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.

Still, it was amended in the Senate to add protections against past commemorative coin abuses, such as low mintages or an assortment of varieties.

[2] The transfer was facilitated by the Canarsee Sachem Penhawitz, and under Hudde and Gerretse the land became the Achtervelt farm and then the Town of New Amersfoort, and later modern Flatlands, Brooklyn.

[1] In 1936, commemorative coins were not sold by the government—Congress, in authorizing legislation, usually designated an organization that had the exclusive right to purchase them at face value and tend them to the public at a premium.

[6] Introduced into the House of Representatives by John J. Delaney of New York on February 20, 1936, the bill called for a minimum of 100,000 half dollars to be struck (no maximum was stated).

The many varieties and inflated prices for some issues that resulted from these practices angered coin collectors trying to keep their collections current.

Bertrand H. Snell of New York requested an explanation of the Senate amendment; he was told by Cochran that it was a strengthening of the language to ensure there was no expense to the federal government.

[21] The elder Weinman was known for designing the Mercury dime and Walking Liberty half dollar and wrote to CFA secretary H.R.

Caemmerer on April 2, 1936, relating that Howard Weinman had been hired, and asking for details of the procedure for commemorative coin approval.

[22] Caemmerer replied the following day, stating that the designs should be sent to the Philadelphia Mint once the authorization bill had been given final approval.

[23] On April 19, Howard Weinman wrote to Caemmerer, stating that due to the Tercentenary Committee having gotten off to a late start, only preliminary sketches had been made, and asking at what stage the designs needed to be submitted for approval.

The Commission gave its approval; Howard Weinman's models were reduced to coin-sized hubs by the Medallic Art Company of New York City.

[26] The obverse of the half dollar depicts jugate busts of a Dutch settler and a member of the Algonquin tribe of Native Americans.

[28] Texas coin dealer B. Max Mehl described the obverse in 1937 as "conjoined portraits of two rather tough looking gentlemen, but so far I have been unable to ascertain just who they are or who they are supposed to represent".

[27] In the waves the ship rides over is the text, IN GOD WE TRUST, with the name of the country and the denomination of the coin surrounding the scene, together with the legend, LONG ISLAND TERCENTENARY.

[32] Art historian Cornelius Vermeule, in his volume on American coins and medals, took a mixed view of the Long Island half dollar, "The Dutch pioneer looks like a character out of Shakespeare (a peasant part), and the Indian could easily play professional football any Sunday afternoon across the United States.

Otherwise, beyond those cliches brought about in an effort to modernize traditionally ideal subjects, the ship has a correct amount of simplicity, and the lettering seems to fade into the background in a satisfying fashion.

Arlie Slabaugh wrote in his book on commemoratives, "Even so the Long Island Tercentenary Committee did a surprisingly good job of selling these through local banks".

Problems commonly encountered include wear or bag marks (abrasions) on the high points of the coin, such as on the cheek of the Dutch settler on the obverse and the sails of the ship on the reverse.