1936 US Silver Commemorative 50C Columbia - PCGS MS68

1936 US Silver Commemorative 50C Columbia

Certified PCGS MS68

Photos are of the actual coin you will receive.

About Columbia Sesquicentennial Silver Half Dollars
The 150th anniversary of the founding of the city of Columbia, South Carolina was celebrated with the issuance of a commemorative coin. A single design was struck at three different mint facilities, a practice that was later prohibited after abuses by other programs.

A 32-year old student sculptor named A. Wolfe Davidson was the designer of the 1936 Columbia Sesquicentennial Half Dollar. His initial designs were criticized by the Director of the United States Mint and rejected by the Commission of Fine Arts who said that his models were "unsatisfactory" and "lack artistic merit." After revisions to the models under a more experienced sculptor, the designs were eventually accepted.

The obverse design features the goddess Justice holding a sword and scales. To her left is the State Capitol building of 1786 and to her right is the Capitol of 1936. Inscriptions include COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE CAPITOL, LIBERTY, 1786 and 1936.

On the reverse is a palmetto tree, a symbol of South Carolina, with an arrangement of thirteen stars around. Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HALF DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST.

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.