On e Fatt C Being an Acco un t of tlze New Ro che lle Half- Dollar and qf the Ce leb ration ma rking t/ze 2 5 0th A n n ive rsary of flu: ’ F o un din g é) Se ttle me n t of the w ! City of Ne w Roche lle N Y 3} M KIP A Y C. S TON Tub/ixbed by tbe NEW ROCHEL L E COMMEMORATIVE COIN COMMITTEE This account has been written in the hope that it may serve as a signpost to future Celebration Committees in 3 planning an event such as was celebrated in 1 9 8 . When the Committee appointed as a 25 0th An n ive r sary Committee met to formulate necessary plans and programme we were at a loss to know just how to pro c e e d as , there were no available accounts of the previous of -fi ve event twenty years ago to guide us . To . be sure , Mr Henry M Lester Jr had a scrap book with newspaper clippings which described some e o f the 225 th t vents Anniversary Celebration , but here w as a vagueness which w as b afilin g to us who wanted - something clear cut to follow . There were terse tran o f t scripts of some heir meetings, but these were not much aid to gropers in the dark . s e The e did show, however, that there had been som dissension in that Committee and that it had been n e ce s sary to do a great deal of solicitation for fun ds for their Mille ma . n of budget Mr . Jere had been Treasurer that ' Committee and his recollection o f that afi air w as that the greater bulk o f the fund had really been contributed by the late Mr . Henry M . Lester and that it had devel sum o f oped into a with Mr . Lester shouldering of t most the burden it had eventually grown o be . Mr . Lester had been most in dustrious in the cause and had entertained the French visitors of that day in his own home . It is my hope that this account o f our method o f rais ing the necessary funds ( which was a budget o f the planning o f the programme of events by out of the Committee , and the carrying that programme in a manner that in brfllian cy o f performance far exceed h o f ed our fondest opes, will be aid to some future C om mitte e who will Wonder what did that 25 0th An n ive r ’ sary Committee do to celebrate Ne w Rochelle s Birth day . Reading over the list of names of the members of the 225 th on e to fin d Anniversary Committee , it saddened how e r too many had since pass d away . Perhaps ou list, , “ a e n to may bring forth the s me remark , How few r mai n n h n day, whe a ot er a niversary rolls around . As the Spirits of the Huguenots In the Pageant of Ne w Rochelle Returned to Earth a few short hours To visit scenes loved well Perhaps we ’ ll be permitted T o view these scenes again And feel our honest labors ' e fl orts And not in vain . A M Y C . SKIP TON Ne w Roche lle N Y , . F e br uar 28 1 9 9 y , 3 THE L EGEND Early on e m orning in the year 1 6 8 8 as the sun shot its first brilliant rays over the waters o f Long Island S Siw an o ound a y Indian , from his vantage point on the rocky shore , viewed with wonder and awe a strange and on o f unusual craft, riding at anchor the tranquil waters E cho Bay, and from that strange craft there landed a group of people such as he had never seen before . THE FACT In the year 1 6 8 8 or thereabouts a small group of Huguenots who had fled from France to escape religio us persecution and sought a haven in various parts o f the New World came to New York and bought through o f their agent, Jacob Leisler , a tract six thousand acres l of o f h from John Pel , Lord the Manor Pelham , whic o f they named New Rochelle after the city La Rochelle , o f France , from which most them had originally come . The amount paid was the sume of Sixteens hundred twenty 81 Five pounds sterling currant silver money o f this province and o n e fatt calfe on every fouer 8L tw e n tyth day o f June YEARLY 81 Every Years forever (if demanded) . THE NEW ROCHELLE HALF D OLLAR n so Beautiful coi , silvery white Little did Huguenots dream in their flight ’ That a city they d found like our own Ne w Rochelle Where folks of all creeds in amity dwell . On your reverse you bear the Lily-of- France “ While on obverse once more th e fatt calfe doth prance A n d Lord Pell in a costume befitting the day a - sa Receives him s quit rent so our annals do y . N ou orth , South , East and West, little coin , y have Sped ’ With New Rochelle s story o f heroes long dead Who feared not the hardships but stubbornly fought For the Faith that they loved and the Freedom they sought . h God grant, little coin , that the story t us told May live on forever and character mold h ’ In a form w ere there s Beauty, Faith , Hope , Truth and Love An d h the over us over sweet Peace like dove . A M Y C . SKIP TON HE NEW ROCHELLE HALF DOLLAR O B VERSE m fi fi rm ! N h fi K k §§ x i l Y e l “ ! fl fl aé 'h x if V fi N Y aw . m fi x ! l x i ,gee THE NEW ROCHELLE HALF DOLLAR REVERSE On e Fatt Calfe PART I THE NEW ROCHELLE HALF DOLLAR ID Y OU Ne w Rochelle an h , my dear , know that w en D , coins particularly half dollars, are being talked — about you can provided you were wise and civic- mind — ed enough to have done your duty in this respect reach into your pocket with a n onchalant air and produce a “ c e e oin , saying, Did you ever s one of OUR half dol ” ’ lars ! And like a rabbit from the magician s hat there is a United States New Rochelle Half Dollar shining ’ brightly in your hand . But don t let anyone persuade you to exchange it fo r on e of the half dollars he may have in his ou or pocket, for yours cost y ( whoever bought it for f you) two dollars and if you preserve it care ully, keeping is ou it free from scratches, there no telling what price y ” o r 0 fo r your descendants may be ered it some day . T o few cities indeed comes the honor o f a Specially designed coin and to Ne w Rochelle it came only through the persistent and untiring e orts over a period o f sixteen o f on e o f he r z h an ar n m onths citi ens, imself de t coin col lector, Pitt M . Skipton . ON E FATT CALFE t so A Commemora ive Coin is not, as many people s think , a medal , but is a regular government coin , alway o f face value and can be used as any other coin o f the same denomination . But it is of a special design and mint ed by the government under a special Act o f Congress at the request o f a Commission or Committee authorized to sell it at a premium to obtain funds to carry through the purpose for which that Commission or Committee w as o f created . These coins are therefore considerably greater value than the ordinary coin of that denomina o tion and seldom , if ever , come into general circulati n , being bought by collectors or held by o thers than collect o rs as of value for sentimental and other reasons . At meetings of the Westchester County Coin Club of Gutta a which Julius g, an authority on South Americ n c oins, is the founder , the Commemorative issues had been a lively topic and since New Rochelle would celebrate in 1 9 38 25 0th her Anniversary , it seemed to the members a Commemorative for the event would be a source of pride both to the Club and to the City . This particularly appealed to Mr . Skipton as a source of funds for a gala celebration from the profits to be derived from its sale . As a rule such funds are either taken from the City treas ury or obtained by solicitation from private subscribers . As John and Mary Citizen at this time of general de pression were scarcely able to pay their taxes and provide for their ow n family expenses it did not seem fair to ask them for the wherewithal to provide for such a festivity as this should properly be . The idea of the coin being enthusiastically received by the Club at the November 1 9 35 meeting they appointed ar Mr . Skipton a Committee of One to make the necess y a contacts and try to obtain such a coin .