1936 US Silver Commemorative 50C GETTYSBURG - NGC MS 67+

1936 US Silver Commemorative 50C GETTYSBURG

Certified NGC MS 67+

Photos are of the actual coin you will receive.

About Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollars
The 1936 Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollar was issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the pivotal battle of the American Civil War. The issue has become one of the more popular amongst the early commemorative coins.

The obverse depicts Union and Confederate soldiers in profile with inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BLUE AND GRAY REUNION, LIBERTY and E PLURIBUS UNUM. On the reverse are Union and Confederate shields separated by a fasces, a bundle of sticks bound together around a double sided axe, with sprays of oak and laurel to each side. The inscriptions read 75TH ANNIVERSARY, 1863, BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, 1938, IN GOD WE TRUST, 1936 and HALF DOLLAR.

Designed by Frank Vittor, the design for the coin is sometimes described as medallic in appearance. This effect is created by the outer ring containing inscriptions and the exaggerated basining of the fields.

Similar to the Delaware Half Dollar, the Gettysburg Half Dollar is associated with a somewhat confusing array of dates. The coins are issued to celebrate an anniversary which occurs in 1938, however they were issued in 1937 and dated 1936.

The maximum authorized mintage for the Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollar was 50,000 pieces to be struck at a single mint. The entire number was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and distributed by the Pennsylvania State Commission at a price of $1.65 per coin. In 1938, an unsold quantity of coins was turned over to the American Legion Department of Pennsylvania, who sold the coins for $2.65 each. Eventually an unsold quantity of 23,100 pieces was returned to the mint for melting.

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.