Commems Collection Classic: 1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial - First Settlements

Scanning the sponsor list of the coins of the classic US commemorative coin series, it becomes clear that, regardless of official-sounding names, many of the sponsors were groups set up specifically to attempt to secure a commemorative coin to use as a fundraiser. (My "What If?" series is littered with unsuccessful attempts by such groups.)

One of the more "real" sponsor groups was The Roanoke Colony Memorial Association ("Association") - co-sponsor of the 1937 Virginia Dare-Roanoke Colony Memorial Half Dollar (the other sponsor was the Roanoke Island Historical Association - RIHA).

The Association was established in 1894 and soon thereafter set about to purchase, protect, restore and develop the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's 16th century colonies. In 1896, the group erected its first marker/memorial on the site - a granite tablet that included inscriptions about the colonies and of Virginia Dare (the first English child born of Engl;ish parents in the New World).

The group continued its attempts to build interest in the colony site, but the site's remote location resulted in low public visit numbers and difficult fundraising efforts that led to the Association turning over the colony site to the State of North Carolina in 1934.

In conjunction with the 1937 350th Anniversary of the Roanoke Colony, the Association sponsored multiple booklets about Sir Walter Raleigh and his colonization efforts. One such booklet was The First Settlements on Roanoke Island 1584-1587. It recounted the initial 1584 Raleigh-sponsored "scouting expedition" along the east coast (present-day Virginia and North Carolina area) by Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, the initial 1585-86 settlement attempt under Ralph Lane, the third Raleigh-sponsored voyage to replenish the supplies of his colony and the subsequent story of the Lost Colony.

The First English Settlement on Roanoke Island 1584-1587 Booklet - Front Cover


Note: Sir Walter Raleigh was the financial backer of the settlement attempts, he did not travel to, nor step ashore in, present-day North Carolina.

The booklet was focused on the history of the first Roanoke Island settlements (settlement attempts) vs. discussing the 350th anniversary. It did, however, include a photograph of the Roanoke commemorative half dollar.

The First English Settlement on Roanoke Island 1584-1587 Booklet - Photograph of Half Dollar


Here's one of the Roanoke half dollars in my collection:

1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial Half Dollar



For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including many others about the Roanoke half dollar, see: Commems Collection.