United States 1936-S half dollar KM-176
Authorization
Ostensibly struck to celebrate the anniversary of Cincinnati, Ohio "as a center of music," and to commemorate "its contribution to the art of music for the past 50 years," the real purpose behind this half dollar was to make money for a small group of coin collectors and dealers, primarily Thomas G. Melish. No 1886 event could be found for the commemoration, nor did Stephen Foster have anything to do with Cincinnati's undeniable great contribution to American musical life. See Swiatek-Breen, pp 41-42.
On March 31, 1936, Congress authorized the striking of 15,000 coins "at the Mints." Ms. Ortmeyer's initials, CO, can be seen in the left obverse field, but may barely show on softly struck coins. Originally, Melish wanted 10,000 pieces struck at the Philadelphia Mint, 3,000 in San Francisco, and only 2,000 in the Denver facility. This, of course, would have made the 1936-D coins instant rarities. The Congressional Act, however, was amended to specify that the term "at the Mints" meant that 5,000 pieces were to be struck at each of the three mints (D and S mintmarks are found beneath the 1936 date). Unlike previous commemorative coinage struck for sale to the general public and available at a nominal fee (usually $1 for a commemorative half dollar), the Cincinnati sets were issued at a costly $7.75 per set. Very few sets were actually sold at this price, however, as the entire mintage (which was distributed through Melish) was supposedly "over-subscribed." Immediately after the coins were struck in July and delivered to the Music Association, Melish began to sell sets on the secondary market for $45. Demand and speculation soon drove the price of the sets to $50, and finally $75.
Obverse
Artist Constance Ortmeyer designed the coin. Ortmeyer's bust of Foster on the coin's obverse was surrounded at the rim by the inscriptions UNITED•STATES•OF•AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR. Directly below Foster's portrait is the caption STEPHEN FOSTER•AMERICA'S TROUBADOUR: Apparently either Melish or Ortmeyer took that phrase from a biography of Foster published in the early 1930's.
Reverse
The reverse features a kneeling female figure, representing the Goddess of Music. In her hands she is holding an undersized lyre, it seems to be only a toy. The inscription CINCINNATI•A• MUSIC•CENTER•OF•AMERICA surrounds the periphery, while the mottoes IN GOD WE TRUST and E PLURIBUS UNUM along with the legend LIBERTY appear below the Goddess of Music. Flanking the figure are the dates 1886 and 1936.
Mintage
- 1936: 5,000.
- 1936-S: 5,000.
- 1936-D: 5,000.
Specification: 192.9 grains = 12.50 grams, 0.900 fine silver, 30.6 mm diameter, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM 176.
- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Slabaugh, Arlie R., United States Commemorative Coinage, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1975.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011
Link to:
- 1935 half dollar, Connecticut Tercentenary
- 1935 half dollar, Hudson Sesquicentennial
- 1935-S half dollar, San Diego International Exposition
- 1935 half dollar, Old Spanish Trail
- 1936 cent
- 1936 half dollar, Albany Charter Anniversary
- 1936-S half dollar, Opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
- 1936 half dollar, Bridgeport centennial
- 1936 half dollar, Cincinnati Music Center
- 1936-D half dollar, Cincinnati Music Center
- 1936 half dollar, Cleveland-Great Lakes Exposition
- 1936 half dollar, Delaware Tercentenary
- 1936 half dollar, Elgin centennial
- 1936 half dollar, Battle of Gettysburg
- 1936 half dollar, Long Island Tercentenary
- 1936 half dollar, Lynchburg Sesquicentennial
- 1936 half dollar, Norfolk Bicentennial
- 1936 half dollar, Arkansas-Robinson Centennial
- 1936 half dollar, Wisconsin Territorial Centennial
- 1936 half dollar, York County Tercentenary
- Coins and currency dated 1936
- return to United States Commemorative Coins, 1892-1954