The 1936 Albany commemorative half dollar was issued to mark the 250th anniversary of the charter granted to the city of Albany, New York. Its design by Gertrude Lathrop featuring a beaver and maple leaves on the obverse and a reverse depiction of Colonial Governor Sir Thomas Dongan bestowing Albany's first mayor, Peter Schuyler and New York colonial official and fur trader Robert Livingston the Elder.

The coins were sold for $2 apiece by the Albany Dongan Charter Coin Committee, though only 17,671 of the authorized and minted 25,000 pieces were sold. Gems are readily available, though these pieces become scarce in the MS67 range and specimens grading higher are extremely rare.