1936 Long Island Tercentenary US Half Dollar Brilliant UNC. (MS63) $

1936 Long Island Tercentenary USA Half Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated (MS-63)

The 1936 Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar was issued to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first European settlement on Long Island, New York, in 1636. Designed by Howard Kenneth Weinman, son of the renowned sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, the coin’s obverse features the overlapping heads of an Algonquin Native American and a Dutch settler. Weinman deliberately combined the two figures to symbolize the meeting of the Indigenous peoples who already inhabited Long Island and the Dutch colonists who established new settlements there. The design was intended to convey the idea of a peaceful and harmonious relationship between the two groups, although its unusual style has made it one of the more distinctive, and occasionally controversial, designs in the classic commemorative series.

The reverse depicts a three-masted Dutch sailing ship, representing the vessels that carried European settlers across the Atlantic and established Dutch communities on Long Island. The coin was authorized for a maximum of 100,000 pieces and was struck exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint. Interestingly, production was delayed until August 1936, after many of the tercentenary celebrations had already taken place. Ultimately, 81,826 examples were distributed, making it one of the more plentiful commemorative half dollars of the 1930s. The original issue price was $1, with proceeds going toward expenses associated with the Long Island Tercentenary celebrations.

Specifications:
Engraver: Howard K. Weinman
Composition: 0.900 Silver
Weight: 12.5 g
Diameter: 30.6 mm
Edge: Reeded
Mint: The United States Mint of Philadelphia, United States
Mintage: 81,826