200th Post Giveaway - Attn: Jamestown History Buffs

Artist

200 Posts!!

Thank you all for the information and the conversation - this community has certainly enhanced my experience as a numismatic.

To commemorate my 200th post, I have decided to giveaway 2 prizes:

First prize is a raw, blast white, gem UNC FB 1940-D Mercury Dime in a Capitol Plastics Holder

Second Prize is a mint-wrapped roll of 2005-D Bison Nickels.

*

As many of you know, congress has passed legislation to honor Jamestown with a new Silver Dollar and a $5.00 gold - to make this giveaway educational, simply enter by posting an interesting fact or story about Jamestown.

When replies slow down, I will enter everyone's name in a hat and draw two winners.

(Don't know anything about Jamestown? That's okay - enter anyway!!)

p8nt

Its in Virginia.


I think.

prooflike

by 1609, the settlers had suffered one horror after another. Hundreds had died, but the worst was yet to come.

Spiffy469

John Rolfe was a farmer in the Jamestown settlement whose crops of tobacco became the economic basis for the colony. Known as an "ardent smoker." Rolfe was was probably instrumental in importing tobacco seed from Trinidad between 1610 and 1611. He crossed the imported breed with the indigenous tobacco to produce a plant well adapted to the local soil and reportedly of pleasant taste. When the English cargo vessel Elizabeth sailed from Virginia on June 28, 1613, it presumably carried Rolfe's first crop for export. In April of the following year, John Rolfe married Pocahontas in Jamestown's church. He died early in 1622 and was survived by his and Pocahontas's son, Thomas Rolfe.

Love the Historic aspect to the giveaway

Jeff

bbrebelz

I found out last year that one of my ancestors was one of the founders of Jamestown. His name was Bartholomew Gosnold. From what I have read he had more to do with the founding of the colony than did James Smith. The only thing is James Smith did all of the writing, so he got most of the credit. Gosnold also discovered and named Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. I believe he named Martha's Vineyard after his daughter. Scientists recently found what they believe to be his remains.Grandpa Bart
I have some very interesting information about the Indian attacks on the colonists. Records of the families attacked and those killed. Pretty interesting to me, anyways.

LALASD4

First permanent English settlement in America; est. May 14, 1607, by the London Company on a marshy peninsula (now an island) in the James River and named for the reigning English monarch, James I. Disease, starvation, and Native American attacks wiped out most of the colony, but the London Company continually sent more men and supplies, and John Smith briefly provided efficient leadership (he returned to England in 1609 for treatment of an injury). After the severe winter of 1609—10 (the "starving time" ), the survivors prepared to return to England but were stopped by the timely arrival of Lord De la Warr with supplies. John Rolfe cultivated the first tobacco there in 1612, introducing a successful source of livelihood; in 1614 he assured peace with the local Native Americans by marrying Pocahontas, daughter of chief Powhatan. In 1619 the first representative government in the New World met at Jamestown, which remained the capital of Virginia throughout the 17th cent. The village was almost entirely destroyed during Bacon's Rebellion; it was partially rebuilt but fell into decay with the removal of the capital to Williamsburg (1698—1700).

Of the 17th-century settlement, only the old church tower (built c.1639) and a few gravestones were visible when National Park Service excavations began in 1934. Today, most of Jamestown Island is owned by the U.S. government and is included in Colonial National Historical Park (see National Parks and Monuments, table); a small portion comprises the Jamestown National Historic Site, which is owned by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. A tercentenary celebration was held in 1907, and in 1957 the Jamestown Festival Park was built to commemorate the 350th anniversary. The park contains exhibit pavilions and replicas of the first fort, the three ships that brought the first settlers, and a Native American lodge.

MrSpud

The people of Jamestown at least once accidently mixed in leaves of Datura stramonium into their salad. Datura is a poisonous plant that causes a number of long lasting unpleasant effects such as dry mouth and blurred vision along with hallucinations. They were basically incapacitated for several days. Datura stramonium now has the common name of Jimson weed which is a corruption of Jamestown weed.

LeeG

Excellent giveaway! I live right down the road from Jamestown in Virginia Beach. Alot of American History in this area. Congrat's on 200 posts and thanks for the chance.

Jamestown Settlement
In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

ibzman350

Itz about 50 miles up the road from me



Congrats on 200.





Herb

RedTiger

The area around Virginia is still known for tobacco, but I found this bit of trivia:
Captain John Smith helps to found the colony of Virginia at Jamestown; it is believed that he introduced coffee to North America.

toners

Daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, Pocohantas was important in keeping peace between the Native Americans and the English settlers who arrived at Jamestown in 1608. It is said that she saved the life of Captain John Smith, one of Jamestown's most important settlers.
Thanks
Allen

NumisOxide

"The Algonquians eventually became disenchanted and, in 1622, attacked the out plantations killing over 300 of the settlers. Even though a last minute warning spared Jamestown, the attack on the colony and mismanagement of the Virginia Company at home convinced the King that he should revoke the Virginia Company Charter. Virginia became a crown colony in 1624. The fort seems to have existed into the middle of the 1620s, but as Jamestown grew into a "New Town" to the east, written reference to the original fort disappear. Jamestown remained the capital of Virginia until its major statehouse, located on the western end of the APVA property, burned in 1698. The capital was moved to Williamsburg that year and Jamestown began to slowly disappear above ground. By the 1750s the land was owned and heavily cultivated primarily by the Travis and Ambler families."

Congrats on 200 posts.

ecos

Congrats on 200!

IN the archaeological excavations of Jamestown, they unearthed numerous 1586-1635 Nuremburg Jettons.

from the 2001 report:
"Jettons and Political Tokens From Nuremberg
Most are from the Krauwinckle Family and a number are from Hans Swingel (1553-1586). Swingel's
Rechenmeister jetton depicts a Rechenmeister sitting at his counting table on one side and shows the
alphabet ending with two Zs, which stand for Hans Swingel, the maker. The Jamestown Rediscovery
curator is working with curators at the Germanische National Museum to learn more about them. A large
number have been found at Jamestown. Archaeologists speculate that they may have been used for
counting, trading or internal currency among the settlers and the company store."

Stock Photo Image, not from Jamestown

carl

I never heard of Jamestown, didn't know where it was or what it was before I started to read all these answers. This is a little education I must have missed in school while sleeping or day dreaming. Glad so many know something and are willing to share.

bohica268

November 1608 - Jamestown's first wedding: Anne Burras marries John Laydon, a carpenter.


It's hot in August and there is no shade.

meos1

Been there! Going back as soon as the last kid is old enough!

Merc

<< <i>The people of Jamestown at least once accidently mixed in leaves of Datura stramonium into their salad. Datura is a poisonous plant that causes a number of long lasting unpleasant effects such as dry mouth and blurred vision along with hallucinations. They were basically incapacitated for several days. Datura stramonium now has the common name of Jimson weed which is a corruption of Jamestown weed. >>



Is that true? I have taken several courses in weed science and never heard that one. I have also worked on research farms conducting herbicide research. I find it hard to believe anyone would try to eat a Jimson weed. It emits a horrible smell when you break the leaves or stem. It is closely related to the nightshades and is toxic in its own ways. Even if these settlers knew nothing about plants, I don't think they would eat a Jimson weed. It looks and smells poisonous.

eyoung429

I know that the town is located in Virginia....and to keep this coin related::

Friday, August 6, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the following bills into law: H.R. 1914, Jamestown 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2004, to provide for the issuance of gold and silver coins to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. The coins are currently in the design phase.

The U.S. Mint will strike 500,000 silver dollars and 100,000 gold $5 pieces to be sold throughout 2007. Coins will go on sale in early 2007. Proceeds will benefit education programs at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the National Park Service and APVA Preservation Virginia.




other than that, Happy 200th post

Thank you for the opportunity.

Smittys

I think it was named after someone named James.

Craton

I thought this was the place where they drank the poison punch!

Neptune

Pocahontas was an Indian princess, the daughter of Powhatan, the powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She was born around 1595 to one of Powhatan's many wives. They named her Matoaka, though she is better known as Pocahontas, which means "Little Wanton," playful, frolicsome little girl.

Pocahontas probably saw white men for the first time in May 1607 when Englishmen landed at Jamestown. The one she found most likable was Captain John Smith. The first meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith is a legendary story, romanticized (if not entirely invented) by Smith. He was leading an expedition in December 1607 when he was taken captive by some Indians. Days later, he was brought to the official residence of Powhatan at Werowocomoco, which was 12 miles from Jamestown. According to Smith, he was first welcomed by the great chief and offered a feast. Then he was grabbed and forced to stretch out on two large, flat stones. Indians stood over him with clubs as though ready to beat him to death if ordered. Suddenly a little Indian girl rushed in and took Smith's "head in her arms and laid her owne upon his to save him from death.” The girl, Pocahontas, then pulled him to his feet. Powhatan said that they were now friends, and he adopted Smith as his son, or a subordinate chief. Actually, this mock "execution and salvation" ceremony was traditional with the Indians, and if Smith's story is true, Pocahontas' actions were probably one part of a ritual. At any rate, Pocahontas and Smith soon became friends.

Relations with the Indians continued to be generally friendly for the next year, and Pocahontas was a frequent visitor to Jamestown. She delivered messages from her father and accompanied Indians bringing food and furs to trade for hatchets and trinkets. She was a lively young girl, and when the young boys of the colony turned cartwheels, "she would follow and wheele some herself, naked as she was all the fort over." She apparently admired John Smith very much and would also chat with him during her visits. Her lively character and poise made her appearance striking. Several years after their first meeting, Smith described her: "a child of tenne yeares old, which not only for feature, countenance, and proportion much exceedeth any of the rest of his (Powhatan's) people but for wit and spirit (is) the only non-pariel of his countrie.

RYK

One of my most enjoyable vacations was a trip to Williamsburg, VA, in 1997, courtesy of my wife's former employer, Anheuser-Busch. My most memorable day on that trip was spent in Jamestown. Unlike Williamsburg, Yorktown, and other nearby historic sites, all that is left of Jamestown is rubble and the layout of the failed colony. Fortunately, there was an actor dressed in 17th century costume (in June!) and he gave us a contemporary walking tour of the settlement, speaking conversationally in the approriate dialect of the people, issues, and structures that existed at the time. If you closed your eyes and listened, you were there. I would encourage anyone who visits the area to take this tour. It was fabulous, and as a reult, I will always be interested in the Jamestown story.

EvilMCT

History was always an area of school that I abhored. For some reason though, I've recently found an interest in the colonial period of American history. Here's some basic facts that I remeber:
The site that eventually became Jamestown was picked for it's location. It was far enough up the river to protect against an ocean attack from Spain. The James river that boardered the colony afforded them an escape route if necessary in case of land attack. Also, the James river was used to transport goods to/from the colony. Sadly, within the first 6 months of settlement, over 70 people died (had to go back and look this one up-73 of 105 people died within the first 6 months).



<< <i>I have some very interesting information about the Indian attacks on the colonists. Records of the families attacked and those killed. Pretty interesting to me, anyways. >>


Too bad we don't have a written history from the Indian perspective on these attacks.



<< <i>I thought this was the place where they drank the poison punch! >>


Nope, that was Jonestown and it was kool-aid.

Ken

MrSpud

Merc wrote

<< <i>Is that true? I have taken several courses in weed science and never heard that one. I have also worked on research farms conducting herbicide research. I find it hard to believe anyone would try to eat a Jimson weed. It emits a horrible smell when you break the leaves or stem. It is closely related to the nightshades and is toxic in its own ways. Even if these settlers knew nothing about plants, I don't think they would eat a Jimson weed. It looks and smells poisonous. >>



Here is a reference from Jamestown Weed datura link

Jimson weed
1812, Amer.Eng. shortening of Jamestown-weed (1687), from Jamestown, Virginia colony, where it was discovered by Europeans (1676), when British soldiers mistook it for an edible plant and subsequently hallucinated for 11 days.

zeus135

All I knew was Jamestown was founded in the earlier 1600's, in what is now Virginia. I'm learning things from these posts, keep 'em rolling on in.

arlea1957

Wow nice givaway, just did a google search and found it interesting that in 1893 Jamestown was owned by Mr. And Mrs. Edward Barney

I want my own town...

SFDukie

Jamestown was the second attempt at a permanent colony in the tidewater region. In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh left settlers on Roanoke Island, NC, one of whom gave birth to the first choild of English settlers in the New World. That child, Virginia Dare, is the infant cradled in her mother's arms on the reverse of the Roanoke classic commemorative. Raleigh's men sailed to England that summer promising to return the next year with supplies. Due to war with the Spanigh Armada, Queen Elizabeth impressed his ship into service, and he could not return until 1590. On Raleigh's return, when they approached the settlement, there was only silence. The houses had been taken down and a palisade constructed, on one post of which was carved "CROATAN," the name of a nearby island. The colonists had agreed on this kind of message if they had to leave Roanoke, but there was no Maltese cross, the signal that trouble had forced their departure. White's armour lay rusting in the sand, indicating that the colonist had been gone for some time. He wanted to sail to Croataon, but low provisions, the loss of sea anchors in a storm, and privateer's impatience prevented them from stopping there. Raleigh made several attempts to locate the colonists between 1590 and 1602, but no trace was found. Their fate will probably never be known. It is likely that they were attacked by Indians, and those not killed were assimilated into the local tribes.
In 1607, when the English established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown, they were well aware that a colony had been left on Roanoke Island twenty years earlier. The Jamestown colonists made several attempts to find the lost colonists; and investigated Indian reports of Europeans living at various locations; but no survivors ever surfaced. The fate of the lost colonists remains one of the great mysteries of American history.
Don

joefro

The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, carrying 105 passengers departed from England in December 1606 and reached the Virginia coast in April 1607. The expedition was led by Captain Christopher Newport. After two weeks of exploration, a site offering deep water anchorage and a good defensive position was selected, and on May 14 work began on the settlement. Initially, the colony was governed by a council of seven, with one member serving as president.

-http://historyisfun.org/jamestown/jamestownhistory.cfm


Thanks for the great giveaway. Wow, I really need to slow down my posting.

Baley

One of my favorite state quarters, the Virginia coin commemorates the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown... which will occur in 2007 (the coin is dated 2000?)

Artist

This is all great information - I have learned a great deal reading these posts. Thank you all very much for your enthusiasm.

I will pick winners first thing tomorrow morning - so this is your last chance enter this giveaway. Go ahead and post a a reply even if you don't have anything to add regarding Jamestown.

- Artist

lordmarcovan

Some items of numismatic interest have been found in archaeological digs near Jamestown.

Included in these items were brass jetons, or mathematical counters, made by Hans Krauwinckel of Nuremberg, Germany, between about 1562 to 1586. (Or perhaps more likely by Hans Krauwinckel II, who was active 1586-1635.)

These jetons often turn up on eBay and I have won several Krauwinckel pieces for five dollars or less.

Here is a picture of a jeton with a similar design.



And, since I borrowed that picture without permission, here is a courtesy link to the page I got it from.

Bochiman

Cool.
I don't know much about Jamestown as I was born outside Boston

Glad you have enjoyed your time and hope you continue enjoying your time.

Numismatics

I have never heard of Jamestown.

goose3

they had a large exposition there in 1907 and I believe that is where my icon token originated from!
here is a larger pic of it.

wildjag

I think I drove really close to Jamestown once on the way to Newport News

DickyBetz

Well I know a lot about Jamestown now from reading this thread but other than that count me in.

coinandcurrency242

it was settled a long time ago in the 1500's and many artifacts have been found their

macjeff

When the original settlers arrived, there were many trees surrounding what would become Jamestown; Many of them were cut down to build structures and fortifications in and around the town. And my family was nowhere near there in 1607!



Congrats on 200!

Artist

Contest in closed - winners to be anounced momentarily...

coachleonard

I watched the 1995 animated movie Pocahontas, so I know that Jamestown is surrounded by mountains, majestic cliffs, waterfalls and redwood-like trees.

bushmaster8

I think it was Jamestown, where Virginia Dare was born. Historically, she was considered the first white child born in America.