Commems Collection Classic: What If? Phantom 1957 Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown 350th Anniversary

You just never know when or where a "phantom" will appear!

While researching a different topic, I came across the Final Report of the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission ("Federal Commission") and the recommendation it made for commemorative postage stamps and a commemorative coin.

The Federal Commission was established by the US Congress in August 1953 "to develop and to execute suitable plans for the celebration, in 1957, of the founding of Jamestown, first permanent English settlement in America, 1607; the flowering of Colonial Virginia culture and statesmanship at Williamsburg on the eve of and during the Revolution; and the final winning of our American independence at Yorktown on October 19, 1781."

The Federal Commission was also directed to work cooperatively with the local Virginia Commission:

"In carrying out these functions, the Commission is authorized to cooperate with and to assist the Virginia Three Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary Commission that has been established by the State to celebrate the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding at Jamestown of the colony which later became the Commonwealth of Virginia."

The two Commissions worked together to prioritize and plan the anniversary observances.

In April 1955, Robert Hatcher, Chairman of the Federal Commission, sent an interim report to US President Dwight David Eisenhower. The report included a summation of the Federal Commission's activities and objectives. The report also included a list of potential "special events" that it was "hoped...can be arranged and that they in themselves will focus attention to the main objective of the celebration." The list included the item: "That the Federal government issue commemorative postage stamps and a commemorative coin."

Though the Federal Commission's report was received by President Eisenhower and shared with Congress, no commemorative coin bill was subsequently introduced for the 350th anniversary of Jamestown. Congress was no longer in the mood to propose/approve commemorative coins - the age of the "commem" had passed! As such, no coin for the anniversary was struck by the US Mint. Such a proposal might have fared better if the recommendation was for a commemorative medal as they were favored by the President/Treasury/Mint.

So, though the commemoration of the 350th anniversary of Jamestown did not include a US Mint commemorative piece, other major milestones of the settlement enjoyed such favors.

The 300th anniversary of Jamestown was celebrated in 1907 with the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition, and it featured an official medal struck by the US Mint. Here's a link to my post on the Jamestown Exposition:

- 1907 Jamestown Exposition

Here's one of my Official Medals from the Exposition:

1907 Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition Official Medal - Gilt


Thw 400th anniversary in 2007 was marked with a three-coin US commemorative coin program. You can learn a bit more, and view the included coins, here:

- Coins/Medals/Tokens That Are Intentionally Dual-Dated - 2007 Jamestown 400th


For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? and What If? Phantom stories, see: Commems Collection.