with other commemorative coin issues.

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