1935 CONNECTICUT TERCENTENARY HALF DOLLAR TRIBUTE – 2 TROY OUNCES – 39MM
The Charter Oak – A Classic American Commemorative Reimagined
Intaglio Mint proudly presents our tribute to the 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar, one of the most distinctive designs from the classic era of United States commemorative coinage.
Authorized to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Connecticut, the original commemorative half dollar was issued in 1935 and struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Congress authorized just 25,000 coins for public distribution, and the entire issue was sold without any coins being returned for melting—a testament to the popularity of the design at the time.
Dominating the design is the legendary Charter Oak, one of the great symbols of Connecticut history. According to tradition, Connecticut’s Royal Charter was hidden within the hollow of the massive oak in 1687 to prevent its seizure by representatives of King James II. The tree itself survived until 1856, but its association with independence and self-government ensured its lasting place in American history.
For the original 1935 coin, sculptor Henry G. Kreis based his interpretation of the Charter Oak on an 1855 painting by artist Charles DeWolf Brownell. Rather than reproducing the tree photographically, Kreis transformed it into a powerful sculptural composition ideally suited to medallic art.
The opposite side features Kreis’s striking American eagle, standing powerfully upon a rocky perch with its wings folded. Its bold, almost architectural treatment is characteristic of the modern sculptural aesthetic emerging during the 1930s. Kreis later adapted his modernistic eagle for another classic commemorative—the 1936 Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial Half Dollar.
THE ARTIST – HENRY G. KREIS
The story behind the designer makes the original coin even more interesting.
Henry Godfrey Kreis (1899–1963) was born in Essen, Germany and began training as a stonemason while still a teenager. After serving in the German army during World War I, he studied at Munich’s School of Applied Arts under noted sculptor Joseph Wackerle. Kreis immigrated to the United States in 1923, worked as a master stone cutter, and studied at New York’s Beaux-Arts Institute of Design.
His talent eventually brought him to the attention of celebrated American sculptor Paul Manship, best known today for Prometheus at Rockefeller Center. Kreis worked as an assistant to Manship and sculptor Carl Paul Jennewein for several years before establishing a distinguished career of his own. When Kreis was selected to model the Connecticut commemorative, his work was supervised by Manship.
Kreis became an accomplished sculptor and medalist whose work appeared on prominent public buildings and monuments across the United States. His commissions included works for the U.S. Department of Justice, Social Security and War Department buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as projects elsewhere around the country. He also maintained a studio in Essex, Connecticut and taught at the Hartford Art School.
Numismatists know Kreis particularly well. In addition to designing both sides of the 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar, he designed the 1936 Bridgeport Centennial Half Dollar and modeled the portrait for the 1936 Robinson-Arkansas commemorative half dollar.
THE INTAGLIO MINT TRIBUTE
Our tribute faithfully captures the unmistakable character of Kreis’s celebrated design while presenting it in a substantial 2 Troy Ounce, 39mm format.
The Charter Oak fills one side of the round, its sprawling branches and dense foliage displaying the remarkable detail that made the original design so memorable. The inscriptions IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, THE CHARTER OAK, CONNECTICUT, and 1635–1935 complete the historic composition.
The opposite side features the powerful American eagle, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies and accompanied by the traditional inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Struck by Intaglio Mint in 2 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver, the compact 39mm diameter creates an exceptionally substantial round with additional thickness and depth. The format is particularly well suited to the Charter Oak’s intricate foliage and Kreis’s sculptural eagle, giving collectors a substantial interpretation of one of America’s great classic commemorative designs.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Original Coin: 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar
Original Designer/Sculptor: Henry G. Kreis
Commemorates: 300th Anniversary of Connecticut
Metal: .999 Fine Silver
Weight: 2 Troy Ounces
Diameter: 39mm
Edge: Reeded
Mint: Intaglio Mint
Country of Manufacture: United States
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Intaglio Mint’s 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar Tribute celebrates one of the most distinctive designs of America’s classic commemorative era. Created by acclaimed sculptor Henry G. Kreis, the historic design features Connecticut’s legendary Charter Oak and Kreis’s powerful interpretation of the American eagle. Struck by Intaglio Mint in 2 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver at 39mm, this substantial format provides additional thickness, depth, and an impressive presentation of this celebrated American commemorative design.
