½ Dollar Elgin, Ill., Centennial

Features

Issuer	United States
Period	Federal republic (1776-date)
Type	Non-circulating coin
Year	1936
Value	½ Dollar = 50 Cents (0.50 USD)
Currency	Dollar (1785-date)
Composition	Silver (.900)
Weight	12.5 g
Diameter	30.6 mm
Shape	Round
Technique	Milled
Orientation	Coin alignment ↑↓
Number	N# 48619 Numista type number (https://en.numista.com/help/what-is-the-n-number-visible-in-the-catalogue-33.html)
References	KM# 180 Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins / 2001-Date (14th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. And 5 more volumes.

Commemorative issue

100th Anniversary of Elgin, Illinois

Obverse

The profile of a pioneer facing left. This is a detail view from one of the pioneers who appears on the reverse.

Lettering:
PIONEER
IN GOD WE TRUST
1673-1936

Engraver: Trygve Rovelstad

Trygve A. Rovelstad (September 27, 1903 – June 8, 1990) was an American sculptor and medal designer from Elgin. He was the first medalist sculptor of the U.S. War Department and designed numerous U.S. military medals, and other civilian and commemorative medals.

Reverse

Image of the Pioneer Memorial statue.

Lettering:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
LIBERTY
PIONEER-MEMORIAL - ELGIN, ILLINOIS
E.PLURIBUS.UNUM
HALF DOLLAR

Translation:
United States of America
Liberty
Pioneer-Memorial - Elgin, Illinois
Out of Many, One
Half Dollar

Engraver: Trygve Rovelstad

Trygve A. Rovelstad (September 27, 1903 – June 8, 1990) was an American sculptor and medal designer from Elgin. He was the first medalist sculptor of the U.S. War Department and designed numerous U.S. military medals, and other civilian and commemorative medals.

Edge

Reeded

Mint

Comments

The 1936 Elgin Centennial Half Dollar was issued to raise funds to construct a Pioneer Memorial Statue in Elgin, Illinois. The amount raised through the commemorative coin sales would ultimately fall short of the funds necessary to complete the project. The statue would eventually be completed and dedicated more than six decades later in 2001.


The statue was designed by Trygve Rovelstad, who also designed the coins. Four adult pioneers and an infant are pictured, representing pioneers who settled the area in 1935.

Although initially a maximum authorized mintage of 10,000 coins was sought, the enacted legislation called for 25,000 coins. This entire amount would be struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Distribution of the coins was handled by L.W. Hoffecker, whose handling of the 1935 Old Spanish Trail Commemorative had caused controversy. The coins were offered for $1.50 each. Ultimately 20,000 coins were sold and the rest were returned to the Mint for melting. The other 15 coins were assay coins.

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