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

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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.

Hi All,

   I haven't posted this one in a while. It's part of my #3 ranked 1957 Mint Set:

POP 1/0 in 67+*

Nice one!

Very nice all!

Very Nice additions all!