Arkansas Centennial half dollar

Arkansas Centennial half dollar
United States
Value50 cents (0.50 US dollars)
Mass12.5 g
Diameter30.6 mm
EdgeReeded
Composition90.0% silver 10.0% copper
Silver0.3617 troy oz
Years of minting1935 (1935)–1939 (1939)
Mint marksD, S. Under the eagle on the right. Coins minted at the Philadelphia Mint feature no mint mark.
Obverse
DesignLiberty in Phrygian cap and Indian chief
DesignerEdward E. Burr
Design date1935
Reverse
DesignEagle, Arkansas state flag
DesignerEdward E. Burr
Design date1935

The Arkansas Centennial half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1935 to 1939.[1][2] The coin was designed by Edward E. Burr and commemorates the 100th anniversary of Arkansas's admission to the Union in 1836.[2]

The Arkansas–Robinson half dollar, a special issue of the coin featuring a different design, was minted in 1936.[3]

History

Authorized by an act of May 14, 1934, the coin's obverse features a depiction of Liberty in a Phrygian cap, while the reverse features elements of the state flag and diamond-shaped symbols representing the state's diamond fields, at the time the only known in the country.[4]

Proceeds from the sale of the coin were used to finance welcome stations as well as printing and distribution of centennial promotion material.[5]

In their book, Anthony Swiatek and Walter Breen opined that the reverse design was littered with Confederate symbolism, including the seven largest rays represented the seven original Confederate states, the rising sun intended to show that "the South will rise again", and that the total of 13 stars represented all of the eventual seceding states. Breen also suggested that the 1936 date could be taken to represent the 75th anniversary of Arkansas joining the Confederacy.[6]

Production and collecting

Minting commenced in Philadelphia in May 1935 in advance of local celebrations of the centennial, and the available mintage was sold out by September before the authorizing committee ordered additional specimens in November; these later coins were also struck at Denver and San Francisco[7], and were purchased in batches by dealer B. Max Mehl.[8] Later strikings of the coins from 1936-39 were bought up by dealers like Stack's in New York City and Mehl in Texas.[9] As a result, many of the coins could be easily found anywhere other than Arkansas.[10]

Today, the issue is one of the more available classic commemoratives for type-set collectors, with a total of 85,700 issued by the Mint.[11] The later issues were sold for $8.75 per three-coin set, (later raised to $10.00).[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Marc Hudgeons; Thomas E. Hudgeons (12 June 2007). The Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins 2008. Random House Information. p. 494. ISBN 9780375721663. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
  2. ^ a b Yeoman, R. S. (2021). A Guide Book of United States Coins (Mega Red 7th ed.). Whitman Publishing, LLC. p. 1146. ISBN 978-0794848972.
  3. ^ "Chapter 8: Silver Commemoratives (and Clad Issues)". pcgs.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. pp. 13–19.
  5. ^ "1935-1939 Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar". money.org. American Numismatic Association. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  6. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. pp. 13–19.
  7. ^ Bowers, Q. David (2008). A Guide Book of United States Commemorative Coins. Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing. pp. 116–121.
  8. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. pp. 13–19.
  9. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. pp. 13–19.
  10. ^ Swiatek, Anthony J. (Fall–Winter 1997). "The Arkansas Centennial Half Dollars". The Commemorative Trail. 15 (1 & 2): 19.
  11. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. pp. 13–19.
  12. ^ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter (1981). The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins 1892-1954. New York: FCI Press/ARCO Publishing. p. 16.
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