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Long Island Tercentenary – 1936

Celebrating 300 Years Since the Arrival of Dutch Colonists

The Tercentenary of Dutch settlers landing on Long Island was going to occur in 1936. The first deed for land on Long Island was conveyed to two Dutch colonists on June 16, 1636, so three hundred years later a large celebration of that event would occur along many of the larger cities and towns comprising Long Island. As was the custom in 1936, the local cities and towns formed Tercentenary Committees. The leading committee was the Long Island Tercentenary Committee. This Committee had considerable political influence and like so many before them, they sought a United States commemorative coin to help defray the expenses of the local celebrations.

New York Congressman John Delaney authored a bill that sought to have a minimum of 100,000 authorized and struck by the United States mints. The bill passed through the House of Representatives was amended in the Senate and was passed by both houses. It was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.

Now that the Bill had passed and was law, the Tercentenary Committee sought to have an appropriate design created for the coin. The Commission of Fine Arts recommended Howard Kenneth Weinman design the coins. Weinman was the son of Adolph Weinman, who successfully designed the Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar, both of which were still being struck in 1936.

Weinman’s design for the obverse contained conjoined busts of a stern-looking Dutch settler and an equally stern Algonquin Indian, both facing right.  Above them was the word “LIBERTY” and below them was the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”

The reverse depicts a stylized Dutch three-master schooner ship sailing to the right in deep waves. In those waves are the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” and under the waves are “1936” and “LONG ISLAND TERCENTENARY” in three lines. The periphery has “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the denomination “HALF DOLLAR.”

(Weinman’s 1936 Long Island Tercentenary Commemorative Half Dollar – Obverse [left] – Reverse [right].)

Unfortunately, because of delays, the coins were not struck until August of 1936, too late for the June Tercentenary celebrations held all across Long Island. But of the 100,000 coins struck at Philadelphia and sent to the Committee, 81,826 coins were sold and distributed, which deemed the sale and the event quite successful. Advance sales generated by the Committee totaled nearly 19,000 coins sold through the mail. The rest of the sales were done on Long Island and in New York City, as the coins were widely dispersed through dozens of local banks.

Unlike many other issues of Commemorative coins during 1936, there was no public outcry of price gouging or rapidly escalating prices for the coins. The coins were available to anyone who wanted one. The 100,000 mintage assured that there was no hoarding or speculating on this particular issue.

Coins were distributed through the mail in 5-coin holders and sent in envelopes from the Long Island Tercentenary Committee. Due to the large number bought through the mail, a larger number of original holders and envelopes do exist than for many other issues.

(A 1936 Long Island Commemorative Half Dollar, original holder and mailing envelope.)

Expand your collection today and shop for a 1936 Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar Commemorative AU.

DateTypeMintageAU ValueUnc Value
1936Long Island Tercentenary81,826$100$400

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