A commemorative coin issue was approved to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the colony of Connecticut. The design for the 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar (Buy on eBay) would be quite striking art Deco representations of an oak tree and bald eagle.
The famous Charter Oak appears on what is usually considered to be the obverse of the coin. This is where the colonists hid their royal charter when King James II sought to confiscate it. The representation of the tree is based on a painting by Charles DeWolf held by the Connecticut Historical Society. The proportions of the leaves are expanded for dramatic effect. Inscriptions read “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, “The Charter Oak”, “Connecticut”, and the years “1635-1935”.
The reverse of the coin (which Mint records actually refer to as the obverse) features a bald eagle with particularly stark and minimalistic features. The inscriptions read “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “Half Dollar”. Both sides of the coin were designed by Henry Kreis.
The 1935 Connecticut Half Dollar had a relatively modest maximum authorized mintage of 25,000 coins. The net distribution including coins struck for assay was 25,018 after the entire issue sold out. When evaluating this issue, attention should be paid to the broad, flat area of the eagle’s wing, which tends to have hairlines or friction marks.
Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar Coin Specifications
Designer: Henry Kreis
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Weight: 12.50 grams
Diameter: 30.6 mm
Authorization: Public Law 73-446
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 25,000
Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar Mintages
1935: 25,018
