Lot 1910
1937 Antietam Half Dollar. NGC graded MS-67. Tab toning on the obverse. What is most noticeable when one first examines this coin is its thick mint luster underneath the amber-gold toning. It swirls from side-to-side unimpeded by noticeable abrasions and unscathed by even a hint of spotting. A coin of singular beauty and importance to the Commemoratives collector. The devices were struck with typical power by the dies that all design elements show boldly. Antietams are noted for their fine detail and artistic merit.
The Battle of Antietam (known as the Battle of Sharpsburg in the South), Sept. 17, 1862, is considered the bloodiest single day in the Civil War. To pay homage to the 75th anniversary of this battle, designer and sculptor William Marks Simpson depicted conjoined busts of the two generals who commanded the opposing forces in that battle, George B. McClellan (Union) and Robert E. Lee (Confederate). For the reverse, Simpson recreated the Burnside Bridge which was a strategic site in the battle. A total of 50,000 were authorized at $1.65 each, although only 18,000 were eventually sold, the remainder being melted.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100.
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