LatinKing2020: Text replacement - "Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), ''A Guide Book of United States Coins, 59th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2005" to "Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), ''A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011"

2021-04-03T18:00:31Z

Text replacement - "Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), ''A Guide Book of United States Coins, 59th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2005" to "Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), ''A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011"

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2021-04-02T17:11:53Z

Created page with "thumb|550px == Authorization == Authorized during the late spring of 1936, at the very height of the speculative market in commemorative co..."

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[[Image:US 1936 50C Albany 1.jpg|thumb|550px]]

== Authorization ==
Authorized during the late spring of 1936, at the very height of the speculative market in commemorative coins, creating the Albany Dongan Charter Committee. Many felt that commemorative issues such as this, marking events of purely local importance, these themes seemed unworthy of commemoration on a national scale. As residents of the second oldest chartered city in the United States, the leaders of Albany sought to recognize the 250th anniversary of their charter in 1936. Among the souvenirs of this occasion, it was hoped that a commemorative half dollar could be obtained from Congress, as such coins were much in the news during 1936 and had proved quite successful in raising funds for local celebrations. With relatively little debate, a bill was passed authorizing the coining of 25,000 half dollars commemorating the Albany Charter.

The various types of original packaging that accompanied the Albany halves are also collectable. These included a four-page booklet which illustrated the coin, presented a brief history of Albany and provided slots for one to five coins. This was enclosed in an envelope imprinted ALBANY DONGAN CHARTER COMMITTEE, 60 STATE STREET, ALBANY, N.Y. A scarcer item is the small box designed to hold single coins and imprinted THE NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF ALBANY.

== Obverse ==
[[Image:Gertrude K. Lathrop.jpg|thumb|200px|Gertrude K. Lathrop]]
The Albany Dongan Charter Coin Committee selected as its coin's designer [[Sculptors Engravers of the United States Mint#Gertrude K. Lathrop|Miss Gertrude Lathrop]], an accomplished sculptor and Albany native who would go on to create the New Rochelle half dollar the following year. The obverse of the Albany Charter half dollar is dominated by a realistic and lifelike beaver gnawing on a maple branch. The beaver (and more specifically its pelt) formed one of the Albany region's principle products in its early years, as well as being symbolic of industrious effort in general. It also appears on the city's seal. The maple is New York's state tree, and its keys (seeds) are used to separate UNITED STATES OF AMERICA from HALF DOLLAR, both of which are arranged in arcs around the obverse periphery. Appearing in small letters above the beaver, in a semi-circular pattern, are the statutory mottoes E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST.

== Reverse ==
On the reverse are standing figures of (from left to right) Thomas Dongan, Robert Livingston and Peter Schuyler. The governor is shaking hands with Schuyler in farewell, the latter holding onto the new charter that he and his secretary will take back to Albany. The three stand upon a semi-spherical base, on which is inscribed the date 1936. Over their heads is an eagle, and above it in tiny letters the legend LIBERTY. Arranged in arcs around the periphery are SETTLED 1614 CHARTERED 1686 (above) and ALBANY, N Y (below). Pine cones separate these two inscriptions, and the artist's initials GKL are incused in minute letters beside Dongan's feet. The small pine tree behind the governor, along with the pine cones and the maple keys collectively represent the fertility and growth of the city.

== Mintage ==
Authorized, 25,000; coined, October - November, 1935, (25,000 + 13 assay); melted, 7,342 (1943). 1936 (Net 17,658).

''Specification:'' 192.9 grains = 12.50 grams, 0.900 fine silver, 30.6 mm diameter, reeded edge.

''Catalog reference:'' KM 173.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* 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, 59th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2005

''Link to:''
* [[United States 1935 half dollar KM-169|1935 half dollar, Connecticut Tercentenary]]
* [[United States 1935 half dollar KM-170|1935 half dollar, Hudson Sesquicentennial]]
* [[United States 1935-S half dollar KM-171|1935-S half dollar, San Diego International Exposition]]
* [[United States 1935 half dollar KM-172|1935 half dollar, Old Spanish Trail]]
* [[United States 1936 cent|1936 cent]]
* [[United States 1936-S half dollar KM-174|1936-S half dollar, Opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-175|1936 half dollar, Bridgeport centennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-176|1936 half dollar, Cincinnati Music Center]]
* [[United States 1936-D half dollar KM-176|1936-D half dollar, Cincinnati Music Center]]
* [[United States 1936-S half dollar KM-176|1936-S half dollar, Cincinnati Music Center]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-177|1936 half dollar, Cleveland-Great Lakes Exposition]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-179|1936 half dollar, Delaware Tercentenary]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-180|1936 half dollar, Elgin centennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-181|1936 half dollar, Battle of Gettysburg]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-182|1936 half dollar, Long Island Tercentenary]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-183|1936 half dollar, Lynchburg Sesquicentennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-184|1936 half dollar, Norfolk Bicentennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-187|1936 half dollar, Arkansas-Robinson Centennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-188|1936 half dollar, Wisconsin Territorial Centennial]]
* [[United States 1936 half dollar KM-189|1936 half dollar, York County Tercentenary]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1936]]
* return to [[United States Commemorative Coins, 1892-1954]]

[[Category:Coinage of the United States]]

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 * 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, 59th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2005
+* Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), ''A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed.,'' Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011
 ''Link to:''

United States 1936 half dollar KM-173 - Revision history

LatinKing2020: Created page with "550px == Authorization == Authorized during the late spring of 1936, at the very height of the speculative market in commemorative co..."