The 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar has been my favorite classic commemorative design for quite awhile now. The combination of the Charter Oak tree on the obverse and the simple yet strong eagle on the reverse make this a particularly good design (in my opinion). The Charter Oak was an unusually large white oak tree that lived in Hartford, Connecticut for roughly 600 to 700 years until it succumbed to a violent storm on August 21, 1856. According to legend, the Charter Oak was planted by a local Native American tribe as part of a peace ceremony. When Europeans began to clear the land around the Charter Oak, the Native Americans encouraged the preservation of the tree and stated that they used the tree as a guide for when to plant their corn (the optimal planting time was when the Charter Oak’s leaves were the size of mouse ears). The tree is famous for allegedly hiding Connecticut’s royal charter when agents of King James II came to seize the document in 1687. This act of defiance against the Crown helped to boost morale in the colony. This present example was a gift from my parents for graduating from college. It’s in an older NGC holder and is graded MS64 with a green CAC sticker. The coin has a nice original appearance and a light gold toning. The combination of the great design, good color, and sentimental factors make this coin a strong contender for my favorite coin in my collection. Below are images of the coin. The following three images are various depictions of the Charter Oak tree that are in the public domain. The photograph of the Charter Oak still standing is the only image I have found of the tree when it was alive. Feel free to post your examples of this commemorative half dollar!
