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May 14 marks Stars and Stripes Forever Day, an annual holiday celebrating the eponymous national march penned in 1896 by John Philip Sousa. The familiar patriotic tune, chartered as the nation’s official march by a 1987 Act of United States Congress, is a standard for American choirs, orchestras, and marching bands.
It’s also a staple of the West Point Band, which holds the distinction of being the Army’s oldest active-duty band. The West Point Band was established on June 8, 1817, at the prestigious United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and continues playing some of the most important and popular tunes to this day.
When the West Point Band was founded, the United States Military Academy at West Point was still relatively new, having opened in 1802. It now serves as the oldest of the nation’s five military academies. Numismatists may be familiar with the West Point name as the moniker of a mint and bullion depository also located near the famous military academy.
The United States Military Academy at West Point has played a significant role in United States history and was honored on a 2002 commemorative silver dollar fittingly struck at the West Point Mint. The coin’s obverse by designer T. James Ferrell shows a cadet color guard parade with views of Cadet Chapel and the student dormitory known as Washington Hall in the background. The reverse depicts the West Point Bicentennial logo with its ornate helmet as engraved within the coin’s design by John Mercanti.
The coin is just one of many wonderful, military-themed coins that could symbolically represent Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” a song whose patriotic fervor stirs images of military marches from times of yore to today. The 2002 West Point Bicentennial Dollar is certainly one such coin that captures the spirit of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” a march that could very well be playing in the background of the coin’s obverse scene, capturing the West Point color guard proudly hoisting the American flag and other patriotic emblems before the viewer. Whether honoring Stars and Stripes Forever Day or recognizing the countless invaluable contributions of the United States military, the 2002 West Point Bicentennial Dollar makes a wonderful addition to any coin collection.