leeg

One of your favorites? More important than the Oregon Trail half dollar? Which are your favorites: 1-3?

I don't think the book will ever happen. I will probably donate all my research to the ANA for all Early Commemorative coin enthusiast to research. I'm hoping younger folks find the series as fun as I did. Lee

Thank you. Nice thought.

I buy a coin for me on my birth month. October is that. This is the coin I selected and came with another item:

Used to own:

much thanks

I prefer that this forum be #1 in all the land. The Mod's do an excellent job. Let's all focus on Numismatics.

It's all good.

Please explain?

I snagged this piece: Goldberg's Description: 1946 Booker T. Washington Half Dollar with the original card and envelope as issued. A magnificent coin with vivid original "tab" toning on both sides.

Won this piece yesterday. It fits in well with my 1957 NGC Colorful 1957 Proof Set.

Thank you for the kind words! Nothing yet in the local newspapers about the 400th-500th anniversary. "Busy" is an understatement! I'll update this thread if I read anything locally about a coin or celebration.

Very nice! Just snagged this piece:

Thanks All! “. . . The obverse of the 1936-dated Norfolk Bicentennial half dollar stands as the most cluttered commemorative design ever produced, and contains inscriptions in three concentric circles, enclosing a three-masted ship at the center, below which are a plow and three sheaves of wheat, taken from the seal of the city. The reverse has enough lettering for two coins, at the center of which is the Royal Mace of Norfolk. . . F. E. Turin, manager of the Norfolk Advertising Board, Inc., aggressively promoted Norfolk Bicentennial half dollars in an innovative manner. In an effort to stimulate sales and to answer the complaint that the British royal crown should not have been put on a United States coin because our country is a democratic nation and the British Empire in a monarchy, this answer was given in a full-page advertisement in The Numismatist: ‘The crown appears because it is part of Norfolk’s historic mace which is reproduced on the half dollar. . . Another answer in the same advertisement addressed the complaint of the coin being minted in 1937 but dated 1936, by stating that ‘we tried to secure passage of the bill when Congress was in session in 1936, but owing to the coin-medal mix-up were unsuccessful. Numismatists who followed the project know all about this and how President Roosevelt promised to correct the mistake with Congress. This he did and the bill passed provided that the coins were to bear the date 1936 regardless of when they were minted.’ . . . We have approximately 9,000 pieces still on hand and will sell them on a first-come first saved basis as long as they last—the price as originally advertised being $1.65 for the first coin on the order and $1.55 for each additional piece up to the limit of 20 to one person.’ On March 25, 1938, the Norfolk Advertising Board, Inc. sent this form letter to as many collectors whose names and addresses could be secured: ‘TO ALL NUMISMATIST ‘Ladies and Gentlemen: ‘We are about to complete the sale of the Norfolk commemorative half dollars, and any coins left over may be returned to the Mint for cancellation. In view of this we are writing to you to advise that you place your orders now, before it is too late. If you have previously purchased Norfolk half dollars from us any additional coins ordered now will cost you only $1.55 instead of $1.65; our committee has ruled that all purchasers of record are privileged to buy on such basis. Numismatists who have not up to this date bought the Norfolk half dollar may purchase the same through us at $1.65 for the first coin on the order and $1.55 for each additional coin. On all orders of twenty-five (25) or more the price is $1.50 flat, and handling charges, postage or express and insurance fees are borne by us. ‘No collection of commemoratives is complete without a Norfolk half dollar and we urge you to buy yours now at the extremely low price. Our prediction is that when we have disposed of the coins now on hand the market price will jump to $3.00 or more. ‘Very truly yours, ‘F. E. Turin, Manager.’ The Norfolk Advertising Board, Inc. sent another circular letter to numismatists; this one dated July 5, 1938, noting that 5,000 unsold pieces had been returned to the Philadelphia Mint, resulting in a net issue of just 20,000. ‘Only 3,500 coins remain on hand here for sale, and when they are gone trading will be very active and collectors who have extra pieces for sale will be able to get their price for them. . . Our prediction is that the Norfolk half dollar will jump to $3 when we are sold out; in view of this we urge you to send your order now, before it is too late.’ If at first you don’t succeed, then try again. The following notice was sent by the Norfolk Advertising Board to collectors on September 13, 1938, again urging buyers to take action: ‘We respectfully invite your attention to the fact that less than 3,000 Norfolk half dollars remain on hand and that as soon as they are gone all pieces in the hands of collectors will automatically become more valuable. The Norfolk commemorative half dollar is the only piece of United States money with a reproduction of the Royal Crown of England on it (it appears on the Norfolk Mace) and also is the only piece of this country’s money that bears the initials of two sculptors. . .1 A further 3,077 went to the melting pot later. In the meantime several thousand coins were sold to dealers, and bulk quantities remained in numismatic circles for years afterwards.”8 Cornelius Vermeule writes: “. . . A low point in coin design can be illustrated in the Norfolk, Virginia, Bicentennial half dollar issued in 1937 and dated 1936 (fig. 223). Skill in spacing the letters, in casting the surfaces, and in modeling the high relief saves much of the composition. Still, the commemoration of Norfolk’s various anniversaries is a document of epigraphy rather than figural art. A small ship, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat, making up the city seal and providing a full repertory in themselves, are surrounded by too much inscription. To all this has been added the primary designation of commemoration. On the reverse is another special inscription giving more commemorative statistics, plus all three required words and mottoes. The Royal Mace of Norfolk forms the vertical accent, and the statutory inscriptions are packed in to the lower left and right of its handle. It took a family team, like the Fraser’s, to produce this coin, with both William Marks Simpson and his wife, Marjorie Emory Simpson, signing the reverse. The coin gives ample evidence that two heads need not be better than one.”9 1. Not true. For example, the 1892 Columbian half dollar bears the initials of both Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan. 8 Commemorative Coins of the United States; A Complete Encyclopedia, Q. David Bowers. Published by Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc., Box 1224, Wolfeboro, NH 03894, 1991, p. 380-382. 9 Numismatic Art In America; Aesthetics of the United States Coinage, 2nd edition, Cornelius Vermeule, Whitman Publishing, LLC, 2007, p. 223-224. William Marks Simpson. Courtesy of Wikipedia. “Bio on William Marks Simpson: “Born on August 24, 1903, in Norfolk, Virginia, William Marks Simpson studied art and sculpture under J. Maxwell Miller, Hans Schuler, Herbert Adams, and others at the Maryland Institute, and at the American Academy in Rome. The husband of sculptress Marjorie Emory Simpson, he maintained a studio with her in Baltimore in the 1930s and taught at the Maryland Institute. In 1936 his address was 8 West Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore. Among his works are a portrait-relief of Gen. E.W. Nichols (Virginia Military Institute) and a crucifixion group (altarpiece, Villa Aurelia, Rome). Bio on Marjorie Emory Simpson: Marjorie Emery Simpson was a Baltimore sculptress and the wife of sculptor Williams Marks Simpson, with whom she shared a studio.”10 10 Commemorative Coins of the United States; A Complete Encyclopedia, Q. David Bowers. Published by Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc., Box 1224, Wolfeboro, NH 03894, 1991, p. 727. Congressional Authorizing Act for Medal [PUBLIC—NO. 823—74TH CONGRESS] [S. 4670] AN ACT To authorize the striking of an appropriate medal in commemoration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk (Virginia) land grant and the two-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, as a borough. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in commemoration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk (Virginia) land grant and the two-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, as a borough, there shall be struck at a mint of the United States to be designated by the Director of the Mint twenty-five thousand commemorative medals of a special appropriate single design, size, weight, and composition to be fixed by the Director of the Mint with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. SEC. 2. Such commemorative medals shall be delivered to the duly authorized officers of the Norfolk Advertising Board, Incorporated, affiliated with the Norfolk Association of Commerce, upon payment to the Director of the Mint of an amount to be fixed by the Director of the Mint not less than the estimated cost to manufacture, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses; and security satisfactory to the Director of the Mint shall be furnished to indemnify the United States for the full payment of such cost. SEC. 3. Whoever shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged, or counterfeited or shall aid in falsely making, forging, or counterfeiting any medal issued under the provisions of this Act, or whoever shall sell or bring into the United States or any place subject to the jurisdiction thereof from any foreign place, or have in his possession any such false, forged, or counterfeited medal, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. Approved, June 26, 1936. Congressional Authorizing Act for Coin [PUBLIC—NO. 164—75TH CONGRESS] [CHAPTER 384—1ST SESSION] [S. 4] AN ACT To authorize the coinage of 50-cent pieces in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk (Virginia) land grant and the two-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, as a borough. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in commemoration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk (Virginia) land grant and the two-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, as a borough there shall be coined at one mint only of the United States to be designated by the Director of the Mint not to exceed twenty-five thousand silver 50-cent pieces of standard size, weight, and composition and of a special appropriate single design to be fixed by the Director of the Mint, with the- approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, but the United States shall not be subject to the expense of making the necessary dies and other preparations for this coinage. SEC. 2. The coins herein authorized shall bear the date 1936, irrespective of the year in which they are minted or issued, shall be legal tender in any payment to the amount of their face value, and shall be issued only upon the request of the Norfolk Advertising Board, Incorporated, affiliated with the Norfolk Association of Commerce upon payment by it of the par value of such coins, but not less than twenty-five thousand such coins shall be issued to it at any one time and no such coins shall be issued after the expiration of one year after the date of enactment of this Act. Such coins may be disposed of at par or at a premium by such association, subject to the approval of the Director of the Mint, and the net proceeds shall be used by it in defraying the expenses incidental and appropriate to the commemoration of such event. SEC. 3. All laws now in force relating to the subsidiary silver coins of the United States and the coining or striking of the same; regulating and guarding the process of coinage; providing for the purchase of material and for the transportation, distribution, and redemption of coins; for the prevention of debasement or counterfeiting; for the security of the coins; or for any other purposes, whether said laws are penal or otherwise, shall, so far as applicable, apply to the coinage herein authorized. Approved, June 28, 1937. The End. I hope some may have enjoyed this History Lesson.

“Anticipating that the bill authorizing a commemorative half dollar for the 300th anniversary of the original Norfolk Land Grant and the 200th anniversary of the creation of Norfolk as a borough would pass Congress at its session last year, the Norfolk Advertising Board, for which the coins are to be issued, had designs prepared for the coin. Failure of Congress to pass the bill has held the matter in suspense. The bill was reintroduced at the present session of Congress and its sponsors are confident it will pass. The designs prepared last year will be used and are illustrated here. The obverse has the official seal of the city of Norfolk. The reverse has a reproduction of the Norfolk Mace. The Mace was presented to Norfolk when it was a borough-in 1753-by Lieutenant-Governor Dinwiddie as a token of his esteem for the borough. It is said Norfolk is the only borough within the United States with a Mace. F.E. Turin, of the Norfolk Advertising Board, which is sponsoring the Norfolk half dollar, has issued a circular letter setting forth the status of the coin, with some details of its distribution if and when issued. Extracts from the circular follow: ‘The Norfolk commemorative half dollar measure, Senate bill No. 4, was passed by the Senate during January, 1937, and sent to the house, where it was sponsored by Representative Norman R. Hamilton, Second District of Virginia, and referred to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures. We have been endeavoring since January to have the bill reported out by the House committee above referred to. Last year, on account of the mix-up, President Roosevelt promised to sign a Norfolk commemorative half dollar bill if one were passed by Congress this year. Last year it was in the Senate where the mix-up occurred. The House passed the bill for a fifty-cent piece. This year the Senate rectified the mistake, and the House, which passed the bill last year, is now waiting for action by the Coinage Committee. Over 200 members of congress have indicated that they will vote for the Norfolk bill if it is reported out by the House Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures. More than 100 organizations throughout the United States have passed resolutions favoring the Norfolk bill and urging that it be reported out and acted on favorably by the House. The bill provides for 20,000 half dollars, and in this connection the Norfolk committee will ask that the coins be minted at the Philadelphia mint only. This is in order to protect the individual collector. All money received on orders is earmarked and deposited in a special fund. It will be returned if the coins are not authorized. Orders are filled in the order received on orders earmarked and deposited in a special fund. It will be reserved for future date sales. The Norfolk Advertising Board guarantees to do everything within its power to prevent speculation.”5 5 The Numismatist, No New Issues of Commemorative Half Dollars Authorized; The Norfolk Commemorative Half Dollar, June, 1937, p. 513-514. “The following circular letter has been sent to collectors by the Norfolk Anniversary Committee, of which F. E. Turin is chairman: Norfolk, Va., June 8, 1937. Dear Numismatist Friends: The following Associated Press dispatch is quoted for your information: ‘Washington, June 7 (AP) – A parliamentary maneuver today delayed for at least two weeks House action on a bill authorizing a special issue of 50-cent pieces to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Norfolk, Va. ‘The measure, which has passed the Senate, came before the House, but was passed over ‘without prejudice’ at the request of Representative Welch, of California. ‘Representative Norman R. Hamilton, of Portsmouth, said he hoped the bill would go through without objection, but if not, he will seek other means of passage.’ As you know, San Francisco had a commemorative half dollar in 1915 – the Panama-Pacific Exposition coin. Norfolk has never had one, and we are hoping that because of the representative Welch will not object the next time the bill is brought up. We are set to go ahead the moment the measure becomes a law, and all money forwarded for delivery of coins if and when issued is carefully protected in an earmarked bank account. We appreciate the valuable help rendered to us by numismatists and, now that we are so near our goal, request that the co-operation be continued until the bill is finally passed.”6 6 The Numismatist; The Norfolk Anniversary Half Dollar, July 1937, p. 620. From a Commemorative Coin Collector who requests to anonymous.

Looking north on Norfolk’s Grandby St. September 24, 1937. (Charles Borjes) The Virginian-Pilot Newspaper, September 26, 2017. “In addition to the list of commemorative coins authorized by Congress at its recent session, and approved by the President, published in the August issue of The Numismatist, there were three bills also approved for which medals were authorized instead of the coins asked for. They were to commemorate ‘the three-hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk (Va.) land grant and the two-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city of Norfolk, Va., as a borough’. . .”3 “Announcement is made in our advertising pages by the Norfolk Advertising Board (affiliated with the Norfolk Association of Commerce), Norfolk, Va., that orders will be received for the half dollar commemorating the 200th anniversary of the creation of Norfolk as a Borough and the 300th anniversary of the original Land Grant, subject to the passage of a bill authorizing it, which has been introduced in both houses at the present session. A bill authorizing a half dollar for Norfolk was passed by the House at the last session, and a bill authorizing a medal was passed by the senate, the President signing the latter bill.”4 3 The Numismatist, ‘Medals’ Instead of ‘Coins. September, 1936, p. 710. 4 The Numismatist, Norfolk Renews Request for Coins, Not a Medal, February, 1937, p. 109. Bump

Adopted obverse and reverse models by William Marks Simpson and Marjorie Simpson. Courtesy of the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts. Original order form. Courtesy of Through the Years in Norfolk, Anniversary Edition, copyright 1937 by the Norfolk Advertising Board, affiliated with the Norfolk Association of Commerce. “Will the Norfolk Land Grant commemorative issue be a coin or a medal? If it is to be a coin it will receive the same consideration from collectors and be as eagerly sought as other recent commemorative half dollars. If it is to be a medal-well, that’s something else. Major Franklin E. Turin, head of the Norfolk Advertising Board, is reported as having said it will be used as a coin or nothing at all. The dispute, which has aroused much bitter feeling in Norfolk against the Administration, arose shortly after the adjournment of congress when it was found that the House had passed the bill authorizing the half dollar, and the Senate had passed a bill authorizing a medal for the same occasion. The two bills are entirely different in text and not a mere change of the word ‘coin’ to ‘medal.’ The President approved the bill providing for a medal. The feeling of discontent in Norfolk has been suppressed since the adjournment of congress in the hope that some adjustment could be made whereby the coin could be issued. But on August 5, according to the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, Major Turin ‘ripped away the veil of secrecy that has shrouded negotiations and called a spade a spade.’ He placed the responsibility on the doorstep of the White House. He is reported as saying: ‘We haven’t quit the fight. We’ve asked an appointment with President Roosevelt for the purpose of discussing the matter and laying Norfolk’s claim squarely before him. We have a right to know why Norfolk has been discriminated against. It’s time for the people of this area to rise up in righteous indignation at this insult to the city. The past session of congress passed bills and the President signed them authorizing the issuance of fifteen commemorative coins. Norfolk County, comprising what is now Norfolk, Princess Anne and Nansemond counties, and embracing what historians recognize as the most historical area in the country? Is the settlement of northern Illinois, commemorated by the Elgin issue, more important that the granting of the royal charter to Norfolk city? Why, after all these commemorative coins had been authorized, should governmental authorities suddenly become so solicitous of their coinage that the Norfolk issue is so mysteriously changed to call for a medal? Something is wrong. Something is radically wrong. And it’s time for the people of Norfolk to bring every pressure to bear in an attempt to remove what is in reality a direct insult to the city.’ F. E. Turin, Manager and Secretary of the Norfolk (VA) Advertising Board. Courtesy of Through the Years in Norfolk, Book I, Historical Norfolk—1636 to 1936 by W. H. T. Squires, M. A., D. D., Litt. D. Published by the Norfolk Advertising Board, 1936. The change from a coin to a medal in the Senate was equally as great a surprise to Senator Glass as to Major Turin. He quoted Senator Glass as follows: ‘Turin, if I was told that bill was to be changed from a coin to a medal, I do not remember it. If I had thought there was the least possible chance for anything to happen to that bill, I would have taken whatever action was necessary to prevent it. If major Robertson, of Lexington, who had the bill passed in the House, when he asked the clerk of the House if the bill provided for half dollars and was told that it did, had been advised to the contrary, he would have offered an amendment changing it back to a coin. The House would have passed it and I would have taken care of it in the Senate.’ Both Senator Glass and Representative Darden, confident the passage of the coin bill was assured, were attending meetings of the House and Senate Naval Affairs committee when the final action was taken. Anticipating that no difficulty would arise, the sponsors of the coin some time ago had commissioned William Marks Simpson to prepare the models, and they were placed before Secretary Morgenthau for approval early in August. . .”2 2 The Numismatist, Will It Be a Coin or a Medal? September, 1936, p. 710. Bump

Original obverse and reverse models by William Marks Simpson and Marjorie Simpson. Courtesy of the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts. Bump

Hey all. Been a long while since I posted one of these. I live in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area and figured this coin made sense to talk about. Hope you all enjoy it! 25,013 pieces coined at the Philadelphia Mint in 1937 with 13 pieces reserved for annual assay and 5,000 melted. Designed by William Marks Simpson with the collaboration of his wife, Marjorie Emory Simpson and distributed by F. E. Turin, Manager and Secretary of the Norfolk (VA) Advertising Board. A coin I used to own (NGC MS-68 from Mark Feld). A Mark Goodman image. Authorized by Congress on June 28, 1937 and issued in celebration of the two-hundredth anniversary of its growth from a township in 1682 to a royal borough in 1736 and the three-hundredth anniversary of the original Norfolk land grant given in 1636. Description: Obverse: The seal of the City of Norfolk, Virginia – a three masted ship sailing to right; below waves, an old wooden plow and three sheaves of wheat.; legend in three circular lines; inner circle, ET • TERRA • ET • MARE • DIVITIAE • TUAE, Below wheat sheaves: • CRESCAS • curved in Gothic letters. All within circle of dots. Within a cable border; commencing at center left side: • TOWN • 1682 • BOROUGH • 1736 • CITY • OF • NORFOLK • VIRGINIA • In outer border, in large letters: BOROUGH ◊ OF ◊ NORFOLK ◊ BICENTENNIAL At bottom, date : 1936 between two scallop shells. Reverse: Royal Mace of Norfolk dividing date in large numerals, in center: 16 — 36 At either side of date, a sprig of dogwood. Directly below, in small letters, to left of Mace: IN • GOD • WE / TRUST / LIBERTY At right: E • PLURIBUS / UNUM Around upper circumference, in large letters, divided by the crown of the Mace: • UNITED • STATES • — • OF • AMERICA • Paralleled directly below, in smaller letters: • NORFOLK — VIRGINIA / LAND — GRANT At base: • HALF — DOLLAR • divided by handle of the Mace. In lower right field, artists’ monogram in relief: WM and MES. The models were prepared by William Marks Simpson with the collaboration of his wife, Marjorie Emory Simpson. Unique in the fact that it is the only commemorative with five different dates on it. Mr. Simpson also prepared the designs for the Antietam and the Roanoke issues, respectively. Appropriate celebrations were held and early in 1936, the Norfolk Advertising Board, Inc., endeavored to secure the passage of a commemorative coin bill, as the sale of the coins would provide funds for the expenses of the celebration. In June, 1936, Congress passed a Norfolk bill, but medals instead of half-dollars were authorized. The Norfolk Mace was made in 1753. Artist: Fuller White, Silver (41 1/2 in. (105.4 cm). In the middle ages, a mace would have been used as a weapon to crush metal armor. Its spiked head was greatly feared. In later times maces, like this one, were used as symbols of honor to acknowledge the presence of a public official. Norfolk’s historic mace was commissioned by a British colonial administrator who served as lieutenant governor of colonial Virginia. The mace symbolizes the governor’s power which came from the king of England. The mace is made of interlocking sections of silver and adorned with emblems of Great Britain. Symbols representing England, France, Ireland, and Scotland embellish the surface. They stood for the regions claimed by the English king. The Norfolk Mace is the only city mace in the United States that still resides in the city that commissioned it, Norfolk, VA. Courtesy of Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA., Marcus D. Jones, City Manager, Mary L. G. Nexsen, Deputy City Attorney, and Breck Daughtrey, City Clerk, City of Norfolk, VA; Melanie Neil, The Chrysler Museum, Inc. “At the time William and Marjorie Simpson completed their models for the Norfolk coin, Congress was in the process of authorizing a medal for the same purpose. Having, however, been promised by Senator Glass that he would seek an amendment to authorize a half dollar, Mr. Simpson submitted prints of the models to the Commission of Fine Arts on September 26. The obverse showed the city seal, the reverse a reproduction of the mace Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie had presented to Norfolk in 1753, as a token of his esteem for the borough. The designs were forwarded to Lee Lawrie, who was unusually pleased with their workmanship. Accordingly, Moore wrote to Simpson on the 29th: Dear Mr. Simpson: The photographs of your sketch models for the Norfolk, Virginia, Medal have been brought to the attention of Mr. Lee Lawrie, sculptor member of the Commission of Fine Arts. Mr. Lawrie considers the work well done [and] is particularly pleased with the design showing the ship. He also considers the other side good. He suggests that the mace be shortened at the bottom so as not to join the word, ‘Dollar.’ The lettering should, of course, receive further attention so as to give it character. The models indicate that you have devoted painstaking effort to the design and you are to be congratulated on the result of your work. Since as you stated and as may be possible that Senator Glass will seek to have the legislation changed so as to give Norfolk a memorial coin instead of a medal, the Director of the Mint will, of course, have to pass on the suitability of these models for the purpose of minting the coin. For the Commission of Fine Arts: Very truly yours. . .”1 1 An Illustrated History of Commemorative Coinage, Don Taxay, ARCO Press, New York City, 1967, p. 242, 244. Enjoy, more to follow.