Norfolk (VA) Bicentennial – 1936

Meandering Path Toward a Norfolk Bicentennial

The city of Norfolk Virginia was going to celebrate the bicentennial of becoming a Royal Borough in 1936. The local residents felt that this was an event worthy of commemoration. They asked one of their US Senators, Carter Glass, to propose legislation in Congress for them. Glass, himself, had been honored by having his likeness appear on the Lynchburg, VA commemorative coin.

 Glass had proposed a commemorative half dollar but once in the House of Representatives, the legislation was amended to strike commemorative medals instead. However, the people of Norfolk did not want medals and so the legislation was once again amended. The Norfolk Advertising Board was the organization that spearheaded the effort and the celebrations in Norfolk. They would also handle the sale and distribution of the coins. Glass introduced a bill in May of 1936. 

The bill faced numerous amendments and only minor opposition and passed both Houses. It was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt. It authorized that 25,000 coins be struck. Meanwhile, the Norfolk Advertising Board hired a husband and wife team of artists to design the obverse and reverse. William Marks Simpson and his wife Marjory Emory Simpson went to work designing a coin.

The obverse of the coin that they designed depicted the city seal of Norfolk, Virginia. It depicts a sailing ship with stylized waves beneath it and below that a plow and three sheaves of wheat. This honored Norfolk as an important sea port but also honored the agricultural area away from the port. Beneath the wheat is the Latin word “CRESCAS” meaning “may you prosper.” Above the sailing ship is “ET TERRA ET MARE DIVITIAE” translated to “both land and sea are your riches.” There are two outer concentric circles. The inner-circle has “CITY OF NORFOLK VIRGINIA – TOWN 1682 – BOROUGH 1736 – CITY 1845.” The outer circle has “BOROUGH – OF- NORFOLK – BICENTENNIAL – 1936.”

The reverse of the coin depicts the Royal Mace of Norfolk, presented by Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie in 1753. The inscriptions are “NOPRFOLK VIRGINIA LAND GRANT – E PLURIBUS UNUM – LIBERTY – IN GOD WE TRUST” all surrounding the mace. Around the outer periphery are, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – HALF DOLLAR.”

The authored and approved legislation mandated that there will be the date of minting “1936”, as well as four other dates on this coin – “1682”, “1736”, “1845” and “1936”. One date that is missing is the actual date of striking the coins which are “1937.”

In September of 1937, the Philadelphia Mint struck 25,013 coins (13 coins for assay) and shipped them to the Norfolk Advertising Board. But the celebrations were held in 1936 so this affected the sales of this coin.  The coins were sold at $1.50 each and the majority of coins sold now were sold via the US Mail. The Advertising Board shipped coins in imprinted mailing envelopes and in green imprinted holders to make them attractive to buyers and to ship them safely.

The green imprinted holders hold up to five coins and were shipped in a mailing envelope imprinted with the Advertising Board’s address. It is very little in the way of additional memorabilia for the 1936 Norfolk Commemorative Half Dollar. The coins stored in these holders acquire what is known as “tab toning’ due to the cardboard tab that keeps them in place.

Expand your collection today and buy a 1936 Norfolk Bicentennial Half Commemorative BU.