Test Your Knowledge Question #1 and #2

[leeg]

I enjoy the history surrounding Numismatics and wanted to test folks knowledge here. It's all in fun and I'll provide the answer tomorrow. I may also throw in a new question.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

While she was creating the motif for the 1936 Albany (New York) Tercentenary half dollar, artist Gertrude Lathrop kept one of these in her studio:

 

a. "Don't Tread on Me" flag from the Revolutionary War.

 

b. String of Indian wampum beads.

 

c. Beaver.

 

d. Engraving of Robert Fulton's Clermont steamship.

 

 

Gertrude

 

 

Albany in NGC MS68

[BillJones]

Given the critter that apears on the coin, I'd have to say 3, beaver.

[jesbroken]

As her main interests were in sculpting animals, I would agree with Bill, the #3 beaver.

Jim

[RWB]

She kept a stuffed aardvark that she thought looked like a beaver but was really a camouflaged steamship?

[chinook]

I have a stuffed armadillo.

 

But I would also have to answer "Beaver" to the question.

[RWB]

Actually, Gertrude kind of reminds me of a marsupial - maybe it's the glass eye or the kangaroo nose…?

[bsshog40]

As her main interests were in sculpting animals, I would agree with Bill, the #3 beaver.

Jim

I'm in this group!

[thebeav]

Actually, I was living in the studio with Gert at the time. She dealt a mean hand of pinochle too, I might add......

That is the smallest "Liberty" on any half dollar, to be sure......

 

Paul

[WoodenJefferson]

Knowing just how quirky artists can be, it would not surprise me if she had one of each in the family studio.

 

All 4 items Lee mentions are associated with the State of New York.

 

"Don't Tread on Me" is actually the first American Flag representing the freedom of the original thirteen colonies, of which New York was one.

 

Manhattan was bought for $24 in beads in 1626 (wampum)

 

The Beaver is the State animal of New York

 

On August 17, 1807, the Clermont, Robert Fulton's first American steamboat, left New York for Albany, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.

 

[leeg]

This one was too easy. Thanks WJ for adding some content. The correct answer is c. I appreciate some of the unique answers to this one also.

 

Let's see how you do with this one:

 

 

An interesting aspect of the 1794 Flowing Hair half dime is that:

 

a. None were actually struck in 1794.

 

b. George Washington personally approved the design after reviewing several sketches of female heads.

 

c. All were struck from silver made from melted-down Spanish-American 8-real "dollars".

 

d. Due to an error in legislation, they were not legal tender.

 

Good luck!

 

 

NGC AU58

[Just Bob]

Half dimes dated 1794 were actually struck in 1795.

[RWB]

The correct answer is c.

 

Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute...There was no "C" in the list of four options! How come a letter that wasn't on the list gets to win? What is this, the BCS software system??

 

[leeg]

The correct answer is c.

 

Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute...There was no "C" in the list of four options! How come a letter that wasn't on the list gets to win? What is this, the BCS software system??

 

Sure there is.

[rons]

a. None were actually struck in 1794.

[leeg]

The correct answer to question #2 is: a.

 

Not too tough.