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1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar |
1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar
Mintage 25,018
The Connecticut half dollar of 1935 is one of the most attractive of any coin in this series. This elegant coin was issued to mark the 300th anniversary of the founding of Connecticut. Its obverse features the famous Charter Oak, the same one featured on the 1999 Connecticut Quarter. The tree played a pivotal role in helping Connecticut settlers preserve their independence. In 1686 King James II wanted to combine all of his New England colonies into the Dominion of New England. The king named Sir Edmund Andros as governor of the new dominion. One night during a heated debate with the governor the candles went dim , when the light returned the charter was gone! The settlers secreted it in a hollow oak tree, hence the Charter Oak. Two years later, when King James was overthrown the charter was rescued from its hiding place. The Charter Oak, estimated to have been about 1,000 years old and 25 feet in circumference near its base, remained a Hartford, Connecticut landmark until 1856, when it was toppled during a storm. The reverse shows a streamlined, very stylish eagle . The coin was designed by the same artist who created the 1936 Bridgeport half dollar. Congress authorized 25,000 Connecticut half dollars; the Mint made them all and melted none. Value $150-$810 |
