leeg

Hi all,

  This will be a short post.  Not sharing all the info I have around this coin at this point.

York County, Maine, Tercentenary Half Dollar

1936  Mintage of 25,015 with 15 coins reserved for assay, none melted. Designed by Walter H. Rich, modeled by the G. S.  Pacetti Company of Boston, and distributed by the York County Commemorative Coin Commission, Walter P. Nichols, treasurer.

Approved by Congress on June 26, 1936 and issued in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of York County, Maine.

Design:

Obverse: Seal of York County, a red cross on a shield, all within a medallion. In first quarter of shield, a pine-tree symbolic of the State. The other quartering’s are plain. At sides of shield: 1636-1936  Below, in gothic letters: IN – GOD – WE – TRUST curved within border of medallion. Around outer border, in very large Roman letters, both upper and lower inscriptions commencing at upper left: YORK – COUNTY – and FIRST – COUNTY – IN – MAINE.

Reverse: Stockade (Browns Garrison on the Saco River, taken from an old wood-cut), within medallion. In foreground, four sentries – one on horseback. In background of stockade, the rising sun. LIBERTY curved, in gothic letters, superimposed on rays of sun. In lower foreground on scroll in Gothic letters: E – PLURIBUS – UNUM parallel to medallion. Around outer border, in very large Roman letters, both upper and lower inscriptions commencing at lower left: UNITED – STATES – OF – AMERICA and HALF – DOLLAR  At base, near border of medallion, small incused -script initials of designer: W.H.R.

     “The bill authorizing the York County (Maine) half dollar was signed by President Roosevelt on June 26 and became Public Law No. 822. The bill authorized the issue of 25,000 [sic-bill authorized 30,000] and all will be struck at the Philadelphia Mint. It is expected the coins will be ready for distribution at the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the settlement of York County which will take place in August. The designs were made by Walter H. Rich, of Portland, Maine, artist, and have been approved by the Fine Arts Commission, at Washington, with the exception that it has requested the date and ribbon above the seal be removed.

    The obverse (reverse as  current Numismatist know it, Lg) shows the old stockade on the Saco River, on which site now stands the York National Bank, the first and oldest bank in Maine. The stockade was called Brown’s Garrison. The reverse shows the seal of York County. 

    “Walter P. Nichols, distributor of the York County half dollar, writes as follows: 

    ‘The York County commemorative half dollar is in every way a State of Maine product, designed by a Maine man, the obverse and reverse emblematic of York County and distributed by citizens of the State of Maine.

    The obverse shows Brown’s Garrison, one of the first stockades in existence, situated on the Saco River, in Saco, Maine, and was located on the site of the present York National Bank building. In a book published by Mr. Frank C. Deering, president of the York National Bank, in 1931, on the anniversary of one hundred years of that bank, entitled ‘The Proprietors of Saco,’ Mr. Deering uses an old wood cut of this garrison, from which was taken the design.

     The reverse is the seal of York County, which in on file in the State Library at Augusta, and which adorns the high leather-back chair of the presiding justice of the Superior Court at Alfred, Maine. The seal is a red cross in a white shield and in the upper left corner is the pine tree, emblematical of Maine, the Pine Tree State. Over the shield was the date 1636, but as we used this date opposite the 1936, this is eliminated on the coin.

    Around the edge is inscribed ‘York County, The First County in Maine.’ At that early date the thought of adding ‘Maine’ after York County was overlooked, and not essential, as this was the only York County in existence. Today there are other York counties, but, Maine’s York County will always be the first.

    The artist was Walter H. Rich, of Portland, Maine, and Falmouth Foreside. Mr. Rich is nationally known for his remarkable drawings of wild life, which show the greatest of detail and exactness of color.

    The models were made by G. S. Pacetti Company of Boston, Mass. These were carved in solid brass and were a masterpiece. It was the first time such models had been submitted to the Treasury Department and to the United States Mint for a commemorative half dollar and caused many most favorable comments.

    Twenty five thousand of the York County commemorative half dollars were minted, and 10,000 were reserved for the residents of York County and the State of Maine. This allotment was oversubscribed and additional assignments were made, which left a small number for collectors in the United States. An attempt has been made to supply individual collectors and the commission trusts that they have been successful. 

    Coins may be obtained by writing Mr. Walter P. Nichols, Treasurer, York National Bank, Saco, Maine. The cost per coin is $1.65, insured and postpaid.”1

1 The Numismatist, The York County (Maine) Half Dollar, September, 1936, p. 713.

I managed to to steal this piece:

On 1/4/2024 at 12:57 AM, powermad5000 said:

Nice half dime, but I believe it would have to be another Seated Liberty dime of any year, not a half dime, or a different coin dated 1839 (if I am not mistaken).

I believe your right.  My bad.

I think a Seated Liberty applies here doesn't it Larry?

Here's one:

The below is one of many images from an oversized pictorial of the 1900 Paris Exposition. A pictorial in my Numismatic Library:

Thanks for all your thoughts guy's.  Means a lot!

Mintage of 20,015 - 15 examples for assay, 5,000 returned for melting. Designed and modeled by Trygve A. Rovelstad and distributed by the Elgin Centennial Monumental Committee through L.W. Hoffeker of El Paso, Texas, at $1.50 each. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Authorized by Congress on June 16, 1936 and issued to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city of Elgin, Illinois, and the of a heroic Pioneer Memorial. 

Design:

Obverse: The obverse of this issue depicts the head of a bearded pioneer wearing a fur cap, facing left. Widely spaced in the upper border is the word “PIONEER.” Trygve Andor Rovelstad, the designer of this issue has his monogrammed initials (TAR) placed in the field below the beard, while in the lower field is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”.

    Below the pioneer is located the commemorative dates 1673 1936 separated by a star. Elgin, a city located on the Fox River approximately 29 miles northwest of Chicago, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1935. Therefore, the dates which appear on this issue have no connection with Elgin, Ill. These dates refer to the year in which the French explorers Joliet and Marquette first entered the territory, a section of which today is Illinois. The date 1936 refers to the date of striking, since the centennial of the city was 1935. 

Reverse: This is the first issue to depict a “suggested” infant on our coinage. It’s faceless and you almost do not realize what the woman pioneer is holding. That’s why mint designers label it suggested. The first defined infant appears on the 1937 Roanoke half dollar, while the first “implied” baby appears within a Conestoga wagon on the 1926 Oregon Trail issues.

    The reverse of this issue depicts a group of five pioneers. At the left we note a pioneer holding a rifle in a horizontal position. It is his head, by the way, which is depicted on the coin’s obverse just described and was designed from the Pioneer Memorial Statue. We also observe a standing boy who is holding a stick and another male in the background. The baby being held in the mother’s arms is the fifth pioneer.

    Around the upper border is “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” Directly below is the legend “LIBERTY” (barely visible). In the lower field appears “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and the coin’s denomination. Located in the left field is the inscription “PIONEER MEMORIAL” while in the right field we note the inscription “ELGIN ILLINOIS”.

The image above is of a Specimen graded by NGC

This is the Heritage Auctions Description:

Description: 1936 Elgin Half Dollar, SP67; The Only Elgin So Designated by NGC.

1936 50C Elgin SP67 NGC. The Elgin commemorative half dollar is another mid-1930s issue that had mixed-up historical facts, but in this case the outcome was as intended. The 1936 date does indeed refer to the year the coin was issued, but it was not the year of the centennial of the city (which was 1935). The 1673 date refers to the year Joliet and Marquette explored the area, but they seem to have no connection with the coin or Elgin, Illinois. The profits were to have been directed to the completion of the statue, Pioneer Memorial, whose base was erected in 1934, but the statue was not completed until 2001, eleven years after the sculptor's death. Unlike other commemorative halves, though, much of the proceeds went toward a tangible commemorative, rather than lining a contemporary coin dealer's pockets. 

The surfaces of this piece are an interesting numismatic case study. They have a mild matte-like appearance. Anthony Swiatek, in his 2012 commemorative reference, mentions a coin specially treated by Chief Engraver John Sinnock in the Mint. The pickled surface Sinnock imparted to the coin Swiatek mentions would not technically be a matte proof, as matte proofs are sprayed with a fine stream of grit which imparts a granular, sandblast surfaces to the coin. The Sinnock coin would resemble a matte (technically a "sandblast") proof. Perhaps this is the reason this piece is designated a specimen striking rather than a proof.

The surfaces show this unusual "pickled" appearance throughout. The highest portion of the design elements show a few shallow scrapes, but bear in mind these are barely perceptible and in concert with the numeric grade assigned and the remainder of the coin is remarkably free from abrasions. Pale gray patina evenly covers each side.

Specimen and proof commemorative half dollars were produced on an occasional basis, and rarely enter the marketplace. A comparable occurrence was the SP64 Lincoln half dollar in our 2015 Central States Auction. That coin had not been seen in the marketplace since 1999, and it realized $70,500.(Registry values: N1793)

Hi all,

Just wanted to share.

All of my research will be going to the ANA at some time in the future.

I'm will be available to all collectors who are interested in the series. That's better than a book, right. It's free.