Commems Collection Classic: 1936 Public Message Regarding US Commemorative Coin Boom

Collectors of classic-era US commemorative coins are generally aware of the mid-1930s craziness that resulted in a record number of US commemorative coins being authorized by Congress. But what about the general public? How aware of things were they?

An article distributed by the United Press in August 1936 offered the public a rather unvarnished look at the various commemorative coin programs. In an article titled Treasury Is Strained By Issuance Of 50 Cent Pieces, the author - Frederick C. Othman - wrote that the "Treasury Department was "bogged down today under the strain of manufacturing fancy 50-cent pieces."

1936 Bridgeport, CT Centennial Featuring Phineas T. Barnum


He then went on to reference a number of 1936 US commemorative coins, using names that were likely more recognizable to the public vs. their more official names. The Phineas T. Barnum 50-cent piece vs. the Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial Half Dollar, the Senator Carter Glass coin vs. the Lynchburg, Virginia Sesquicentennial Half Dollar and the Sir Walter Raleigh coin vs. the Roanoke Colony Memorial Half Dollar.

He also mentioned the coins commemorating the Battle of Gettysburg, the Landing of the Swedes in Delaware and the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge, as well as the coins for "historic dates" in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Albany and York County, Maine. He remarked that "thousands upon thousands" of coins would "trinkle from the mints" to commemorate these events/anniversaries. He went on to note that "the bureau of the mint isn't sure when it will get 'em all manufactures." (I was unfamiliar with "trinkle" - Merriam-Webster defines it as "to flow down by drops.")

Regarding the Treasury Department's stance, he wrote "The treasury isn't saying much, but it wishes congress would have a heart. It figures commemorative half dollars are more trouble than they're worth and that the issuance thereof sometimes turns into a racket. Such coins are usually sold to collectors for all the traffic will bear. They seldom get into general circulation."

Though the article was written using colloquial and accessible language, I believe it did take a complicated issue and make a good attempt at simplifying it for its readers. It likely "woke up" a number of the non-collectors to the commemorative coin issue dilemma facing Washington at the time!


For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including stories about the coins referenced above, see: Commems Collection.