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1936 Delaware-Swedish Tercentenary Half Dollar

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Issued to commemorate the three-hundredth anniversary of the landing of the Swedes in Delaware.

 

Old_Swedes_Church.jpg

Old Swede’s Church

 

Late in 1637, the first Swedish colonists left Gothenburg, and in March, 1638, arrived in Delaware Bay. They proceeded up the river then called Christina River, named after the reigning Queen of Sweden, and anchored opposite a rocky ledge not far from the present site of the Old Swede’s Church in Wilmington, Delaware (shown upon the coin). This is the oldest Protestant church building in America still used for worship. The ship in which they arrived bore the name “Kalmar Nyckel” or Key of Kalmar. The representation of this ship upon the coin is taken from an authentic model in the Swedish Naval Museum.

 

 

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Original Plaster Model courtesy of The Commission of Fine Arts. Notice the date above the cloud's on the obverse and also the Roof Line of the Church.

 

Interestingly enough, this Colony was settled under the leadership of Peter Minuit, who had been instrumental in the New Netherland colonization of 1624 under the Dutch West India Company. In 1638, Minuit was in the employ of the Swedish West India Company, and upon his arrival in the New World with the Swedish colonists, he purchased land from the Indians (this purchase did not have historical notoriety such as attended the purchase of Manhattan Island), and erected Fort Christina.

 

 

the_rocks_WilmintonDE_Delaware_Commem.jpg

The Rocks Where the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Grip Landed.

 

A minimum issue of twenty-five thousand half-dollars was authorized. The three issues approved on the same day (May15), - the Wisconsin, Bridgeport, and Delaware-Swedish issues-all contain the minimum coinage clause which placed no limit on the coinage of the souvenir half-dollars within the period specified. For the period of one year, Congress gave to these commissions the privilege of producing half-dollars in unlimited amounts. The Mint at Philadelphia coined 25,015 pieces of this issue in March, 1937.

 

The designing of this issue was the subject of a competition, the winner received $500. Numerous designs were submitted, but that of Carl L. Schmitz was finally accepted.

 

It was authorized in 1936, and was required by the Act to carry that date. It was, however, actually coined in 1937, in anticipation of an anniversary to occur in 1938.

 

The Equitable Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware, distributed these pieces at one dollar and seventy-five cents each.

 

The three diamonds on the reverse represent the Delaware counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex.

 

The anniversary of the settlement in 1638 was celebrated in 1938 with appropriate festivals both in this country and in Sweden. A Swedish commemorative two kroner coin has already been released showing upon the obverse the head of the king, and upon the reverse the hip, “Kalmar Nyckel.” This is one of the few instances of an American and foreign coinage having the same type.

 

 

Enjoy your coins and their history.

 

:)

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Didn't the original obverse show a bunch of ladies making apple butter and Swedish meatballs? Certainly more exciting than that awful church building....The ship (whose name could also mean “Kalmar Nyckel” or "Kalmar the Devil") is not much either -- just an "artistic" opinion...

 

Your coin is quite nice, Lee!

 

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Roger maybe something "Mutton" related would work also. :)

 

Thanks for the compliment on the coin. It is a nice original tab toned example.

 

I agree that the design leaves something to be desired. The Commission of Fine Art's felt likewise:

 

Courtesy of the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts.

 

Minutes of Meeting held in Washington, D. C., December 12, 1936.

 

The following members were present:

Mr. Moore, Chairman,

Mr. Clarke,

Mr. Lawrie,

Mr. Howells,

Mr. Savage,

Mr. Borie,

 

Also Mr. H. P. Caemmerer, Executive Secretary and Administrative Officer.

 

Delaware Centennial Coin: Under date of November 4, 1936, the Commission received the following letter from the Acting Director of the Mint, submitting models for the Delaware Memorial Coin:

 

November 4, 1936.

Hon. Charles Moore, Chairman,

Commission of Fine Arts,

Navy Department Building,

Washington, D. C.

 

Dear Sir:

I am submitting models for the coin authorized by Congress to be issued in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Swedes in Delaware.

 

The models are submitted for your consideration as to their artistic merits.

 

Very truly yours,

(Signed) M. M. O’Reilly,

Acting Director of the Mint.

 

Information concerning the models being considered incomplete, the secretary asked the Delaware Commission to submit further data, which was done. (Exhibit A)

 

Photographs of the models were submitted to Mr. Lawrie, who approved the models and concurred in the suggestion of the Delaware Committee as to changing the roof line; he also suggested placing the date, 1936, under the words, “Half Dollar”.

 

A report approving the models subject to these changes was sent to the Acting Director of the Mint. (Exhibit A-1)

 

 

Exhibit A:

 

Delaware_Tercentenary_Commission_Letter_Page1A.jpg

Delaware_Tercentenary_Commission_Letter_Page2A.jpg

 

 

Exhibit A-1

 

December 14, 1936.

Dear Miss O’Reilly:

The Commission of Fine Arts at their meeting on December 12, 1936, considered the models for the Delaware Tercentenary Coin.

 

The Commission suggest that the design of the church be changed so that the ridge line of the roof will not extend to the rear gable. It should break at the rear in a slant so as to produce a hip roof effect. The building is still in existence so that this suggestion is all the more important.

 

The date 1936 indicated at the top of the building should be placed in the space over the words, “Half Dollar”.

 

Subject to these suggestions, the Commission approve the models.

 

For the Commission of Fine Arts:

 

Very truly yours,

 

(Signed) Charles Moore,

Chairman.

 

Miss M. M. O’Reilly,

Acting Director of the Mint,

Treasury Department,

Washington, D. C.

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Thanks for sharing the history of the coin. RWB is mistaken about the original obverse, it actually showed a feast of lutefisk. If you are not Scandinavian you probably wouldn't understand this reference and I suggest you go out and eat some lutefisk right away as you will always remember how it tastes!

 

 

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Thanks for sharing the history of the coin. RWB is mistaken about the original obverse, it actually showed a feast of lutefisk. If you are not Scandinavian you probably wouldn't understand this reference and I suggest you go out and eat some lutefisk right away as you will always remember how it tastes!

 

 

Why would you wish that on anybody?

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Thanks for sharing the history of the coin. RWB is mistaken about the original obverse, it actually showed a feast of lutefisk. If you are not Scandinavian you probably wouldn't understand this reference and I suggest you go out and eat some lutefisk right away as you will always remember how it tastes!

 

 

Why would you wish that on anybody?

 

I take it you have enjoyed this dish! Well, maybe enjoy is not the right description!

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RWB is mistaken about the original obverse, it actually showed a feast of lutefisk

 

450px-Norway-Lutefisk-01.jpg

 

 

Lutefisk (Norwegian) or Lutfisk (Swedish) (pronounced [lʉːtfesk] in Northern Norway, [lʉːtəfɪsk] in Central and Southern Norway, [lʉːtfɪsk] in Sweden and the Swedish-speaking areas in Finland (Finnish: lipeäkala)) is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries and parts of the Midwest United States. It is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried/salted whitefish (klippfisk) and lye (lut). It is gelatinous in texture, and has an extremely strong, pungent odor. Its name literally means "lye fish."

 

 

Fish an Lye, don't know about this.

 

hm

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The apple butter was not eaten - it was used to drown those who had eaten lutefisk....presumably the coin's designer was a lutefisk fan, as his design has many similar qualities.

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Thanks All!

 

(thumbs u

 

 

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delawarecoinholder2_Numismatic_Americana.jpg

 

 

 

George H. Ryden, general secretary of the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission, University of Delaware, Newark, Del., has furnished us with the following details of the significance of the event which the coin will commemorate:

 

The Delaware Tercentenary coin will be issued inn the fall of 1936, the number being 25,000. The issue will be sold by the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission. The sale of lots of twenty coins or less to be unrestricted. Sale of larger lots will be reserved until smaller purchasers have been accommodated. The agent for the commission in the receipt of applications and in distribution of the coins will be the Equitable Trust Company, of Wilmington, Del.

 

During the coming summer the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission will offer a prize or commission of $500 for the best model for the coin. Anyone interested in the details of the competition should communicate with Dr. George H. Ryden, General Secretary, Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission, State House, Dover, Delaware. The competition will close on September 1. The models should be by that time in the hands of Dr. Ryden.

 

The tercentenary coin will commemorate the Landing of Swedes on the site of Wilmington, Del., in the spring of 1638 and the founding by them of the first permanent settlement by white men in the Delaware River Valley.

 

The ship these settlers arrived in was the “Key of Kalmar” and the landing place was “The Rocks,” on the north shore of a river named by the Swedes the Christina River in honor of their sovereign, Queen Christina, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus. At the landing place the Swedes also built a fort, which they named Fort Christina. “The Rocks” at the landing place are still visible and are located at the foot of Fifth Street in Wilmington, Del. The Key of Kalmar” and “The rocks” have the same significance for the Delaware River Valley as the “Mayflower” and Plymouth Rock have for New England.

 

From "The Numismatist," July 1936.

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Neat info!! Nice work!

Appreciate it Roger. :)

 

 

Old Swedes Landing, Fort Christina Park

This stop will take about one half an hour and is an easy interesting walk through the park at Old Swedes Landing to "The Rocks" in the Christina River.

 

In 1638 the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Grip sailed up the Christina River past the entrance to the Brandywine to "The Rocks" where a large flat slab of blue rock protrudes into the main channel of the river. This rock slab was a convenient place to unload the weary passengers that were aboard the ships. The passengers, mostly Swedes and Finns, stayed and settled on the Christina near this site.

 

The large flat slab of rock on which the early settlers landed, although reduced to make room for river travel on the Christina, is still a present in Swedes Landing Park. "The Rock" is a slab of Wilmington Complex gneiss or blue rock, and marks the eastern edge of exposure of the Appalachian mountain system where the hard rocks of the Piedmont Province plunge beneath the soft sediments of the Coastal Plain. The boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain is defined in most places by a well-marked change in topography, usually an abrupt transition from rolling hills to a flat smooth lowland. Geologically it defines the transition from the hard crystalline rocks of the Piedmont to the gently dipping beds of younger clays, sands, and gravels of the Coastal Plain. This boundary is called the Fall Line, and extends along I-95 from Newark, through south Wilmington, toward the Delaware River. It is but a portion of the line or zone that extends unbroken from New York to Georgia. Many of the great cities of the east such as new York, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond Raleigh, and Macon are built on the Fall Line.

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