1936 York County, Maine Tercentenary Half Dollar 0

[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:

[BillJones]

These coins generally come in high grades, like MS-65 and 66. I located one of the sales devices which came with the coin when it was issued. 

 

This coin came with it, but it was not the original piece. Since I already had a certified example, I sold the coin and kept the York Country holder. 

 

 

Edited January 9 by BillJones

[RWB]

Sadly, an ugly pair of designs and a completely meaningless non-event. This, similar trivial commemoratives, and abuses led to ending the program it was revived 30+ years ago. Now, market saturation and trivialization threaten to do the same.

[CIII]

Interesting coin.  Thanks for sharing.