Commems Collection Classic: What If? 1956 Albuquerque 250th Anniversary

In June 1955, during the 84th Congress, Senator Dennis Chavez (D-NM), a 14-term Senator (and former two-term Representative) from New Mexico, introduced a bill calling for a minimum of 500,000 1956-dated silver half dollars "in commemoration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico."

Albuquerque was founded by Francisco Cuervo y Valdes in 1706; the town's name was originally spelled "Alburquerque." (with an "r"). Valdes was the governor of New Mexico between 1704 and 1707, serving on behalf of the Kingdom of the Spanish Empire and New Spain. The settlement was named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque (a town in Spain). It was created as an outpost on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a historic inland trade route that stretched 1,590 miles from Mexico City to San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Route Map

(image Credit: Image courtesy of U.S. National Park Service. Public domain.

After centuries of growth and development, Albuquerque (modern spelling) is today the largest city (by far) in New Mexico with a population approaching 1 million; it is considered one of the major cities of the US Southwest. (If you were wondering, Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, not Albuquerque.)

Interestingly, the proposed coins were meant to be circulating commemorative coins vs. collector pieces sold at a premium by a sponsor. They were to adhere to standard specifications for a half dollar and be legal tender for any payment. The designs for the coin were to be determined by the Director of the Mint, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency where it died for lack of action, never being reported out; no companion bill was introduced in the House.

The bill was introduced shortly after the last of the George Washington Carver - Booker T Washington half dollars were issued (1954) and at a time when the veto of three commemorative bills by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in February 1954 was still fresh in Congress' collective mind. Considering this, it's no wonder that the Chavez bill did not gain traction.

I have not yet encountered a 1956 commemorative medal for the Albuquerque anniversary, but I have seen a commemorative book, a commemorative wooden nickel and a commemorative plate. So, the event did not go unrecognized. The city also held a large parade to celebrate the milestone.

Crowd Lining the 250th Anniversary Parade Route - Albuquerque,NM 1956

(image Credit: Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Arts, loslunasnm.gov. Used with written permission.