1936-P Elgin Commemorative Half Dollar NGC/PCGS MS66

Silver Commemorative From the World’s Butter Capital

Between 1892 and 1939, America’s commemorative half-dollars were struck to celebrate everything from statehood anniversaries to, well, whatever local committee could convince Congress was “historic.” What began with noble intentions soon turned into a political sideshow with coins being minted for towns few had heard of and events nobody remembered. Lawmakers eagerly backed these bills, often with more enthusiasm for hometown publicity than for numismatic artistry. Eventually, the U.S. Mint put a halt to the circus, proving that government pork-barrel projects didn’t start with bridges to nowhere; they started with half-dollars to somewhere forgettable.

The Centennial of an Obscure Midwestern City

This 1936-P Elgin Commemorative Half Dollar is an example of this program. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in highly pure 90% fine silver, the coin commemorates the 100th Anniversary of Elgin, Illinois. While Elgin IS famous for its history as the “butter capital of the world,” it hardly seemed worthy of a commemorative silver dollar struck by the U.S. Mint! But struck it was, and despite being a relatively obscure midwestern city with a population of around 39,000 in 1936, the coin is quite beautiful. It shows the profile of a pioneer facing left. The image is a detailed close-up of one of the pioneers that appear on the reverse which shows Elgin’s Pioneer Memorial statue.

The statue was designed by sculptor Trygve Rovelstad in 1928,but financial difficulties from the Great Depression delayed its creation. The commemorative coin was intended to raise funds for the monument but did not generate enough revenue to complete it at the time. The statue was eventually finished decades later and dedicated in 2001.

Incredibly High Grades From Either NGC or PCGS

The Philadelphia Mint struck just 25,000 of these 1936-P Elgin Commemorative Half Dollars and they were offered at $1.50 apiece. 20,000 were ultimately sold and the rest were returned to the Mint for melting. Here you can secure one of these historic coins graded by either the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) or the professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS ) in Gem Uncirculated Mint State-66 (MS66) condition.

COIN HIGHLIGHTS:

• POPULAR COMMEMORATIVE HALF-DOLLAR – This coin commemorates the 100th Anniversary of Elgin, Illinois. It shows the profile of a pioneer facing left. The image is a detailed close-up of one of the pioneers that appear on the reverse which shows Elgin’s Pioneer Memorial statue.
• STRUCK IN HIGHLY PURE SILVER – Each Elgin Commemorative coin was struck by the Philadelphia Mint in 11.34 grams of highly pure 90% fine silver and measures 30.6 mm in diameter.
• LEGAL-TENDER COIN – These1936-dated Elgin Commemorative coins are 50 cents Legal tender in the United States.
• GEM UNCIRCULATED CONDITION – Your 1936-P Elgin Commemorative Half Dollar has been graded by either the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) or the professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS ) in Gem Uncirculated Mint State-66 (MS66) condition.
• LIMITED MINTAGE – Just 25,000 of these coins were ever struck. Of that total, 20,000 were ultimately sold and the rest were returned to the Mint for melting.

Struck nearly a century ago, this 1936-P Elgin Commemorative Half Dollar is a popular-yet-obscure coin and collector favorite. Get it now graded in fabulous Gem Uncirculated Mint State-66 (MS66) condition!

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