The 2020 Coin Initiative

Images by George McKay, with permission, 

from the March 2015 Mayflower Quarterly

This coin was issued by the US Mint in 1920 and 1921

There is no photo yet of the proposed 2020 commemorative coin

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants’ first major project for the 2020 Commemoration of the 400^th Anniversary of the Mayflower voyage is to push for the United States Congress to pass a bill directing the US Mint to issue a commemorative coin.   The bill HR 2980 is now before Congress sponsored by Bill Foster (D-IL).  In the senate it is S.1715 sponsored by Senator John Hoeven (R-ND).  If at least 287 members of congress and 67 senators co-sponsor this bill it will pass.

This is a bi-partisan effort, and members from both parties (and independents) are being asked to co-sponsor this bill.  Whether or not you are a Mayflower descendant, or from a New England state, it does not matter because this commemoration is part of all our history, in support of an important American historical event that has made genealogy and family history popular across all ages, ethnic groups and cultures. Please support this effort to make the 2020 coin a reality!

You can help by sending a letter to your congress member and to your senator.  Sample letters for the senators and for your representatives in congress are available (see the links below).  You can find your representative by entering your zip code HERE, or for your senator HERE.   Just cut and paste the sample letters into the appropriate email.   A personal letter is even better (include a reference to HR.2980 for US Representatives or S.1715 for US Senators), but not necessary.

The 2020 Commemoration will be a joint effort between The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, the State of Massachusetts, the National Park Service, the Town of Plymouth, the Wampanoag Nation, and several other groups.   We have already applied for a US commemorative postage stamp, and there are plans for other events in Plymouth and around the United States.  All 52 of the member societies of the GSMD will be participating in 2020 Commemorations to share the story of our Pilgrim ancestors with the world.

For further information on the 2020 Coin Initiative (including sample letters) please see this link:

https://www.themayflowersociety.org/2020-commemoration/187-gsmd-coin-initiative-is-now-before-congress

Find your US Representative   www.house.gov

Find your US Senator    www.senate.gov 

GSMD 2020 Commemorative items for sale:

 https://www.themayflowersociety.org/shop13/gsmd-2020-items/gsmd-2020-commemoration

Plymouth 400 (Plymouth Chamber of Commerce)  http://plymouth400inc.org/

And on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/Plymouth400/timeline 

Mayflower 400 UK   http://www.mayflower400uk.com/

And on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/mayflower400/timeline 

Mayflower Society members can check the March and September 2015 issues of the The Mayflower Quarterly for more information on the 2020 commemorative coin initiative.

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The 2020 Coin Initiative", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 25, 2015 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-2020-coin-initiative.html:  accessed [access date]).