How to Identify the Norfolk Bicentennial Half Dollar

Start with the reverse design, which is the most recognizable feature and the side shown in most photos. A genuine Norfolk Bicentennial Half Dollar displays the Royal Mace of Norfolk as an upright ornamental scepter crowned at the top and surrounded by floral and scroll ornament, with the anniversary dates 1636 and 1936 in the field. This crowned-mace motif appears on no circulating U.S. coin and immediately separates the type from ordinary half dollars of the period.

Check the obverse for the city seal. The obverse centers on a three-masted sailing ship taken from the seal of the City of Norfolk, together with lettering naming Norfolk, Virginia. Seeing the ship-and-seal obverse paired with the crowned-mace reverse is the definitive confirmation; a Walking Liberty figure or an eagle reverse means you are looking at a different coin.

Verify the physical specifications. The coin is a standard half dollar: roughly 30.6 mm in diameter, about 12.5 grams, struck in 90% silver with a reeded edge. A calibrated scale and calipers are the best tools here — a piece that is off in weight, diameter, or edge reeding for a silver half dollar is a warning sign.

Expect no mint mark and only the 1936 date. Every genuine example was struck at Philadelphia in 1936, so the absence of a mint mark is normal. Any Norfolk half dollar carrying a mint mark, or a date other than 1936, should be treated as suspect.

Be cautious with authentication, since desirable commemoratives attract counterfeits and altered pieces. Watch for mushy or doubled lettering, tooling in the ornate mace and floral detail, incorrect weight, or a color that does not match 90% silver. Because most genuine survivors are high-grade, cleaned or artificially toned coins are also common — for any higher-value purchase, rely on reputable dealers and third-party grading (PCGS, NGC) rather than eye appeal alone.