Episode 457
Huguenot-Walloon half dollar
Sun, 2018-Aug-05 00:29 UTC
Length - 2:28
Direct Link
Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of the featured Wikipedia article every day.
The featured article for Sunday, 5 August 2018 is Huguenot-Walloon half dollar.
The Huguenot-Walloon half dollar or Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary half dollar is a commemorative coin issued by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1924. It marks the 300th anniversary of the voyage of the Nieuw Nederland which landed in the New York area in 1624. Many of the passengers were Huguenots from France or Walloons from Belgium; they became early settlers of New York State and the surrounding area.
A commission run by the Federal Council of Churches in America sought issuance of a half dollar to mark the anniversary, and the bill passed through Congress without opposition in 1923 and was signed by President Warren G. Harding. Sketches were prepared by commission chairman Rev. John Baer Stoudt and converted to plaster models by the Mint's aging chief engraver, George T. Morgan. The models were initially rejected by the Commission of Fine Arts, which required revisions under the supervision of Buffalo nickel designer James Earle Fraser.
Of the 300,000 coins authorized by Congress, fewer than half were actually struck, and of these, 55,000 were returned to the Mint and released into circulation. The coin excited some controversy because of its sponsorship by a religious group. The choice of William the Silent and Gaspard de Coligny to appear on the obverse was also questioned as the men are considered martyrs by the Huguenots and died decades before the voyage of the Nieuw Nederlandt. The coins are currently valued in the hundreds of dollars, depending on condition.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:29 UTC on Sunday, 5 August 2018.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot-Walloon_half_dollar.
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This has been Emma. Thank you for listening to featured Wiki of the Day.
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