The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2001, Blaðsíða 9

Vol. 56 #3
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
135
Millennium Silver Commemorative
Coin Set Features Leif Ericson
by Allan Swenson
At last, Viking history has been veri-
fied and vindicated. Leif Ericson has been
declared the “Founder of the New World”
on a Commemorative Coin just issued by
the U.S. Mint.
Equally significant, the Icelandic
Commemorative Silver Kronur also makes
that historic point on their coin, “Leif
Ericson, Son of Iceland, “Founder of
North America.”
The idea for a Leif Ericson
Commemorative Coin had originated
years ago with Ivar Christensen, founder
and president of the Leif Ericson Society
International. The landmark joint minting
of the U. S. Silver dollar and the Icelandic
Silver kronur were strongly supported by
Congressman Martin Olav Sabo of
Minnesota, who was a founding member of
the Congressional Friends of Norway
Caucus.
Praise for the issue of the
Commemorative Leif Ericson Coins
focused on the importance and significance
of the messages they carry on them.
“Acknowledging the truth about the
original discovery of the New World, near-
ly 500 years before Columbus is a land-
mark in honesty and historic fact recogni-
tion by the United States government,”
according to Allan A. Swenson, a Norse-
Amcrican author, writer and founder of the
Viking Information Project International.
“At last the truth has been officially recog-
nized and celebrated with the dramatic,
appropriate and significant Leif Ericson
‘Founder of the New World’ commemora-
tive coin,” Swenson emphasized.
The United States Mint issued the
magnificent and historic set of Leif Ericson
Millennium Commemorative Coins in
June, celebrating the millennium of the dis-
covery of the New World by Leif Ericson.
“This jointly-issued coin set magnifi-
cently symbolizes a shared history and
friendship with the Republic of Iceland
that dates back through the last millenni-
um,” said U.S. Mint Director Jay W.
Johnson.
“What a beautiful way to celebrate the
1000 years since the discovery of the New
World by Leif Ericson, by issuing a first of
its kind U.S./Foreign Commemorative
Coin Set."
"The Leif Ericson Commemorative
Coin is really the perfect millennium col-
lectible," said David Pickens, Associate
Director for Numismatics, "commemorat-
ing a 1,000-year anniversary in the year
2000."
Dennis Johnson, immediate past
President of the famous Leif Ericson
Viking ship Norseman, based in
Philadelphia, was one of the first Viking
organization leaders to add his praise.
“Our group is delighted by the issue of
the Leif Ericson coin. It took the hard
work of many people to bring about this
great commemorative act of the
Millennium year 2000, and we are grateful
to those who have played a part in making
this happen,” Dennis Johnson says.
“Our mission for over 20 years has
been to help the truth be told to all
Americans about the true founder of the
New World, and we shall continue in that
mission with our ship and our organization
for many years to come,” Johnson empha-
sizes. “The marking of the Leif Ericson
Millennium Celebration by the issuance of
this coin symbolizes the full acceptance by
the U. S. Government of the truth about
the first Europeans in North America, Leif
Ericson and his comrades from Greenland
and Iceland.”
Icelandic businessman and founder of
the West Nordic Culture House in
Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, Johannes Vidar