The Norfolk Bicentennial
The city of Norfolk, Virginia, was going to celebrate the bicentennial of becoming a Royal Borough in 1736. 1936 was also the tricentennial of the original land grant (1636). Royal Boroughs had some self-governing privileges, unlike Royal Colonies. The Norfolk Advertising Board spearheaded the effort and the celebrations in Norfolk. They would also handle the sale and distribution of the coins.
United States Senator Carter Glass was asked to propose legislation for Congress to approve a commemorative coin. The bill faced numerous amendments, only minor opposition, and was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt. Congress authorized that 25,000 coins be struck. After the bill was approved, the Norfolk Advertising Board hired William Marks Simpson and his wife, Marjory Emory Simpson, to design the coin.
Design Details
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 seaport 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 the Lieutenant Governor, Dinwiddie, in 1753. The inscriptions are “NORFOLK 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 the date of minting be “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: “1937.”
Mintage & Distribution
In 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 coin’s sales, along with other factors such as market saturation, declining collector demand, and conservative spending habits during the late Depression era.
The coins were sold at $1.50 each, and the majority 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. The coins stored in these holders acquire what is known as “tab toning’ due to the cardboard tab that keeps them in place.
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