Q. David Bowers
Commemorating: 300th anniversary of the founding of York County, Maine
Obverse motif: Brown's Garrison
Reverse motif: York County Seal
Authorization date: June 26, 1936
Dates on coins: 1936 (also 1636)
Date when coins were actually minted: 1936
Mint used: Philadelphia
Maximum quantity authorized: 30,000
Total quantity minted (including assay coins): 25,015
Assay coins (included in above): 15
Quantity melted: None
Net number distributed (including assay coins): 25,015
Issued by: York County Tercentenary Commemorative Coin Commission, York National Bank, Saco, Maine (Walter P. Nichols, a numismatist, was treasurer and also acted as distributor; on government records he was listed as the York County Commemorative Coin Commission, Springvale, Maine)
Standard original packaging: Paper coin envelope; plain cardboard holders of the insert type; two sizes, long and short, of five-coin cardboard holders with imprinted cover (publicizing York National Bank in Saco); first 100 coins were mounted in the lower right comer of a map of York County, framed under glass
Official sale price: $1.50 ($1.65 postpaid by mail to out-of-state buyers)
Designer of obverse and reverse: Walter H. Rich
Interesting facts: Quantities of unsold remainders were on hand as late as the 1950s.
(average market prices)
1940 MS-64 to 65 $1.25
1945 MS-64 to 65 $2
1950 MS-64 to 65 $2.50
1955 MS-64 to 65 $7
1960 MS-63 to 64 $10
1965 MS-63 to 64 $26
1970 MS-63 to 64 $27
1975 MS-63 to 64 $90
1980 MS-63 to 64 $525
1985 MS-63 to 64 $325
1986 MS-60 $240, MS-63 $330, MS-64 $610, MS-65 $850
1990 (spring) MS-60 $250, MS-63 $285, MS-64 $355, MS-65 $625
1990 (December) MS-60 $200, MS-63 $210, MS-64 $245, MS-65 $320
The Continuing Story of Commemoratives
T. James Clarke of Jamestown, N.Y. served as president of the American Numismatic Association from 1935 to 1937. A dedicated numismatist, Clarke formed collections of many specialties including Massachusetts silver coins. Years later in the 1950s the New Netherlands Coin Company auctioned much of his material Clarke's ANA administration was characterized by infighting with Chicago-based interests who Clarke alleged sought to control the ANA. Clarke was also involved in trying to straighten out the commemorative mess and appointed L.W. Hoffecker as chairman of the ANA Legislative Committee to investigate the matter, a situation which some of Hoffecker's detractors likened to having a fox guard the henhouse. Harry X Boosel, Washington correspondont at the time for the Numismatic Scrapbook, later recalled that the president of the ANA learned that while in Washington at the ANA's expense, "all Hoffecker did was feather his own nest in commemoratives and put in travel bills to the ANA. " (Letter from Harry X Boosel to the author, February 8, 1991.) At the time Hoffecker was trying to secure exclusive distributorship rights for several different issues.(Correspondence between Hoffecker and Trygve Rovelstad reveals that Hoffecker offered his services to several different towns and groups who sought to have half dollars issued.) Hoffecker gave lengthy testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency on March 11, 1936, excerpts from which are reprinted in the present text in connection with the Oregon Trail, Hudson, Old Spanish Trail, and certain other issues.
T. James Clarke wrote to Walter P. Nichols on August 3, 1936: "I want to congratulate you on the fine way that you are going to distribute these [York] coins, and I am sure that if it would be agreeable, we would appreciate it very much to fill such orders in advance to selling any large lots. Mr. Hoffecker has done such a fine job in Washington that it's only a matter of short time until all collectors will get a fair break. In fact, I would not be surprised that in the near future these coins will be distributed by some committee appointed in Washington. The Hudsons and Rhode Islands have given the whole affair a black eye, and if allowed to continue I feel that commemorative half dollars might be shut off entirely .... "
Hoffecker, still in the midst of investigating abuses in the commemorative series, wrote to Walter P. Nichols on August 13, 1936, and discussed problems in that area:
"There is a chance that no commission will get any more coins after the first of the year. They have a bill up to appoint a commission of five, one from the National Geographic Society, one from the Smithsonian Institution, one from the Congressional Library, and one from some historical Society, and I asked them to put a member of the American Numismatic Association on as the fifth member, which they agreed to. They will pass on the merits of the bills that come up, and these commemoratives will be limited to about ten a year, and will be sold by the government at $1 each, and you can buy as many as you wish.
"I, however, got them to put it in the bill that one year after the coins were issued all the surplus would be melted up. In that way the value of the coins would increase a little in the years to come. They said the government would take the profit. I tried to get them to give it to the American Numismatic Association, and let them handle the coins, and use the profits to increase our coin collection. I could not get away with that, so I asked them to give it to the Smithsonian Institute [sic], to increase our national collection, as the Institute is only allowed $1,000 a year to buy coins, and they thought better of that. Now, if they insist in cutting off all private commissions from getting coins, I think this is what will happen.