When researching American coinage, the name Jean-Antoine Houdon appears several times as inspiration for the designs featured on the Jefferson Nickel, Franklin Half Dollar, and the Washington Quarter. But who was Houdon and why was he so influential among Founding Fathers?
On Christmas night in 1776, General George Washington and his army executed a surprise attack on Hessian forces that was as an early turning point of the Revolutionary War. Known famously as “Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware,” this attack saw Washington lead 2,400 soldiers across the partially-frozen Delaware River into Trenton, New Jersey, where a large portion of British troops were stationed.
In 1932, our country celebrated the bicentennial birthday of perhaps the most important man in its history, George Washington. Along with the countrywide celebrations of the first president to lead our nation, the bicentennial was marked with a very special occasion: the introduction of a new quarter design featuring Washington’s likeness. While originally intended as a one-year-only commemorative coin, the Washington Quarter has gone on to become one of America’s most popular and enduring coins.
