Continuing my survey of classic-era US silver commemorative coins that feature named/identified foreign-born individuals in their designs...1934 Maryland Tercentenary Half Dollar - Cecil Calvert
Category: Foreign-born, never visited.The sixth coin on the list is the 1934 Maryland Tercentenary half dollar. The coin commemorates the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Province of Maryland at St. Clements Island in present-day St. Mary's County, Maryland. The coin's obverse features a three-quarter, front-facing portrait of English nobleman Cecil Calvert, The Second Lord Baltimore and first Proprietor of the Province of Maryland. Calvert
inherited the charter for the Maryland Colony from his father who died on April 15, 1632; the charter was granted to George Calvert, the First Lord Baltimore, by King Charles I.
1936 250th Anniversary of Albany, NY Charter Half Dollar - Thomas Dongan, Robert Livingston
Category: Foreign-born, came to America, stayed temporarily (Dongan) AND Foreign-born, came to America, stayed permanently (Livingston).Though occupying a relatively small physical space on the reverse of the coin, Irishman Thomas Dongan, Second Earl of Limerick, is a key figure in the purpose of the coin. It was Dongan, as the Colonial Governor of New York, who granted the City of Albany its charter in 1686. He is seen at left on the coin's reverse design shaking hands with Peter Schuyler who is shown holding the Charter. After completing his time as Governor of New York, Dongan returned to England where he died in 1715 in London.
Dongan is not the only foreign personality to be seen on the coin, Robert Livingston, born in Scotland, is also included in the Charter scene on the coin's reverse (to Schuyler's right, behind him from the viewer's perspective). Livingston worked with Schuyler to convince Dongan to grant a Charter to Albany. Livingston, however, did not return to Scotland to live after emigrating to America; he remained and died in 1728 while living in New York.
In case you were wondering, Schulyer was not foreign-born, he was born in Beverwijck, a village within the Dutch Colony of New Netherland (present-day New York and other areas of the East Coast region); Beverwijck would later become Albany under the British.
1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial Half Dollar - Sir Walter Raleigh AND Elinor Dare
Category: Foreign-born, never visited AND Foreign-born, came to America, stayed permanently.The next coin in my survey of the classic silver series to depict a foreign personality is the 1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial half dollar; the coin's obverse features a left-facing portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh financed and arranged for the expeditions that led to the attempt at creating a colony in present-day Manteo, North Carolina, but he never took part in the journeys or ever traveled to North America.
The reverse of the coin depicts Elinor (modern: Eleanor) Dare holding her Roanoke Colony-born infant, Virginia. Elinor, however, was born in London, England in 1568 (estimated). She traveled with her English-born husband - Ananias - and the other colonists to Manteo Island in 1587, where she gave birth to Virginia. She was among those that remained behind when her father, Jame White, returned to England for additional supplies. By the time White belatedly returned three years later, due to the war between England and Spain, the colonists had vanished and were never found. So, it is assumed that Elinor died in the New World though the exact location and year are unknown.
1938 New Rochelle, NY 250th Anniversary Half Dollar - John Pell
Category: Foreign-born, came to America, stayed permanently.The 1938 New Rochelle, NY half dollar was issued to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the early settlement and founding of what would eventually become the City of New Rochelle. The coin's reverse includes a depiction of John Pell, the previous owner of the land (he sold ~6,000 acres in 1688 for use in creating the original settlement) with the "fatt calfe" he (or his heirs) were due on an annual basis as partial payment for the property. Here's the pertinent passage from the agreement , "...Acknowledgment to the Lord of the said Mannor one fatt calfe on every fouer & twentyth day of June YEARLY & Every Years forever (if demanded)..."
(Historic Pelham Blog)You can read the complete text of the agreement here:
http://historicpelham.blogspot.com/...sale-of.htmlJohn Pell was born in London, England on February 3, 1643. He moved to the colonial Province of New York in 1670 to take ownership of Pelham Manor, the very large tract of land he
inherited from his uncle. He lived the rest of his life in colonial New York (he died in 1712).
And that wraps up my quick survey of the US classic-era commemorative coins that depict one or more named/identified foreign-born individuals. If you are looking for an interesting, history-rich subset of US commemorative coins to collect, the "foreign" subset might just be the thing for you!
Now, let's see who has read this far! I purposely left one coin off the list. Do you know which one? If you do, post its identity. I'll wait a day or so before posting the details.For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, check out:
Read More: Commems Collection.
Posted 07/09/2021 08:49 am
