Episode 2156
Delaware Tercentenary half dollar
Fri, 2023-Mar-31 00:27 UTC
Length - 2:41
Direct Link
Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of the featured Wikipedia article every day.
The featured article for Friday, 31 March 2023 is Delaware Tercentenary half dollar.
The Delaware Tercentenary half dollar (also known as the Swedish Delaware half dollar) is a commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first successful European settlement in Delaware. The reverse features the Swedish ship Kalmar Nyckel, which brought early settlers to Delaware, and the obverse depicts Old Swedes Church, which has been described as being the oldest Protestant church in the United States still used as a place of worship. While the coins are dated "1936" on the obverse and the reverse also has the dual date of "1638" and "1938", the coins were actually struck in 1937.
Authorizing legislation for the coin passed Congress in early 1936. Although there was no opposition, the legislation was changed to add protections for collectors against abuses, such as low mintages or strikings at multiple mints, which marked some commemorative coins at that time. Once the coin was authorized, the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission (DSTC) held a competition to design the coin, judged by Mint Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock and sculptor Dr. Robert Tait McKenzie, which was won by Carl L. Schmitz.
The coins were produced at the Philadelphia Mint in March 1937, and were then sold to the public by the DSTC for $1.75 each. Of the 25,000 coins minted for sale, 20,978 were sold, and the profits used to help fund the tercentenary celebrations. The Delaware Tercentenary half dollar sells in the low hundreds of dollars, though exceptional specimens have sold for more.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:27 UTC on Friday, 31 March 2023.
For the full current version of the article, see Delaware Tercentenary half dollar on Wikipedia.
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