United States
½ Dollar (Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary)
United States · Silver
The coin
The story
The Rhode Island Tercentenary Half Dollar
In March 1936, Rhode Island put a brand-new silver half dollar on sale for a dollar. Banks were reportedly wiped out within six hours. Within weeks, the same coins were changing hands for three times that — and the outcry helped bring the whole US commemorative program crashing down.
Read the full story