2018-09-14 Fri

In the year 1624 United States of America had approved the design of a Commemorative coin of Huguenot-Walloon Half-Dollar, it was issued to recognize the 300 anniversary of the Dutch Colonist who settled in New Netherland, now known as New York.

The Huguenots were the French people who had established the first Presbyterian Church in France during the 16th Century. When their right was stripped by French Louis XIV and Cardinal Richelieu, they fled into the other countries; at last, they came to America. The first settlements were as early as 1562 and 1564, but they soon failed.

The Walloons were the Dutch Protestants who had also faced a similar problem. In the year 1624 which an expedition funded by the Dutch West India Company, they were more successful, establishing a settlement at Fort Orange (now present-day Albany, New York).

The obverse of this coin depicts two men, Admiral Coligny and William the Silent; they both were the leaders in the struggle for civil and religious liberty and the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HUGUENOT HALF DOLLAR, COLIGNY AND WILLIAM THE SILENT’ around and ‘IN THE GOD WE TRUST’ in the front.

The reverse of the coin depicts the image of a ship sailing full of wind with the flag of NEW NETHERLAND with the date 1624 at the left side and 1924 on the right side, the inscription ‘HUGUENOT-WALLON TERCENTENARY’ and ‘FOUNDING OF NEW NETHERLAND’ around.

Image Courtesy: ebay