This coin on the way from Michael Printz @ Larry Whitlow (Wholly original and pretty with nice luster, clean devices and lovely overall eye-appeal).: PCGS MS65 A little history lesson: [Public—No. 440—67th Congress.] [S. 4468.] An Act To authorize the coinage of 50-cent pieces in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the settling of New Netherland, the Middle States, in 1624, by Walloons, French and Belgian Huguenots, under the Dutch West India Company. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the settling of New Netherland, the Middle States, in 1624, by Walloons, French and Belgian Huguenots, under the Dutch West India Company, there shall be coined at the mints of the United States silver 50-cent pieces to the number of three hundred thousand, such 50-cent pieces to be of the standard troy weight, composition, diameter, device, and design as shall be fixed by the Director of the Mint, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, which said 50-cent pieces shall be legal tender in any payment to the amount of their face value. Sec. 2. That all laws now in force relating to the subsidiary silver coins of the United States and the coining or the striking of the same, regulating and guarding the process of coinage, providing for the purchase of material and for the transportation, distribution, and redemption of the coins, for the prevention of debasement or counterfeiting, for security of the coin, or for any other purposes, whether said laws are penal or otherwise, shall, so far as applicable, apply to the coinage herein authorized : Provided, That the United States shall not be subject to the expense of making the necessary dies and other preparations for this coinage. Sec. 3. That the coins herein authorized shall be issued only upon the request of the Fifth National Bank of New York, and upon payment of the par value of such coins by such bank to the United States Treasury. Approved, February 26,1923. The Obverse depicts two individuals, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny and William the Silent. Neither had anything to do with the settling of New Netherlands (New York) in 1624. Gaspard de Coligny. Admiral of France and leader of the Huguenots during the early years of the Wars of Religion (1562-98). Britannica.com Willam, Prince of Orange, count of Nassau, byname William the Silent. First of the Hereditary stadtholders (1572-84) of the United Provinces of the Netherlands and leader of the revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule and the catholic religion. Britannica.com What the heck is a Huguenot-Walloon? Huguenot History: The Huguenots were French Protestants. The tide of the Reformation reached France early in the sixteenth century and was part of the religious and political fomentation of the times. It was quickly embraced by members of the nobility, by the intellectual elite, and by professionals in trades, medicine, and crafts. It was a respectable movement involving the most responsible and accomplished people of France. It signified their desire for greater freedom religiously and politically. The names of Huguenot leaders at that time included the royal houses of Navarre, Valois, and Condé; Admiral Coligny, and hundreds of other officers in the military. Marguerite d'Angoulême, whom scholars have called "the first modern woman," was an early supporter of reform in the Catholic Church. She influenced her brother, Francis I, to be lenient with the Huguenots. Marguerite d' Angouleme. thehuguenotsocietyofamerica.org The Huguenot Church grew rapidly. At its first synod in 1559, fifteen churches were represented. Over two thousand churches sent representatives to the synod in 1561. In the beginning, the Huguenots were greatly favored by Francis I because of their stature and their abilities as well as their economic contribution to the country's finances. However, ninety percent of France was Roman Catholic, and the Catholic Church was determined to remain the controlling power. The Huguenots alternated between high favor and outrageous persecution. Inevitably, there were clashes between Roman Catholics and Huguenots, many erupting into the shedding of blood. During the 1560s, the clashes worsened. Finally, Catherine de' Medici and the Guise factions, together representing the Crown and the Church, organized a deadly act. Thousands of Huguenots were in Paris celebrating the marriage of Henry of Navarre to Marguerite de Valois on Saint Bartholomew's Day, August 24, 1572. On that day, soldiers and organized mobs fell upon the Huguenots, and thousands of them were slaughtered. Gaspard de Coligny was among the first to fall at the hands of a servant of the Duke de Guise and was chopped to pieces. Pope Gregory XIII had a medal struck off in honor of the event and sent to Catherine and all Catholic prelates. Massacre at Saint Bartholemew. Wapedia Walloon History: The term Walloon is derived from Walha, a very old Germanic term used by Germanic Tribes to refer to Celtic and Latin speakers. According to the region, the term Walha was transformed, in particular by loans in other languages, and by semantic reduction. Walloon originated in Romance languages alongside other related terms, but it supplanted them. Its oldest written trace is found in Jean de Haynin's Mémoires de Jean, sire de Haynin et de Louvignies in 1465, where it refers to Roman populations of the Burgundian Netherlands. Its meaning narrows yet again during French and Dutch periods, and at Belgian independence, the term designated only Belgians speaking a Romance language (French, Walloon, Picard, etc.) The linguistic cleavage in the politics of Belgium adds a political content to «the emotional cultural, and linguistic concept». Walloon also designates the inhabitants of Wallonia — a monolingual French-speaking territory — as opposed to Flemish. The word Walloon and Wallons, meaning people of a former territory, can be seen in the book of Charles White, The Belgic revolution (1835): "The restless Wallons, with that adventurous daring which is their historical characteristic, abandoned their occupations, and eagerly seizing the pike and the musket marched towards the center of the commotion. (Wikipedia) Peter Minuit, Peter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit (1580 – August 5, 1638) Was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Ducy of Cleves. He was the Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of New Sweden in 1638. According to tradition, Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from Native Americanss on May 24, 1626 for the equivalent of $24 USD. (Wikipedia) Enjoy!! :hail:
Great coin and thanks for the write-up. Mike Printz is a quality dealer who has a great eye. Enjoy it.
Nice thread, Lee, and that is a lovely commem. you have purchased. My mother's family were Huguenots who settled in Virginia at Manakin-Sabot, outside Richmond. There is still an active Huguenot Society of descendants.
