Q. David Bowers
On March 25, 1938, the Norfolk Advertising Board, Inc. sent this form letter to as many collectors whose names and addresses could be secured:
"TO ALL NUMISMATISTS "Ladies and Gentlemen:
"We are about to complete the sale of the Norfolk commemorative half dollars, and any coins left over may be returned to the Mint for cancellation. In view of this we are writing to you to advise that you place your orders now, before it is too late. If you have previously purchased Norfolk half dollars from us any additional coins ordered now will cost you only $1.55 instead of $1.65; our committee has ruled that all purchasers of record are privileged to buy on such basis. Numismatists who have not up to this date bought the Norfolk half dollar may purchase the same through us at $1.65 for the first coin on the order and $1.55 for each additional coin. On all orders of twenty-five (25) or more the price is $1.50 flat, and handling charges, postage or express and insurance fees are borne by us.
If at first you don't succeed, then try again. The following notice was sent by the Norfolk Advertising Board to collectors on September 13, 1938, again urging buyers to take action: "We respectfully invite your attention to the fact that less than 3,000 Norfolk half dollars remain on hand and that as soon as they are gone all pieces in the hands of collectors will automatically become more valuable. The Norfolk commemorative half dollar is the only piece of United States money with a reproduction of the Royal Crown of England on it (it appears on the Norfolk Mace) and also is the only piece of this country's money that bears the initials of two sculptors. (Not true. For example, the 1892 Columbian half dollar bears the initials of both Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan.)
"In our opinion the price will jump to $2.50 or $3.00 each as soon as we have sold out; therefore we suggest that you purchase additional coins so that you will be in an enviable position when it comes to trading later with another collector who did not have the foresight to buy his Norfolk half dollar when the price was extremely low. Regardless of what anyone may tell you, remember that the fewer there is of anything, the more valuable that thing is. The action of Congress in restricting issues of commemoratives should automatically make all previous issues worth a high premium; also, future sessions of Congress may reverse the present situation whereby issues are limited, and then there will be a scramble to complete sets and high prices will be demanded. We urge to rush your orders now as we do not anticipate any trouble in disposing of the few remaining coins. If you bought our half dollars previously you can buy as many as you wish, now, for only $1.50 each. If you did not purchase any before, under Treasury Department instructions we must charge you 15 cents extra on the first coin on the order."
As indicated above, 5,000 were melted in 1938. A further 3,077 went to the melting pot later. In the meantime several thousand coins were sold to dealers, and bulk: quantities remained in numismatic circles for years afterward.
Collecting Norfolk Bicentennial Half Dollars
Norfolk Bicentennial half dollars are fairly plentiful today. Most seen are in medium to high Mint State levels. The cluttered nature of the design had a positive effect: all of the lettering served to protect the fields and devices from nicks and marks with the result that MS-64 and MS-65 coins are plentiful. In fact, in MS-65 grade this is one of the most available of all commemoratives of the 1936 year.
GRADING SUMMARY: The design is so cluttered on this issue that even lightly worn coins are apt to look like nice Uncirculated coins! Check the sails of the ship and the high points of the mace for friction. Most extant coins are in high grades as noted.
Commemorating: 300th anniversary of the land grant for Norfolk, Virginia and the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Norfolk as a borough
Obverse motif: Norfolk City Seal
Reverse motif: Royal mace
Authorization date: June 28, 1937
Dates on coins: 1936 (also 1636, 1682, 1736, and 1845)
Date when coins were actually minted: 1937
Mint used: Philadelphia
Maximum quantity authorized: 25,000
Total quantity minted (including assay coins): 25,013
Assay coins (included in above): 13
Quantity melted: 8,077
Net number distributed (including assay coins): 16,936
Issued by: Norfolk Advertising Board, Norfolk Association of Commerce, 107 West Main Street, Norfolk, Virginia (F.E. Turin, manager (Officers: L.H. Wmdholz, president; H.B. Goodridge, Ist vice president; G. Serpell, 2nd vice president; P.S. Huber, 3rd vice president; E.W. Berard, treasurer; F.E. Turin, secretary and manager.))
Standard original packaging: Cardboard coin holder with spaces to accommodate five coins, with imprinted covers, light green in color, with poem, Norfolk- Virginia, by Charles Day, imprinted on reverse
Official sale price: $1.50 locally ($1.65 by mail for the first coin, $1.55 each for additional specimens; slight discounts were given later, see text)
Designers of obverse and reverse: William Marks Simpson and Marjorie Emory Simpson Interesting facts: The issuers made much of the fact that the British crown was depicted on this, an American coin; this coin was dated 1936 despite the fact that it was not authorized by Congress until 1937; this coin bore five dates as part of the design, none of which was the date of mintage.
(average market prices)
1940 MS-64 to 65 $1.50
1945 MS-64 to 65 $5
1950 MS-64 to 65 $6
1955 MS-64 to 65 $19
1960 MS-63 to 64 $33
1965 MS-63 to 64 $75
1970 MS-63 to 64 $56
1975 MS-63 to 64 $170
1980 MS-63 to 64 $950
1985 MS-63 to 64 $440
1986 MS-60 $440, MS-63 $625, MS-64 $680, MS-65 $900
1990 (spring) MS-60 $525, MS-63 $595, MS-64 $640, MS-65 $750
1990 (December) MS-60 $465, MS-63 $500, MS-64 $520, MS-65 $600