1936 D US Silver Commemorative 50C CINCINNATI - NGC MS 67

About Cincinnati Music Center Silver Half Dollars
The 1936 Cincinnati Music Center Half Dollar is often cited as one of the early commemorative coins that has questionable historical significance because it was issued primarily for the profit of an enthusiastic promoter. The coins were authorized to commemorative the fiftieth anniversary of Cincinnati, Ohio as a center of music and its contribution to the art of music for the past fifty years.

The obverse design features an image of Stephen Foster, an important American composer of his era, known for songs such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", and "My Old Kentucky Home". Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, STEPHEN FOSTER, AMERICA'S TROUBADOUR and HALF DOLLAR. The reverse features a female figure holding a lyre, intended to personify music. The inscriptions include CINCINNATI, A MUSIC CENTER OF AMERICA, IN GOD WE TRUST, E PLURIBUS UNUM, LIBERTY, 1886 and 1926.

When the designs were sent to the the Commission of Fine Arts for approval, they raised issues about the design and legitimacy of the commemorative coin issue. They could not find anyone in music circles who knew about the proposed coin. They also presented information showing that the city's leadership in music could be traced back to 1873, with the May Festival Association organized by George Ward Nichols. The date 1886, which was included on the coin, carried no particular significance. Stephen Foster, who appeared on the obverse of the coin, had no role in the movement in Cincinnati, but only lived there briefly while he was a bookkeeper.

Despite these reservations and the CFA's outright rejection of the designs, the coins were ultimately issued at their maximum authorized mintage of 15,000 pieces plus additional examples for assay. The production was divided equally between the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco Mint facilities, resulting in extremely low mintages.

About Early Commemorative Coins
Early Commemorative Coins were issued between the years 1892 and 1954 and have included primarily silver half dollars and gold dollars. Over the years additional denominations have been used including the silver quarter, silver dollar, several gold quarter eagles and one $50 gold piece. In total there were 50 different Silver Commemorative coin designs and 9 different Gold Commemorative coin designs. Each issue was typically authorized by an act of Congress which provided a specific maximum or minimum mintage requirement. Because legislation often did not specify otherwise, some Commemorative coin issues were produced in multiple years or struck at multiple mints.