Interesting things you've found in numismatic research

[shirohniichan]

I'm searching through the National Archives site to find information on the US 20 cent piece.

 

Here's an interesting tidbit I found from the Senate Journal dated December 19, 1871:

 

"Mr. Lewis presented the petition of Richard H. Garrett, praying compensation for the destruction of a barn which was burned to effect the capture of J. Wilkes Booth and David C. Harrold; which was referred to the Committee on Claims."

 

It takes a while for these things to work their ways through Congress, eh?

 

[shirohniichan]

Here's one from the House (March 16, 1870):

 

"By unanimous consent, bills and a joint resolution were introduced, read a first and second time, and referred as follows, viz:

• By Mr. Lionel A. Sheldon: A joint resolution (H. Res. 193) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to sell the mint and marine hospital at New Orleans, to the Committee on Commerce."

 

Who needed the New Orleans Mint, anyway?

 

[BillJones]

I collect political items, and during the 19th century the campaigns issued tokens, medalets and medals for the candidates which merges with my numismatic hobby with my political hobby.

 

One of the most obscure candidates is William Crawford who ran for president in 1824. He was the "official" candidate for the Donkey Party in 1824, but he suffered a stroke before the election and there are no campaign items available for him so far as I know.

 

One day I was looking at the 5th issue 50 cent note when I had an epiphany. The man on this note was former treasury secretary William Crawford. I used to call this piece, the "Bob Hope note" because the Crawford at least in this portrait looks a lot like the late comedian.

 

[RWB]

I run across lots of interesting things while researching, but much of it is probably of little interest to anyone else.

[cpm9ball]

That's pretty cool, Bill. I noticed that one of the signatures is that of John Allison. I wonder if he is any relation to William B. Allison of the Bland-Allison Act of 1878.

 

Chris

[DC Dawg]

I run across lots of interesting things while researching, but much of it is probably of little interest to anyone else.

I might find it interesting... but I like history and public policy!

[RWB]

Well, they fired the lady whose job it was to make coffee - 1910.

 

An employee had his hand chopped off in an accident - 1887.

[rons]

Did they have grounds to fire her???

[cpm9ball]

Did they have grounds to fire her???

 

She was stealing the coffee "grounds" for her flower bed.

 

Chris

[MorganMan]

Well, they fired the lady whose job it was to make coffee - 1910.

 

An employee had his hand chopped off in an accident - 1887.

 

 

Should we all go look closer at our 1887 coinage again for strikethroughs?

 

MM

[RWB]

1887 strikethroughs.....Well, maybe the mint's cat got caught in a press - famous wisker variety?

[cpm9ball]

Well, they fired the lady whose job it was to make coffee - 1910.

 

An employee had his hand chopped off in an accident - 1887.

 

 

Should we all go look closer at our 1887 coinage again for strikethroughs?

 

MM

 

Does anyone have an 1887 Morgan with the retained strikethrough of a fingernail?

 

Chris

[Conder101]

Who needed the New Orleans Mint, anyway?

That was exactly the question, why not get rid of the mint? It had been closed (at least as a mint) since 1861.

[shirohniichan]

Who needed the New Orleans Mint, anyway?

That was exactly the question, why not get rid of the mint? It had been closed (at least as a mint) since 1861.

 

I was expecting to get a rise out of the Morgan collectors calling me all kinds of nasty names for that remark.

 

Another thing I've found out in researching the double dime is that my college and high school history classes gave me a rather inaccurate view of postbellum America. That's understandable, however, as I think our textbooks gave us only 3 or 4 pages dealing with the Panic of 1873 through William Jennings Bryant's "Cross of Gold" speech.

[cpm9ball]

Who needed the New Orleans Mint, anyway?

I was expecting to get a rise out of the Morgan collectors calling me all kinds of nasty names for that remark.

 

Now you've done it! You've just insulted the gold collectors!

 

As a Morgan collector, I'm not upset by your remark. The New Orleans mint produced some of the "mushiest" MS66 coins that I have ever seen. I would rather that they kept the branch mint at Carson City open and make an oatmeal kitchen out of New Orleans.

 

Chris

[Conder101]

Another thing I've found out in researching the double dime is that my college and high school history classes gave me a rather inaccurate view of postbellum America.

Not surprising. It can also depend on how well they cover history. In 12 years of public "education" I had six years of history classes. In six years we never got past 1870. Each year we would start with Columbus's journeys to America, work our way through 1870 by the end of the year and then the next year start over with Columbus again. I have no surprise the number of people who can't tell you when the Second World War was. In my school system it never happened.

[leeg]

From the Chicago Daily Tribune of November 23, 1894:

 

The management of the Columbian Exposition having finally declined to defray the expenses of recoining the Columbian half-dollars which have found their way into the Treasury, they have been offered to the public at pa. in exchange for gold or gold certificates, and a considerable sum of them has been distributed in that manner. The Isabella "quarters" in the Treasury are retained for the requisition of the Board of Lady Managers of the Exposition.

[coinman23885-migration]

That's scary - a school system that doesn't teach about the World Wars and the global policy implications thereafter. No wonder America is in such a state of disarray.

[RareSov]

! I can just see it now. Struck thru hand