Commems Collection Classic: 1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial - Eieanor Dare Model

Here's a bit of little-discussed background regarding the Roanoke half dollar. I've wanted to share it with CCF for some time, but it slipped my mind until now!

But first, a bit of background:

The 1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial Half Dollar (aka Virginia Dare-Sir Walter Raleigh Half Dollar) was issued to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of Sir Walter's ill-fated colony attempt on Roanoke Island. The coin's obverse presents a left-facing portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh, while the reverse depicts a standing Eleanor (Elinor) Dare holding her newborn child, Virginia. William Marks Simpson was the designer/sculptor.

It's easy to imagine that the depiction of Eleanor (Elinor) Dare holding Virginia is purely an artistic re-creation of the 16th Century mother-daughter pair based on historical drawings and descriptions, rather than a design based on images of living models.

In this case, however, your imagination would be mostly wrong!

As the story goes...

Simpson was visiting Roanoke Island (North Carolina) to help establish a visual foundation for his coin designs. While there, he decided to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial. Unfortunately, he arrived too late in the day and the site was closed - a guard prevented him from approaching the monument.

While talking with the guard - and trying to persuade him to let him enter the Wright Brother Memorial premises - the guard's wife, S. J. Lee, holding the couple's newborn daughter, Annie Laurie, approached the men. Simpson was struck by the image of the woman holding her baby and was inspired. He convinced her to pose for some pictures while holding her daughter. Period costumes for the photo shoot were made by the Manteo Women's Club. The fortuitous encounter yielded the coin's familiar reverse design. (I wonder if the wife was paid for the modeling session?)

Simpson used the pictures as the basis to create his coin models, stating "I've modeled her standing there courageously, facing uncertainty with pride and determination, but always with the thought of her native England." So, though he interpreted the scene as being from the 16th Century, it was based on a 20th Century modeling session!

And that's the story behind Eleanor, Virginia and the reverse design of the 1937 Virginia Dare-Sir Walter Raleigh Half Dollar.

1937 Virginia Dare-Sir Walter Raleigh Half Dollar



For other of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including more on the Roanoke half dollar, see: Commems Collection.