Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 3, 2023

The Albany Charter half dollar is a commemorative half dollar struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1936. It was designed by sculptor Gertrude K. Lathrop, who lived in Albany, New York's state capital. In 1936, Congress approved many commemorative coins for issuance, including some of mostly local significance, such as the Albany piece. City officials wanted the coin to mark the 250th anniversary of Albany's 1686 municipal charter, granted by Thomas Dongan, the governor of colonial New York. Congress passed unopposed legislation, and the Philadelphia Mint coined 25,013 Albany half dollars in October 1936. Lathrop's designs have generally been praised: she placed a beaver on one side of the coin and the persons involved in the charter on the other side (depicted). By late 1936, the demand for commemorative coins was falling, and the issue price of $2 was considered high; more than 7,000 were returned to the Mint in 1943. The Albany half dollar now prices in the low hundreds of dollars.