On Thursday, February 21, 1924, US President Calvin Coolidge was presented with the first Huguenot-Walloon - New Netherland commemorative half dollar during a small ceremony in Washington, DC. The coin was issued "in commemoration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the settling of New Netherland, the Middle States, in 1624, by Walloons, French and Belgian Huguenots, under the Dutch West India Company." (Public Law 67-440)
The half dollar was presented to Coolidge in a small, simple box vs. an elaborate case. Coolidge was serving as the Honorary Chairman of the Huguenot-Walloon New Netherland Commission ("Commission"); he succeeded President Warren G. Harding in the Honorary position. Harding had served as one of the Commission's Honorary Chairs from December 1922 until his death in office in August 1923. Also serving as Honorary Chairs were Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, King Albert of Belgium and President Alexandre Millerand of France.
US President Calvin Coolidge Receiving First Huguenot-Walloon 300th Anniversary Coin
(Image Credit: Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America.)In the photograph, President Coolidge is second from the left (viewer's perspective). Charles S. MacFarland, the Chairman, Executive Committee of the Commission, is seen presenting the coin to Coolidge. Others present for the presentation were Ambassador Jusserand of France (viewer's far left), Ambassador Baron de Cartier de Marchienne of Belgium (third from right), Ambassador Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff of Netherlands (second from right) and Reverend John Baer Stoudt (far right), a Director in the Commission.
At the ceremony, President Coolidge commented on the importance of observing historical anniversaries as a means of preserving the memory of America's early settlers. He also paid tribute to the settlers from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, noting the suffering they endured for the sake of freedom of conscience.
1924 Huguenot-Walloon - New Nederland Half Dollar
For other of my posts on the Huguenot-Walloon half dollar, see:
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1924 Huguenot-Walloon 300th Anniversary-
1924 Huguenot-Walloon 300th Anniversary - Revisited-
1924 Huguenot-Walloon 300th Anniversary - Design Changes-
1924 Huguenot-Walloon 300th Anniversary - Coins Depicting Beards Thread
Posted 08/11/2021 7:50 pm
