Category Archives: Pilgrim

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Thanksgiving Motifs on Classic Commemoratives

By Dan DuncanPinnacle Rarities ……
The Thanksgiving celebration cues up the holiday season and begins the winding down of another year. The concept of a Thanksgiving predates the English colonies in America, but the ideas and themes we attribute to the celebration are rooted in several of our early settlements. Our version of the holiday dates back to the 17th century and can be traced back to two celebrations: one from 1619 in Charles City, Virginia, and one from 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Three hundred years ago the celebration was a religious one that featured praise to God, some fasting, and an appreciation for the year’s harvest and the bounty produced.

As a society, we’ve moved away from being mainly agricultural, and our nation has moved along those lines. Modern festivities generally feature a feast with a gathering of family and friends.

Thanksgiving is not uniquely American, and similar holidays are observed in a number of other countries; Canada, for example, celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. But our version became a national holiday with a fixed date declared by Congress in 1941. Today, the popularized story is one where the Pilgrims (or Puritans) came together with the local Native Americans. This exchange is a glamorized account of a real event, of which there are several accounts and records. One is that it stems from the Wampanoag making an offer to the settlers in exchange for defense from their rivals the Narragansett. The settlers pledged their aid and accepted food and supplies. The two groups then celebrated the collaboration with a feast. Another comes from the Narragansett’s aid given to Roger Williams after his forced departure from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and in defense from attack that their settlements came under during King Phillip’s War (1675-1678). The series of battles and the results of encounters speak in contrast to this peaceful exchange.

The true lines of historical events are extremely blurred here. And the story of the first Thanksgiving feast is an obviously romanticized version of certain factual events. The relationship between the European settlers and the Native Americans was not a pretty one, yet it wasn’t all oppression and disease.

So on a lighter note, as we settle in to give thanks for our blessings, here are a few classic commemoratives that portray the colorful relationships in a pleasing light. The following coins depict motifs that are “Thanksgiving-centric” and show early meetings of the settlers and frontiersmen with the Native Americans.

1920 and 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary – The Pilgrim displayed on the obverse of this early classic commem is the quintessential Thanksgiving motif. This coin commemorates the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and coincides with one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in 1620 in Plymouth, MA.

1936 Rhode Island – The obverse depicts an image of a Pilgrim (namely Roger Williams) arriving in the New England colonies being greeted by a native. The Williams Landing is portrayed in various artworks and accounts. The tribe that received Roger Williams was the Narragansett. This is the tribe from which verbal history says settlers swore to protect the Wampanoag. The Narragansett eventually helped Williams after his banishment from the colony. The images pictured on this coin are arguably the most “Thanksgiving-like”.

1921 Missouri Centennial – The reverse features a frontiersman (presumably Daniel Boone) and native chief holding a peace pipe gazing westward. Designed by Robert Aitken and chosen from various sketches, the reverse portrays a fictitious event that was more than a century after the original Thanksgiving celebrations. It illustrates the ongoing relationship between the Indians and the early English settlers.

1935-1939 Arkansas Centennial –There are several examples of Native Americans on coinage from the mid-1930s. The Arkansas Centennial half dollar portrays both an Indian chief and Lady Liberty. The narrative behind this and other depictions of the relationship between the Native Americans and the settlers is a debate for another place. For our purposes here, the coin shows both a Quapaw chief and an allegorical Liberty side by side in unity.

1934-1939 Daniel Boone Bicentennial – Daniel Boone is the epitome of a frontiersman. Captured a couple of times by the Indians, Boone was known as a fierce enemy to the warring tribes he faced. Most famously was the Battle of Blue Licks where Boone’s Kentucky militia fought both native and British forces in 1782. However, the coin shows Boone in peaceful conversation with Blackfish, the chief of the Chillicothe of the Shawnee tribes. While again not truly an early Thanksgiving scene, the coin portrays the relationship as friendly and peaceful.

Other classic commemoratives show frontiersmen or Native Americans in various forms, of course, but I’ll save those for a later date. Many of these coins don’t purposely tackle the Thanksgiving theme, but the concept of cooperative work between the Indians and the early settlers is documented, and the folklore that developed is portrayed in various works of 20th-century numismatics.

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Thanksgiving Motifs on Classic Commemorative Coins

The 1921 Missouri half dollar draws from the classic American Thanksgiving motif of settler and native cooperation. Image: CoinWeek / Stack's Bowers.
The 1921 Missouri half dollar draws from the classic American motif of settler and native cooperation. Image: CoinWeek / Stack’s Bowers.

By Dan DuncanRetired, Pinnacle Rarities ……
 

The Thanksgiving celebration cues up the holiday season and begins the winding down of another year. The concept of a Thanksgiving predates the English colonies in America, but the ideas and themes we attribute to the celebration are rooted in several of our early settlements. Our version of the holiday dates back to the 17th century and can be traced back to two celebrations: one from 1619 in Charles City, Virginia, and one from 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Three hundred years ago the celebration was a religious one that featured praise to God, some fasting, and an appreciation for the year’s harvest and the bounty produced.

As a society, we’ve moved away from being mainly agricultural, and our nation has moved along those lines. Modern festivities generally feature a feast with a gathering of family and friends.

Thanksgiving is not uniquely American, and similar holidays are observed in a number of other countries; Canada, for example, celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. But our version became a national holiday with a fixed date declared by Congress in 1941. Today, the popularized story is one where the Pilgrims (or Puritans) came together with the local Native Americans. This exchange is a glamorized account of a real event, of which there are several accounts and records. One is that it stems from the Wampanoag making an offer to the settlers in exchange for defense from their rivals the Narragansett. The settlers pledged their aid and accepted food and supplies. The two groups then celebrated the collaboration with a feast. Another comes from the Narragansett’s aid given to Roger Williams after his forced departure from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and in defense from attack that their settlements came under during King Phillip’s War (1675-1678). The series of battles and the results of encounters speak in contrast to this peaceful exchange.

The true lines of historical events are extremely blurred here. And the story of the first Thanksgiving feast is an obviously romanticized version of certain factual events. The relationship between the European settlers and the Native Americans was not a pretty one, yet it wasn’t all oppression and disease.

So on a lighter note, as we settle in to give thanks for our blessings, here are a few classic commemoratives that portray the colorful relationships in a pleasing light. The following coins depict motifs that are “Thanksgiving-centric” and show early meetings of the settlers and frontiersmen with the Native Americans.

The 1920 and 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar

1920 and 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Silver Half Dollars - Thanksgiving-themed coins

The Pilgrim displayed on the obverse of this early classic commemorative half dollar is the quintessential Thanksgiving motif. This coin commemorates the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and coincides with one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in 1620 in Plymouth, MA.

The 1936 Rhode Island Commemorative Half Dollar

The obverse depicts an image of a Pilgrim (namely Roger Williams) arriving in the New England colonies being greeted by a native. The Williams Landing is portrayed in various artworks and accounts. The tribe that received Roger Williams was the Narragansett. This is the tribe from which verbal history says settlers swore to protect the Wampanoag. The Narragansett eventually helped Williams after his banishment from the colony. The images pictured on this coin are arguably the most “Thanksgiving-like”.

The 1921 Missouri Centennial Commemorative Half Dollar

The reverse features a frontiersman (presumably Daniel Boone) and native chief holding a peace pipe gazing westward. Designed by Robert Aitken and chosen from various sketches, the reverse portrays a fictitious event that was more than a century after the original Thanksgiving celebrations. It illustrates the ongoing relationship between the Indians and the early English settlers.

The 1935-1939 Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar

There are several examples of Native Americans on coinage from the mid-1930s. The Arkansas Centennial half dollar portrays both an Indian chief and Lady Liberty. The narrative behind this and other depictions of the relationship between the Native Americans and the settlers is a debate for another place. For our purposes here, the coin shows both a Quapaw chief and an allegorical Liberty side by side in unity.

The 1934-1939 Daniel Boone Bicentennial Half Dollar

1937 Daniel Boone Commemorative Matte Proof - Thanksgiving themes on U.S. coins

Daniel Boone is the epitome of a frontiersman. Captured a couple of times by the Indians, Boone was known as a fierce enemy to the warring tribes he faced. Most famously was the Battle of Blue Licks where Boone’s Kentucky militia fought both native and British forces in 1782. However, the coin shows Boone in peaceful conversation with Blackfish, the chief of the Chillicothe of the Shawnee tribes. While again not truly an early Thanksgiving scene, the coin portrays the relationship as friendly and peaceful.

Other classic commemoratives show frontiersmen or Native Americans in various forms, of course, but I’ll save those for a later date. Many of these coins don’t purposely tackle the Thanksgiving theme, but the concept of cooperative work between the Indians and the early settlers is documented, and the folklore that developed is portrayed in various works of 20th-century numismatics.

* * *

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Silver Commemorative Half Dollars From the Gregg Bingham Collection Offered by GreatCollections

GreatCollections is offering collectors the opportunity to bid on a number of pieces from the Gregg Bingham Collection. Since this collection contains several extreme conditional rarities with a quality provenance, this is a truly extraordinary opportunity. Ending times for lots in this sale are spread out over two weeks, with the first pieces ending in […]

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Thanksgiving Motifs on Classic Commemoratives

By Dan Duncan – Pinnacle Rarities …… The Thanksgiving celebration cues up the holiday season and begins the winding down of another year. The concept of a Thanksgiving predates the English colonies in America, but the ideas and themes we attribute to the celebration are rooted in several of our early settlements. Our version of […]

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United States Mint Announces Prices for Mayflower 400th Anniversary Coins

The United States Mint is setting prices for the Mayflower 400th Anniversary collector coin products in accordance with the table below: Prices for the Mayflower 400th Anniversary Gold Coins may be found on the 2020 Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, Platinum, and Palladium Products Grid here. The pricing grid can vary weekly dependent upon […]

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United States Mint Announces Mayflower 400th Anniversary Program Products

The United States Mint today announced the Mayflower 400th Anniversary products it will offer, including some in collaboration with The Royal Mint (UK). The products are expected to be available later this fall. The coin and medal designs come together to tell the story of the Mayflower’s historic voyage, the Pilgrims, and the impact the […]

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Mayflower Commemorated on 1/2 Gram Gold Coin

The Pobjoy Mint is delighted to announce the release of an extremely limited ½ Gram Gold Proof coin to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Voyage on the Mayflower. In September of 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth in the United Kingdom to voyage to America, known at the time to the English […]

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US Mint, Royal Mint Collaborate on Mayflower Anniversary Coins, Medals

The United States Mint and The Royal Mint (United Kingdom) have collaborated to create two limited-edition sets marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. The story of Mayflower is one that connects multiple communities, cultures, and countries. This transatlantic voyage brought 102 Pilgrims and migrants from Europe across the Atlantic and established a new […]

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Ultra High Relief Silver Coin Commemorates Mayflower 400th Anniversary

The Pobjoy Mint is delighted to announce the release of a brand new Ultra High Relief Silver Proof coin to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Voyage on the Mayflower. In September of 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth in the United Kingdom to voyage to America. The 102 passengers and 30 crew […]

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New Coin From British Virgin Islands Honors 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower

Pobjoy Mint is delighted to announce the release of a brand new cupro-nickel $1 coin to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Voyage on the Mayflower. In September of 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth in the United Kingdom, to voyage to America, known at the time to the English as the New […]

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Reverse Frosted Silver Bullion Coin Honors the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower

Pobjoy Mint is delighted to announce the release of a brand new reverse frosted bullion $1 coin to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Voyage on the Mayflower. In September of 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth in the United Kingdom, to voyage to America, known at the time to the English as […]

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Modern US Coins – Congress Proposes 400th Anniversary Mayflower Commemoratives

By CoinWeek News Staff …. On December 4, 2017, Junior Senator Edward “Ed” Markey (D-MA) introduced a bill (S. 2189) that authorizes the production of commemorative coins celebrating the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts by the Pilgrims in 1620. Elizabeth Warren, the senior senator […]

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Counterfeit Coin Detection – 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative

Counterfeit coin – 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar The relatively crude forgery shows extensive loss of detail throughout. By Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ……   In recent years, the “Classic” Commemorative series has become increasingly popular. These coins were first issued in 1892 to celebrate the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, with nearly a million Columbian half dollars […]

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