A Piece of 1936
This half dollar was struck to mark two milestones at once: the 100th anniversary of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1836, and the Great Lakes Exposition held in the city in 1936. The Exposition was a celebration of industry, culture, and the Great Lakes region in the heart of the Depression, and this coin was its keepsake. Only 50,030 were minted at Philadelphia, which makes it a genuinely scarce piece of classic American commemorative coinage.
The Design
Sculptor Brenda Putnam designed both sides. The obverse carries a left-facing portrait of Moses Cleaveland, the surveyor who founded the city that took his name. The reverse is the memorable part: a stylized map of the Great Lakes region overlaid with a compass, its points marked by stars for the major lake cities, with Cleveland set apart. It is a clean, confident piece of 1930s design, and it still reads beautifully in hand.
Specifications
Each coin is struck in 90% silver (.900 fine) and holds 0.3617 troy ounce of silver. It weighs 12.50 grams, measures 30.61 mm across, and has a reeded edge. Condition is Brilliant Uncirculated. See the Specifications tab for the full breakdown.
A Note on Appearance and Toning
These are vintage coins, close to ninety years old, and they have passed through many hands over the decades. Because of that, appearance varies from one coin to the next. Yours may be bright and brilliant, or it may show natural toning in soft gold, blue, or gray. Both are normal for a coin of this age.
If your coin shows toning, that is not a flaw. It is what original silver does as it ages, and among collectors who know these pieces, natural toning is often prized. It does not lower the Brilliant Uncirculated grade.
Here is our part in it. We do not dip or clean the coins we sell. We ship them as they come to us. We cannot speak for what an owner may have done in the decades before us, so we make no promise that a coin is untouched, but we can promise we have not altered it. What you receive is the real coin, with its own history and character.
Cleveland Half Dollar FAQ
What does Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) mean?
It means the coin never entered circulation, so it shows no wear. BU describes condition, not color. An uncirculated coin can be bright or it can carry natural toning developed over decades.
Does natural toning lower the grade or value?
No. Toning is a normal, expected trait on original classic silver, and it does not reduce the BU grade. Many collectors actively prefer, and pay more for, coins with attractive natural toning.
Do you clean or dip your coins?
No, and we take some pride in that. Chemically dipping vintage coins to brighten them has become common practice in the trade, and a lot of the blast-white classic coins you see have been through it. We do not. We are purists about original surfaces, so we leave our coins exactly as they came to us. Because these are secondary-market coins, we cannot speak for what an owner may have done in the decades before us, but you have our word that Hero Bullion does not dip or clean them.
Will my coin look exactly like the photos?
Each coin is unique and may vary from the photo. Some are bright and brilliant, others show natural toning. What stays the same is the coin: a genuine 1936 Cleveland Centennial half dollar in BU condition.
How much silver is in it?
0.3617 troy ounce of silver, struck in a 90% silver alloy.
Add a genuine 1936 Cleveland Centennial Half Dollar to your collection: a scarce classic commemorative with real history in hand.