1936 Long Island Old Commem Half Dollar 50c Grades GEM Unc. The Long Island Tercentenary half dollar was a commemorative half dollar struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1936 at the height of the 1930s commemorative craze. There were 100,053 pieces minted.. The obverse depicts a male Dutch settler and an Algonquian tribesman, and the reverse shows a Dutch sailing ship. It was designed by Howard Weinman, the son of Mercury dime designer Adolph A. Weinman.The Long Island Tercentenary Committee wanted a coin to mark the 300th anniversary of the first European settlement there, at modern Flatlands, Brooklyn, New York City. The authorizing bill passed through Congress without opposition. Still, it was amended in the Senate to add protections against past commemorative coin abuses, such as low mintages or an assortment of varieties. On April 13, 1936, the bill became law with the signature of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Most Long Islands are mint state, with the average grade being MS63 to MS65. Superb Gem MS66 examples are fairly difficult to obtain. But MS67 examples are definitely rare. This is probably due to the fact that both the obverse and reverse designs are somewhat flat and marks and abrasions are fairly common. Most Long Islands have frosty luster