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1936 Bridgeport Centennial |
1936 Bridgeport Centennial Half Dollar
Mintage 25,015
Congress authorized 25,000 examples of the Bridgeport half dollar in 1936. It features the showman, Phineas Taylor or "PT" Barnum. He gained this honor because of his service to the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was at one point the city's mayor and also represented Bridgeport in the state legislature. This led to the use of his portrait on this half dollar marking the city's centennial. The coin's reverse depicts a contemporary eagle, that when viewed upside down resembles a shark. The designs represent the work of artist Henry G. Kreiss. And whether the shark was intentional is not known it certainly would merge well with Barnum's sideshow reputation. Another thing that may have pleased the showman himself was that all the coins were struck none were melted. Barnum's often denied statement "There’s a sucker born every minute" doesn't apply here. The Bridgeport half is a very popular coin and anyone who purchased them at issue surely had the last laugh. Value $95-$383 |
