The Cleveland Great Lakes Exposition Half Dollar was released in 1936 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city of Cleveland and the Great Lakes Exposition.
The legislation stated: "The coins . . . shall be issued only upon the request of the treasurer of the Cleveland Centennial Commemorative Coin Association upon payment by him of the par value of such coins, but not less than twenty-five thousand such coins shall be issued to him at any one time and no such coins shall be issued after the expiration of one year after the date of enactment of this Act. Such coins may be disposed of at par or at a premium by such Cleveland Centennial Commemorative Coin Association, and the net proceeds shall be used by it in defraying the expenses incidental and appropriate to the commemoration of such event."
The obverse design features Moses Cleaveland, who founded Cleveland.
The reverse features a mapmaker's compass poised over a map of the Great Lakes and pointing to the northern and southern extremities of the lakes. The stars indicate the locations of major cities.