Holland Society of New York
The Holland Society originated The New Netherland Project which is translating and publishing the 17th Century records held by the New York State Archives.
Membership in the Holland Society is open to descendants in the direct male line of an ancestor who lived in New Netherland before or during 1675.
Medals and Memorabilia Issued by the Society
The high point of the Society's social life was the annual banquet, usually held in one of the city's finer hotels. As was common in those days, guests were usually presented with a souvenir that could also be purchased separately in case a member was unable to attend.
The list of memorabilia includes:
- 1904 – Friesland medal; originally sold for $1.25
- 1905 – Friesland medal; originally sold for $1.25
- 1906 – Friesland medal; originally sold for $1.25
- 1907 – Reproduction of the Geuzen Penning (Beggar’s Penny) of 1574, with ring suitable for a fob pendant; originally sold for $1.00
- 1908 – Tiffany Bronze Ash Tray bearing the seal of the Society; originally sold for $1.25
- 1909 – Silver Miniature of the Half Moon hung by an orange ribbon from a silver crossbar; originally sold for $1.25
- 1910 – A Pewter Britannia Copy of a Spoon of Hudson’s time, as used on the Half Moon; originally sold for $1.25
- 1911 – Paper Weight—Society Seal and Badge; originally sold for $1.25
- 1912 – Paper Weight—Peter Stuyvesant Seal and State House; originally sold for $1.25
- 1913 – Paper Weight—Seal of New Amsterdam and Water Gate, Wall Street; originally sold for $1.25
- 1914 – Paper Weight—Provincial Seal of New Nether land and fort on Manhattan; originally sold for $1.50
- 1915 – Paper Weight or Card Tray—Seal of Old Amsterdam and Schryer’s Toren in Holland; originally sold for $1.50
- 1916 – Medallion with seal of New Amsterdam and seal of New York; originally sold for $5.00
- 1917 –
- 1918 –
- 1919 – no souvenir
- 1920 – no souvenir
The practice of souvenirs for the dinner seems to have gone out of fashion during World War I. Maybe it was deemed inappropriate to waste metal on mementos, or maybe the economic climate was simply too challenging.
Many thanks to Stephen Carofalo who sent me some images and also sent me a link to a Holland Society yearbook from which I took the souvenir information.