Huguenots and Walloons Tercentenary and Morgan’s Last Work
The 300th Anniversary of the landing of the French Huguenots and the Belgian Walloons in the New York area was going to occur in 1924. The Federal Council of Churches thought that this was an event worthy of commemoration and proceeded to promote a Commemorative Coin through Congress. The bill sailed through Congress without opposition and it was signed by President Harding.
The coin was going to honor the landing of the Huguenots who were French Protestants, often in conflict with the Catholic majority. Admiral Gaspar de Coligny was one of their political and military leaders. William the Silent was one of the assassinated leaders of the Walloons. They were to be the subjects memorialized on the coin.
The US Mint’s Chief Engraver, George T Morgan, designed conjoined busts of de Coligny and William the Silent for the obverse. Surrounding them are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” at the top periphery, their names underneath the busts, “IN GOD WE TRUST” to the right and “HUGUENOT * HALF * DOLLAR” on the lower periphery.
The reverse depicts the vessel that brought the Huguenots and Walloons to the New World, the “Nieuw Nederland.” Above the ship on the top periphery is “HUGUENOT * WALLOON * TERCENTENARY” then the dates “1624 1924” and the bottom periphery of the coin bears the legend “FOUNDING * OF * NEW * NETHERLAND”.
The issuance of the coin caused a stir as both men on it were anti-Catholic and many felt that organized religions should not be lobbying for the United States to produce a coin. But neither man had anything to do with the landing of Huguenots or Walloons on our shores in 1624.
This was likely one of Morgan’s last works as he died on January 4, 1925. A total of 142,080 Huguenot-Walloon half dollars were struck at the Philadelphia Mint between February and April of 1924. The coins were sold for $1 each through the primary distributor which was the Fifth National Bank and several other banking outlets.
| Date | Type | Mintage | AU Value | Unc Value |
| 1924 | Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary | 142,080 | $150 | $650 |
Expand your collection today and shop for a 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary BU.
