The sponsor of the Lafayette Memorial Dollar was the Lafayette Memorial Commission ("Commission"). The Commission was created on September 1, 1898 by the United States Commissioner-General of the Paris Exposition of 1900 - Ferdinand W. Peck of Chicago.
The Commission was charged with creating a fitting monument to the Marquis de Lafayette for presentation to the French people as part of the Paris Exposition being held in that city in 1900. The monument was to be unveiled/dedicated on "United States Day" at the Exposition - July 4, 1900.
The fundraising effort for the monument project began on October 19, 1898 - the day was termed "Lafayette Day." The Commission requested that schools across the country take up collections in support of the project. The Commission created a comprehensive publicity campaign for the project and for "Lafayette Day," reaching out to schools at every level across the country. In the end, America's schoolchildren donated $45,858.30 to initiate the project fund.
As it would take more to fully fund the project, the Commission sought additional funding opportunities. Congress was approached regarding an appropriation. It agreed to provide an appropriation of 50,000 specially-struck silver dollars "to be known as the Lafayette dollar," to the Commission to help it defray the costs associated with completing the pedestal and planned Lafayette statue.
All 50,000 of the coins were struck on December 14, 1899 - the 100th anniversary of the death of George Washington.
The Commission decided that the first Lafayette Dollar struck would be presented to the President of France - Emile Loubet. A custom-designed, gold and silver receptacle was created to hold and present the coin. It featured facing portraits of George Washington and Lafayette among its elaborate design work.
Ornate Custom Coin Case for First Lafayette Memorial Dollr
At a special March 3, 1900 presentation ceremony held at elysee Palace, the President's palace in Paris, US Special Commissioner Envoy to France, Robert J. Thompson (of Illinois) presented the coin and custom receptacle to the French president. At the ceremony, Thompson gave the following brief speech as he presented the gift:
Mr. President: In behalf of His Excellency the President of the United States, I have the distinguished honor of extending to you, the high representative of the people of France, salutations and greetings of friendship.
On the 19th of October, 1898, the anniversary of the victory at Yorktown of the French and American arms in the cause of liberty, the American school youth were invited by the President and governors of the several States of the United States to contribute their pennies toward the erection of a monument in Paris to a son of France, our great and venerated ally, General Lafayette. The response of the children was universal, the movement a splendid success. In further aid and in honor of the work an issue of 50,000 souvenir silver dollars was appropriated and ordered struck by Congress.
Of these 50,000 Lafayette dollars the first to issue from the mint was especially preserved for Your Excellency by the President of the United States, and I have now the distinguished honor, Mr. President, of presenting to you this coin, a simple and sympathetic token, in his name and for the people of the United States.
I voice the sentiments of my countrymen when I express the hope that this memorial dollar, stamped with the likenesses of Washington and Lafayette, may remain always, as it is to-day, an emblem of the amity of purpose of the two great Republics of the world.Thompson reported that Loubet remarked how he was "deeply touched by the kind thought of America's President and people, and particularly by the gracious manner in which the coin was presented to him."
I'm not sure what has happened to the coin and/or receptacle in the 120+ years since their presentation to President Loubet. As they were meant to be a gift to the people of France, I assume they remain in the holdings of a French museum, likely in Paris. To my knowledge, they are not currently on display, however. I've been to Paris on multiple occasions, and was never able to track them down as I made my various museum journeys. If you know of details about the coin's whereabouts, please share!
1900 Lafayette Memorial Dollar
For more on the Lafayette Dollar, check out:
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1900 Lafayette Memorial Dollar-
1900 Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Revisited-
1881 Yorktown Medal vs. 1900 Lafayette Dollar-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins Devoted to a Military Subject ThreadFor brief posts about the various design elements found on the Lafayette Memorial Dollar, check out:
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Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins Representing Animal Kingdom Thread-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins with Hats Thread-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins with Stars Thread-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins with Hands Thread-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins That Depict a Statue Thread-
Lafayette Memorial Dollar - Coins with Flora Thread -
Discussion of Die VarietiesFor other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, I suggest:
Read More: Commems Collection.
Reference Note: All included quotes are as found in the Report of the Commissioner-General for the United States to the International Universal Exposition, Paris 1900.
Posted 07/20/2021 12:18 pm
