Roanoke, Jamestown, Plymouth Rock - the names are immediately recognized as the earliest attempts to establish colonies in what would become the United States. While it's true that they are among England's first attempts at settlement, they are all predated by a Spanish settlement to their south. It was called St. Augustine and was located along the northeast coast of present-day Florida. Spain founded St. Augustine in 1565 - it has been continuously occupied since.
In early 1938, companion bills were introduced in House and Senate that called for a silver half dollar to help generate funds for the "the commencement on March 2, 1937, of the historical restoration program at Saint Augustine, Florida." The House bill was introduced by Joseph Edward Hendricks (D-FL) and referred to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures. Claude Denson Pepper (D-FL) introduced the Senate bill; it was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency,
The objective of the coin was further described as "in memory of the brave pioneers of Spain, France, England, and America who discovered, settled, and colonized Spanish Florida in the sixteenth century and thereafter, as well as the noble races of native Americans who in prehistoric times peopled this and other regions of the North American continent."
The bills were reminiscent of the bill for the Stone Mountain Memorial - they were to mark the commencement of work on a historical site/memorial vs. marking a specific historical anniversary. The coins were to benefit the Saint Augustine Historical Preservation and Restoration Association. The bills called for a mintage of up to six million (!) coins, without any restrictions as to the date to appear on the coins, the time frame during which the coins could be struck (i.e., no expiration date for coining authority was included) or which Mint facilities could be used to produce them.
Neither of the bills was reported out of Committee for further action, and died for lack of action when the Third Session of the the 75th Congress adjourned in June 1938. This was not the end of the effort, however!
At the start of the First Session of the 76th Congress, in January 1939, Representative Hendricks re-introduced his St. Augustine bill for consideration. It was referred to Committee, but not reported out.
Representative Hendricks and Senator Pepper then coordinated the introduction of House and Senate Joint Resolutions for the desired commemorative half dollars. The Resolutions called for silver 50-cent pieces "in commemoration of the founding and in aid of the historical restoration of Saint Augustine, Florida, and for other purposes."
The Resolutions provided more context for the coin request, and also brought the proposal into line with the Senate's recently adopted guidelines for commemorative coin programs. For context, the Resolutions added:
"Whereas Saint Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1565, being the oldest permanent white settlement in the United States; and
"Whereas the city of Saint Augustine in cooperation with a national committee, including representatives of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, and authorities of national reputation, is engaged in developing, preserving, and restoring the historic sites and remains of the said city, and its environs, including the historic and prehistoric records of said city; and
"Whereas the Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings, and Monuments has determined the national historical significance of Saint Augustine and its environs and has recommended to the Secretary of the Interior that national recognition be extended to that area under the provisions of the Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666)."
Regarding specifications of the coin program:
A notable change from the previous House and Senate bills was the creation of a Saint Augustine, Florida Commemorative Coin Commission that was to be comprised of members appointed by the Saint Augustine Historical Preservation and Restoration Association (same group as earlier) but approved by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Resolutions also tightened up several of the coin's provisions. Namely, the mintage was reduced to two million (still a hefty level) and were all to be struck at a single Mint facility. Also, the coins were all to be of a single design - no year-to-year changes; multiple designs would have been possible under the earlier bills.
In addition, the Resolutions specified that all of the coins were to bear the year "1940" and that coining authority was to expire December 31, 1945.
The Resolutions were referred to their respective Committees, but were not acted upon.
Representative Hendricks tried again in the 77th Congress, re-introducing another Joint Resolution. As with the previous attempts, it went nowhere and ultimately died for lack of action. After failing to secure a coin in three consecutive Congresses, it was "Three strikes and you're out!" for St. Augustine.
Despite not being given a coin, St. Augustine's restoration efforts moved forward and the city has become a major tourist attraction in Florida. I visited the city as a kid and enjoyed learning about its history. (Even then I was something of a history nerd!
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For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 03/19/2023 11:23 am
