Battle of Gettysburg half dollar
| Value | 50 cents (0.50 US dollars) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 12.5 g |
| Diameter | 30.61 mm (1.20 in) |
| Thickness | 2.15 mm (0.08 in) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Composition |
|
| Silver | 0.36169 troy oz |
| Years of minting | 1937 |
| Mintage | 50,028 including 28 pieces for the Assay Commission (23,100 melted) |
| Mint marks | None, all pieces struck at Philadelphia Mint without mint mark. |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Portraits of Union and Confederate soldiers |
| Designer | Frank Vittor |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Union and Confederate shields divided by a fasces |
| Designer | Frank Vittor |
The Battle of Gettysburg half dollar was designed by Frank Vittor and minted in 1937, although it was dated 1936.[1][2][3] It was struck to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg which was to be held in 1938.[4]
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point.[5][6] Union Maj. Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, halting Lee's invasion of the North. The battle took place over three days and took the lives of 23,000–28,000 (estimated)[7][8] Confederates and 23,049 Union soldiers[9][10]
Description
Two United States Civil War veterans, one from the Union camp and one from the Confederate camp, are featured on the obverse of the coin. E pluribus unum ("Out of Many, One"), the de facto United States national motto until 1956, is displayed prominently above the two war veterans, with the "E" serving as both the first letter of the motto and the middle letter of Liberty.
See also
References
- ^ Bowers, p. 365.
- ^ Harper, David C.; Miller, Harry (May 2012). 2013 U.S. Coin Digest. F+W Media. p. 188. ISBN 9781440229619. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
- ^ "1936 Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollar Commemorative Coin". September 12, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Bowers, p. 366.
- ^ The Battle of Antietam, the culmination of Lee's first invasion of the North, had the largest number of casualties in a single day, about 23,000.
- ^ Rawley, p. 147; Sauers, p. 827; Gallagher, Lee and His Army, p. 83; McPherson, p. 665; Eicher, p. 550. Gallagher and McPherson cite the combination of Gettysburg and Vicksburg as the turning point. Eicher uses the arguably related expression, "High-water mark of the Confederacy".
- ^ Busey and Martin, p. 260, cite 23,231 total (4,708 killed;12,693 wounded;5,830 captured/missing).
See the section on casualties for a discussion of alternative Confederate casualty estimates, which have been cited as high as 28,000. - ^ Official Records, Series I, Volume XXVII, Part 2, pages 338-346
- ^ Official Records, Series I, Volume XXVII, Part 1, page 187
- ^ Busey and Martin, p. 125.
Sources
- Bowers, Q. David (1991). Commemorative Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia. Wolfboro, NH: Bowers and Merena Galleries. ISBN 0-943161-36-3.
External links
- Media related to Battle of Gettysburg half dollar at Wikimedia Commons