Collectors of the US classic-era commemorative coin series are likely familiar with the designs of the 1900 Lafayette Memorial Silver Dollar - conjoined portraits of George Washington and Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette on the obverse and a depiction of the (Paris, France) Memorial's equestrian statue of Lafayette on the reverse.
1900 Lafayette Memorial Silver Dollar
For more about the statue, see:
Post Your Coins And Medals That Depict A StatueThe simple, dignified statue of Lafayette chosen for the Memorial, however, was not the only design considered. (The statue is the work of Paul Wayland Bartlett.)
In the December 1898 issue of
National Magazine, there was published an article titled "Tribute of American Youth to Lafayette" that included an image of what was stated to be the "first" proposed design for the Lafayette Memorial/Monument. Had this far more elaborate design been adopted, I believe its depiction on the Silver Dollar would have been far more difficult (certainly more "busy").
First Design Submitted for the Lafayette Monument
(Image Credit: National Magazine. December, 1898, p. 198. Public Domain.)To my eyes, the early design is reminiscent of the statue of Lafayette erected in Washington, DC in 1891; it was the work of French sculptors Alexandre Falguière and Antonin Mercie. Each of the memorials features a standing Lafayette atop a column/base, as well as a female allegorical representation of a young
America reaching up to Lafayette for assistance - the similar allegorical representation seen on each memorial is a strong linking element for me. (As of yet, I haven't found a definitive statement linking Falguière and/or Mercie to the early design, but I haven't given up the search!)
Lafayette Monument - Washington, DC
(Image Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public domain.) For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including other Lafayette dollar stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 11/11/2024 12:19 pm
