The Lafayette dollar was a silver coin issued as part of the United States’ participation in the Paris World’s Fair of 1900. Depicting Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette with George Washington, it was the only U.S. silver dollar commemorative prior to 1983. Conjoined busts of Washington and Lafayette appear on the obverse. The Lafayette dollar is valued from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands.
About Lafayette dollar in brief
The Lafayette dollar was a silver coin issued as part of the United States’ participation in the Paris World’s Fair of 1900. Depicting Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette with George Washington, it was the only U.S. silver dollar commemorative prior to 1983. Conjoined busts of Washington and Lafayette appear on the obverse. The Lafayette dollar is valued from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on condition. In 1898, a resolution was introduced in Congress for a commission to erect a monument in Paris on behalf of Lafayette. The marquis returned to France in 1825, and died in 3434, according to Arnie Slabaugh in his book on commemorative coins, \”Lafayette, so popular in both countries, became so popular and respected that he became an honorary citizen of theUnited States, so so popular that he has extended his friendship to this day” The coins did not sell out, and 14,000 were later melted by the U. S. Treasury. In 1824, the American Congress voted unanimously to invite Lafayette to return as the guest of the nation. He arrived in New York City to mammoth celebrations, including innumerable honors and gifts, including a half-million acres of land in Florida. In 1781, he returned to the United states in 1784, his last visit for 40 years. He was given office and commands after the French Revolution, but was captured by the Austrians in 1792, remaining in captivity for five years.
After the restoration of the monarchy in 1815, he again engaged himself in politics, sitting in the Chamber of Deputies. He died in 1834, and his son George, George Washington Lafayette, voted to have his son made an honorary U.N. citizen. He is buried in Lafayette, France, where he was a member of the House of Representatives and served as a vice-president of the French National Assembly from 1793 to 1815. He had a son, George, who served as President of the Republic of France from 1815 to 1825. He also served as the president of the Council of State from 1825 to 1828. He served in the French Army from 1775 to 1781. He helped lead the decisive Yorktown campaign, leading to the surrender of Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis alongside his entire army, which sealed the fate of the war in favor of the Americans. He became a national hero in both France and the United Kingdom. He later died in Florida in 1833. He left a fortune to his son, but died in a nursing home in 1844. He never married. He remained in France for the rest of his life, and was buried in Paris, next to his wife, Marie-Antoine Houdon, who had been his wife’s best friend for more than 30 years, and their son, Jean-Paul Caunois, who was also a former French president. The coin was designed by Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber.
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This page is based on the article Lafayette dollar published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 07, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
