You know who Booker T. Washington is, his slave childhood, his education, his leadership at Tuskogee Institute, ect., etc. You know he was the first African American whose bust was placed on a U.S.A. coin. You know Booker, as the guest of President Theador Roosevelt in 1901, was the first African American ever invited to the White House. Take a look at the coin (scroll down to the photos): http://www.commem.com/prod08BTW.htm . You've now seen the coin which was produced by all three U.S. mints from 1946 through 1951 and you've read the text on the coin's reverse, "FROM SLAVE CABIN TO HALL OF FAME." Can you tell me what "Hall of Fame"? Ans) The answer is on the reverse of the coin. That building at the top of the reverse is the New York University's Hall of Fame. That's who houses all the memoribilia pertaining to Booker. That building at the bottom is the Cabin where Booker was born (April 5, 1856). It is a monument to Booker and is in Franklin County, Virginia (only county mentioned on a U.S.A. commemorative coin). Henry Ford was moved so much by Booker's demeanor and leadership presense, Ford erected a duplicate Cabin at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Why was a commemoritive coin struck celebrating the life of Booker? Ans) Issued to build monuments honoring his life, ideals and teachings. Booker, himself, with matching funds, from the Rosenwald Fund, help build 4,977 schools, 217 teachers' homes, and 163 shop buildings in 883 counties in 15 states, from Maryland to Texas. More than likely, there's a Booker T. Washington grade school or high school in a town or city near you. Before I bring your attention to the second part of this Trivia, another "First" about this coin: It was the first U.S.A. coin designed by an African-American. Isaac Scott Hathaway designed the Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar, and the U.S.A. coin that was first to commemorate the lives, ideals and accomplishments of two African-Americans: George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington! You know about Booker T., and you know George W. Carver was a reknown African American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor whose primary fame rests with his promotion of alternative crops to cotten, especially peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans and cowpeas. One of his most notable bulletins contained 105 food recipes using peanuts. You probably remember him most for the 100 products that were made from peanuts that were useful around the house and farm (cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline and nitroglycerin). Take a good look at this coin courtesy of coinpage.com First the obverse: http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3896 And now the reverse: http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3302 Remember the text on the reverse? The reason America struck this coin was to provide funds to promote "FREEDOM OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL." Did you notice that big word "AMERICANISM"? This coin is the only U.S.A. coin to bear that word. In 1951 there was a political fear that Communists were an influential presense in the African-American population of America. Congress authorized the striking of the Half Dollar in the "interest of national defense." As with the Booker T. Washington Half Dollar, all three mints struck this one (1951 through 1954). How many have you collected? This is the third part of this Trivia: Who was the first martyr of the American Revolution? The coin was authorized to honor the black Revolutionary War patriots and the 275th anniversary of the birth of the first black Revolutionary War patriot, Crispus Attucks. When people think of the patriots who fought for the United States' freedom, most are unaware that the first patriot to die was an African American man. Crispus Attucks was killed by the British in the Boston Massacre of 1770. Attucks was the first, but not the only African American patriot. More than 5,000 fought in the Revolutionary War--although the liberty they fought for would be something only their descendents would enjoy. In Virginia, dozens froze, starved and died; the 1st Rhode Island Regiment was made up entirely of 250 African Americans. A high school in Indianapolis bears his name. It was the only high school in Indianapolis built especially for African Americans. Mind you, African Americans were permitted by Indiana law the right to attend any public school. In fact, Crispus Attucks High School began admitting white students in 1967. In 1981, the school was threatened with closure due to rapidly declining enrollment within Indiana Public Schools. Instead, the school was converted from a high school to a junior high school in 1986, then to a middle school in 1993, and then back to a high school in 2006. In 1998 Crispus Attucks was commemorated on a Silver Dollar for collectors in Uncirculated and proof by the San Francisco Mint and bear their "S" mint mark. http://www.usmint.gov/Kids/coinNews/coinOfTheMonth/2000/02.cfm Now that you've seen the coin, I ask you. "Who designed the coin? A man whose resume reads: former Air Force Test Pilot, America's first African American Astronaut Trainee, computer systems engineer, aviation consultant, restauranteur, real estate developer, construction entrepreneur, bronze sculptor, and designer of the reverse of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots commemorative Dollar, Ed Dwight. The obverse was designed by a mint employee who has produced more coin and medal designs than any other employee in U.S. Mint history (over 100). That man is the head of the engraving department of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti. Now we come to our final African American bearing U.S.A. coins: Though Jackie Robinson wasn't the first African American professional baseball player in U.S. history he was the first to earn the National League Most Valuable Player Award for the year 1949! Jackie Robinson's first trophies were won in the very first year he entered Major League Baseball (1947) playing second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They were the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first ever MLB Rookie of the Year Award! Two coins were struck in 1997. One was this Jackie Robinson 50th Anniversary Silver Dollar. San Francisco struck 30,180 in Uncirculated for collectors and another 110,002 in Proof and bear an "S" mint mark. Here's a photo of the Silver Dollar courtesy of mintproducts: http://www.mintproducts.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=536 Obverse Designer, Alfred Maletsky who won Coin of the Year designer for the 2001 New Jersey State Quarter. Reverse designer, T. James Ferrell, who has since become the American Numismatic Association (ANA) conferee of its 2002 Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture in recognition of Ferrell's contributions to numismatic art. West Point struck Jackie Robinson $5 Gold coins. 5,174 uncirculated and 24,072 in Proof bearing "W" mint marks. Take a look (courtesy of Numismaster): http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=4937 The mint designer of the reverse of the U.S.A's last commemorative Silver Dollar of the 20th Century (YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK COMMEMORATIVE SILVER DOLLAR), William C. Cousins, designed the obverse. James M. Peed designed the reverse. Was this interesting to you? Clinker - FREE NUMISMATIC FUN SITE http://clinker.bravehost.com/funpage4.html
Just a quip. When you say that Crispus Attucks and hundreds of others would fight for rights that their descendants would not enjoy, that is not quite correct. Colonial law was not clear on the status of freed slaves. In Roman and Greek times, there were different laws. The men of the revolution (the WHITE men of the Revolution) were schooled in classic literature, so they knew the ambiguities. In some times and places in teh ancient world, the MOTHER's status counted: slave mother = slave child. In others it was the father's legal station. In the early colonies before slavery became an institution, one generation could not pass slavery to the next. Thus, the children of slaves were born free. Also, there were owners who manumitted slaves they could not afford to support. So, at the time of the revolution, there were many free Negroes. It was not until the 1830s that "Black Laws" began to take rights away from free Blacks. But, too, that was the time of the Masonic Know-Nothings and the anti-Masonic counter push. (I think Franklin Pierce and John Kennedy were the only US Presidents not Masons.) SO, that was a wierd time for America, the second generation after the Revolution, like childhood's "terrible twos." That all aside, how about Augustus Saint-Gaudens's model, Hettie Anderson, of the $20 coin?
Actually I believe the number of Presidents who were Masons is only 15. I checked into it once in response to a claim that al of the Presidents had been Masons. (Conspiracy theorist.) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams may have also been Masons but there are no definite records of them belonging to any Lodge.
Thank you Clinker! The more history that we learn about the coins we have the more interesting our coins become in my opinion. I have the Booker T. and the Booker T. & Carver commemoratives coins in my collection. Lou
To LSM: Hi Lou... I agree and everytime I find something I think is interesting enough to share, I feel good all over! I get the same feeling when members, like you, give a positive comment or add something to the trivia! Clinker
