The 1936 Norfolk commemorative half dollar recognizes the Virginia city's graduation from a village to a full borough in 1736. More than 25,000 were distributed, with examples selling for $1.50 each, or $1.65 ordered by mail. The coin, designed by husband-and-wife artistic duo William Marks Simpson and Marjorie Emory Simpson, features a sailing ship on the obverse and a royal scepter on the reverse.

This coin has an incredible amount of occupied real estate, with both surfaces covered in various inscriptions and device elements. This helps reduce the number of visible marks on these coins, and thus the vast majority are known at the Gem level. It is easily one of the most readily available classic commemoratives at that level of preservation and is frequently encountered in grades of MS67. Even MS68s can be found with a bit of searching. However, MS69s are extremely rare. Most examples exhibit remarkably great strike and luster.