Doing your own research 1 1

[RWB]

With more US Mint Bureau documents becoming available on-line through the Newman Numismatic Portal (NNP), it seems a good time to give those doing numismatic research a little guidance. This will show how various groups of documents are connected and suggest which files to search for letters relating to specific events or persons.

The information will help researchers look through thousands of documents without have to spend weeks at NARA locations thumbing through thick volumes and overstuffed file boxes.

What you will find: Connections between archive files. Transcriptions of some documents.

What you will not find: Transcriptions of everything.

Access: All materials are available for free via NNP to read or download.

Basic files in Record Group 104 U.S. Mint ––         

For letters from 1873 to 1900 the overall search flow is:

1.      Start with Entry 1. These are in chronological order and many are transcribed. Search by subject or approximate date.

2.      Once something of interest is found, go to E-235 and look for the volumes covering the date on your item. Look both before and after this date. There is also an index by author for many of these volumes, but it is useless for subjects.

3.      Next look in Entry 6 around the date of your item and see if there are any letters between Mint Departments that relate to your subject. Do the same with Entry 17.

4.      Go to Entry 229 and search it in the same manner.

These entries have documents that are frequently interconnected, such as a letter sent and its reply, or private comment on a subject by the Coiner or Secretary of Treasury. By searching through the 4 steps, above, users should be able to locate about 80% of extant materials relating to an individual, situation or subject.

·        Entry 1 General Correspondence, 1792-1899. (Completely digitized. Transcribed from 1885 to 1899.)

·        Entry 235 Letters sent by the Director to other mint facilities and individuals (1873-1937). Digitized April 1873 to April 1893, more to come.

·        Entry 6 Letters between Philadelphia Mint departments and also those sent by the Superintendent to the Director. (Digitized from October 1, 1866 to October 1889, more to come.)

·        Entry 17 Letters received by the Philadelphia Mint Superintendent from the Coiner 1877-1900 Completely digitized.

·        Entry 229 Letters received by Mint HQ from other mint facilities and individuals. Digitized intermittently 1875 to 1900, more to come.

 

For earlier letters and subjects up to 1873 the overall flow is less well defined.

1.      Start with Entry 1. These are in chronological order and a few are transcribed. Search by subject or approximate date.

2.      Once something of interest is found, go to Entry 3, 215, 216 and 217 depending on items date.

·        Entry 1 General Correspondence, 1792-1899. (Completely digitized. Transcribed from 1885 to 1899.)

·        Entry 3 Journals 1792 to 1835.

·        Entry 215 Letters sent to Branch Mints 1836-1871.

·        Entry 216 Letters to and from Secretary of Treasury regarding Branch Mints July 5, 1834 to December 31, 1862.

·        Entry 217 Scattered letters about Mints 1865 to 1872.

 

For coinage quantities look in Entry 271 for reported quantities and especially for any condemned deliveries. Use Entry 330 for exact delivery dates and quantities from about 1916 forward to 1947. The latter has large gaps, which will gradually be filled as time permits.

·        Entry 271 Monthly coinage by Mint July 1875 to June 1906. Completely digitized.

·        Entry 330 Cashier’s Daily Statements. Intermittently digitized from 1916 to 1947. Year 1900 is in E-229 as extracted from correspondence.

Coinage, die use and many other subjects are mixed into the entries mentioned. Also the Entry 3 journals include copies of annual reports and letters in their original form that are not available elsewhere.

Roger W. Burdette

December 20, 2022

Edited December 19, 2022 by RWB

[Just Bob]

Bookmarked 

[olympicsos]

Speaking of the US Mint cashier? Does that position still exist? If not, when was it abolished? 

[RWB]

A lot of job titles were changed in the late 1960s and 1970s. Mints no longer pay out over the counter nor accept deposits, so I presume the actual job vanished long ago...at least in the form collectors understand from the 19th century. The Superintendent is now called the Plant Manager, but I'm not conversant with the rest of the titles. The Engraver and Assistant Engraver are now called "Sculptor Engravers" but all their work is on CAD design systems. (There is no "Engraver" which was a Presidential appointment. The title is honorary.) One or two of the older people do die touch-up such as was required on the 5-inch silver drink coasters. Now, I don't know.

Edited December 20, 2022 by RWB

[GoldFinger1969]

Since you brought up research and the NNP....do you know if the original Louis Froman (Buffalo) letter asking about gold exchanges was saved and is in the NNP ?  I know it was referenced by Mint higher-ups in 1933.

I'm wondering if there were other exchange letters sent in to the 3 Mints or if that isn't something that would have been saved and thus on the NNP.  Might be too niche.

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/19/2022 at 8:05 PM, RWB said:

A lot of job titles were changed in the late 1960s and 1970s. Mints no longer pay out over the counter nor accept deposits, so I presume the actual job vanished long ago...

There were lots of big banks in the cities where the Mints were.....why were they even doing pay-outs and accepting deposits if regular banks could do that ?  Why not just strike coins and give tours ?

[leeg]

Very Nice!

Much thanks for your efforts!

PS  I liked your article in the January 2023 The Numismatist.

Edited December 20, 2022 by leeg

[RWB]

On 12/20/2022 at 1:59 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Since you brought up research and the NNP....do you know if the original Louis Froman (Buffalo) letter asking about gold exchanges was saved and is in the NNP ?  I know it was referenced by Mint higher-ups in 1933.

It might be in the archives but not digitized. I estimate that about 1% of US Mint material has been digitized. The concentration is on material with the greatest potential information content.

[RWB]

On 12/20/2022 at 2:01 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

There were lots of big banks in the cities where the Mints were.....why were they even doing pay-outs and accepting deposits if regular banks could do that ?  Why not just strike coins and give tours ?

Because that was in their "job description." As long as gold could be brought to a mint for coinage, there had to be someone to accept it.

[RWB]

On 12/20/2022 at 9:05 AM, leeg said:

Very Nice!

Much thanks for your efforts!

PS  I liked your article in the January 2023 The Numismatist.

Haven't seen it yet. There's a 2nd part next month.

RG104 E-235 Vols 65-67 have considerable Columbia Expo and commemorative info. Vols 68-69, which I plan to scan this week are expected to have more. Entries 1, 6, 229 and 17 should also be checked.

Here's a letter from Entry 6:

Mint of the United States at Philadelphia

Superintendent’s Office

November 3, 1892

Hon. E. O. Leech,

Director of the Mint

 Sir:

            Many applications are made here for the new Columbian Half Dollars, and undoubtedly a great many of these pieces could be sold in this place.

            Do you see any impropriety in the Managers of the World’s Columbian Exposition making the Mint one of the agencies for the sale of these pieces, provided, of course, the same price per piece is charged?

            Returns would be made direct to the Managers of the Exposition.

            Very respectfully,

            Your obedient servant

            O. C. Bosbyshell, Superintendent

Edited December 20, 2022 by RWB

[RWB]

Member PhillyJoe posted this comment on the other side of the tracks. It will be of interest to those here. Also, there are specific project files relating to the coins PhillyJoe mentions and to foreign coins, medals, and other items. These are often very detailed and include the cost of production, quantities and other information. Only little bits have been digitized at Philadelphia or College Park.

Some of my favorite times were spent researching at the Philadelphia Archives. Here's one tidbit I found in my notes from my last visit (I was thinking of submitting an article to the Numismatist).

Another suggestion for the coin enthusiast would be examining the correspondence in any year where a coin design changed. You’ll enjoy the dialogue and controversy of the 1916, 1932 and even 1959 records as the Mint chooses a final design for the nickel, dime, half; the quarter and the reverse of the cent, respectively. Some information may only be available in these records, many of which are internal Mint correspondence. For example, as late as November 1958, there were a total of 23 drawings for the new reverse of the 1959 Lincoln cent. Just when the Mint thought they had an acceptable design, the Fine Arts Commission “suggested” that the presence of the thirteen stars and the words “Lincoln Memorial” made the coin “too busy”. The changes was made at the last minute. Great care was also taken, as evidenced by several letters, to insure that all 1958 reverse dies were accounted for and destroyed by December 31, 1958 prior to the new reverse being produced on January 2, 1959. The Mint Director and other senior management witnessed the destruction and signed a document attesting to the fact. This eliminates the possibility of a 1959 cent being stamped with the old style reverse, unless of course, you are the person who owns the 1959-D “Wheatie”.

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/20/2022 at 9:43 AM, RWB said:

It might be in the archives but not digitized. I estimate that about 1% of US Mint material has been digitized. The concentration is on material with the greatest potential information content.

Was that letter about the 1st 1933 DEs being struck on March 2nd that you found....in the archives solo or digitized ?  How did you find something like that ?  Did you do a keyword search under "Bartholomew" ??

[RWB]

On 12/20/2022 at 2:28 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Was that letter about the 1st 1933 DEs being struck on March 2nd that you found....in the archives solo or digitized ?  How did you find something like that ?  Did you do a keyword search under "Bartholomew" ??

The are no digital archives for this stuff, and certainly nothing with key words. I found it by following the trail of evidence to a nondescript folder. It helps to have a general idea of what subject you are looking for ("Double eagles" 1933, 1945, USSS, etc.), then you go in and start requesting boxes and volumes that come close to those subjects. Most results are useless on one things but might be good on another, so I copy almost everything.

[disme]

On 12/20/2022 at 1:59 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Since you brought up research and the NNP....do you know if the original Louis Froman (Buffalo) letter asking about gold exchanges was saved and is in the NNP ?  I know it was referenced by Mint higher-ups in 1933.

I'm wondering if there were other exchange letters sent in to the 3 Mints or if that isn't something that would have been saved and thus on the NNP.  Might be too niche.

The 1933 Froman letter was discovered in the DC archives in March 1996. It was first published in Numismatic News, issue of October 1, 2002. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by disme

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/20/2022 at 8:58 PM, RWB said:

The are no digital archives for this stuff, and certainly nothing with key words. I found it by following the trail of evidence to a nondescript folder. It helps to have a general idea of what subject you are looking for ("Double eagles" 1933, 1945, USSS, etc.), then you go in and start requesting boxes and volumes that come close to those subjects. Most results are useless on one things but might be good on another, so I copy almost everything.

Fascinating....I commend you on your dilligence.  Some of the stuff you find is really interesting...obscure but interesting ....and obviously that Bartholomew Letter which advanced the striking date by 13 days was CRITICAL. 

Just the fact that the other side didn't even know it while talking about their "spectacular record-keeping" shows they have egg on their face. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by GoldFinger1969

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/21/2022 at 10:26 AM, disme said:

The 1933 Froman letter was discovered in the DC archives in March 1996. It was first published in Numismatic News, issue of October 1, 2002. 

Awesome !!  Thanks, Disme ! 

Did it get any publicity when found in 1996 ?  Probably not, as the whole saga with the 1933 DEs hadn't started yet.

[RWB]

On 12/21/2022 at 10:36 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Just the fact that the other side didn't even know it while talking about their "spectacular record-keeping" shows they have egg on their face. 

Well....it really means that we did not have the records. They actually existed in 1945 but they were unknown to almost everyone -- and no one during the investigation knew to ask the Coiner or Asst Superintendent.

I first came across the letter (and others) in about 2007 or 2008. Bob Julian might have been the discoverer - his digging into the archives predates that of everyone today and his files are voluminous. The continued sequestration of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine (by Amos Media) is a major research impediment and (my opinion) a personal slap-in-the-face of Mr. J.

[disme]

On 12/21/2022 at 10:38 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Awesome !!  Thanks, Disme ! 

Did it get any publicity when found in 1996 ?  Probably not, as the whole saga with the 1933 DEs hadn't started yet.

I was asked by one of the attorneys to do research on the 33 DE; this was just after the arrests and seizure of the coin. The letters I found were kept confidential and were to be used at the planned trial where I was to be a witness. The trial was announced in December 2000 for January 2001. I called the attorney to find out what was going on and was told that the trial was going ahead as planned and he would call me if there were any questions. I replied that it was obvious that a settlement was underway which was denied. A settlement was then announced just before the trial was to start with the claim that it was a last-minute arrangement. Prior to that the Mint had asked one of our mutual friends (Harry Forman) to find out what I knew so that it could counter my testimony; Harry called to tell me and he thought it was funny. After the auction I was told by one of the defense attorneys that I could not publish what I had found (the Froman letter, for example) as I might be facing a lawsuit. I published anyway, in the Numismatic News noted above. Because of this dispute I was not involved when the Langbords found the 10 extra pieces. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by disme

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/21/2022 at 1:37 PM, RWB said:

The continued sequestration of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine (by Amos Media) is a major research impediment and (my opinion) a personal slap-in-the-face of Mr. J.

I'm unaware of this...NSM is not making their archives/copies of their magazine available to numismatists and/or researchers ?

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/21/2022 at 2:41 PM, disme said:

Prior to that the Mint had asked one of our mutual friends (Harry Forman) to find out what I knew so that it could counter my testimony; Harry called to tell me and he thought it was funny. 

Yeah, I saw postings by folks on other forums that they had Mint/Treasury investigators calling on their ex-wives, neighbors, co-workers, etc...for any dirt on them (them being folks who I believe were going to be called to testify or submit evidence on behalf of the Langbords).

On 12/21/2022 at 2:41 PM, disme said:

After the auction I was told by one of the defense attorneys that I could not publish what I had found (the Froman letter, for example) as I might be facing a lawsuit. I published anyway, in the Numismatic News noted above. Because of this dispute I was not involved when the Langbords found the 10 extra pieces. 

Why would YOU be facing a lawsuit -- for uncovering evidence that was already made public ?  I never heard of that.  Who would be suing you, the Mint/Treasury or the defense people ?  Unreal......

I am not a lawyer but it seems weird that something mentioned in a trial could not be published after the fact.  Unless the (defense attorneys/Langbords) considered it "their property."

Glad I didn't go to law school....

Edited December 21, 2022 by GoldFinger1969

[zadok]

On 12/21/2022 at 1:37 PM, RWB said:

Well....it really means that we did not have the records. They actually existed in 1945 but they were unknown to almost everyone -- and no one during the investigation knew to ask the Coiner or Asst Superintendent.

I first came across the letter (and others) in about 2007 or 2008. Bob Julian might have been the discoverer - his digging into the archives predates that of everyone today and his files are voluminous. The continued sequestration of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine (by Amos Media) is a major research impediment and (my opinion) a personal slap-in-the-face of Mr. J.

...Robert Julian was an excellent numismatic researcher, but hardly the first to research the archives...the archives were known by several researchers n accessed its just that many were there for their own research endeavors n not to publish their findings...i still have my Library of Congress n National Archives stacks access authorization card from the 1980s...n there were others there before me...most were interested in their own little niches of archival records n not broad spectrum....

[disme]

On 12/21/2022 at 3:13 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Yeah, I saw postings by folks on other forums that they had Mint/Treasury investigators calling on their ex-wives, neighbors, co-workers, etc...for any dirt on them (them being folks who I believe were going to be called to testify or submit evidence on behalf of the Langbords).

Why would YOU be facing a lawsuit -- for uncovering evidence that was already made public ?  I never heard of that.  Who would be suing you, the Mint/Treasury or the defense people ?  Unreal......

I am not a lawyer but it seems weird that something mentioned in a trial could not be published after the fact.  Unless the (defense attorneys/Langbords) considered it "their property."

Glad I didn't go to law school....

The material I found was not published at that time as it was being kept for use in the planned trial. The trial was never held because both sides were nervous about the outcome, hence the settlement of January 2001. The dispute with the attorney came after the 2002 auction. I had no dealings, direct or indirect, with the later Langbord trials.

[disme]

On 12/21/2022 at 5:36 PM, zadok said:

...Robert Julian was an excellent numismatic researcher, but hardly the first to research the archives...the archives were known by several researchers n accessed its just that many were there for their own research endeavors n not to publish their findings...i still have my Library of Congress n National Archives stacks access authorization card from the 1980s...n there were others there before me...most were interested in their own little niches of archival records n not broad spectrum....

Zadok is apparently unaware of those who used the archives in the earlier days. Walter Breen was the first, probably starting about 1951. Walter Thompson did limited research in the mid-1950s but this was cut short by his death in a fire. Don Taxay and I started about the same time, the late 1950s, and Ken Bressett was close behind, perhaps mid-1960s. 

[zadok]

On 12/22/2022 at 9:10 AM, disme said:

Zadok is apparently unaware of those who used the archives in the earlier days. Walter Breen was the first, probably starting about 1951. Walter Thompson did limited research in the mid-1950s but this was cut short by his death in a fire. Don Taxay and I started about the same time, the late 1950s, and Ken Bressett was close behind, perhaps mid-1960s. 

...am aware...knew walter, don, n ken...did not know thompson...i didnt actually do any serious research there until '80s...i was just pointing out that julian was not the first to access the archives as inferred by rwb....

[RWB]

Breen's actual research was limited. Dorothy Pascal did most of the work along with Taxay, The research was largely superficial, which Wally then filled in with conjecture and lies. Further, there was a strong tendency to pick-and-choose pieces supporting a specific opinion rather than allowing the materials to speak for themselves.

Julian is, in my opinion, the most attentive and reliable research source.

[zadok]

On 12/22/2022 at 10:03 AM, RWB said:

Breen's actual research was limited. Dorothy Pascal did most of the work along with Taxay, The research was largely superficial, which Wally then filled in with conjecture and lies. Further, there was a strong tendency to pick-and-choose pieces supporting a specific opinion rather than allowing the materials to speak for themselves.

Julian is, in my opinion, the most attentive and reliable research source.

...and yet he was able to find publishers....

[GoldFinger1969]

I guess the bottom line on Breen is he did some phenomenal work...but he also cut corners at other times....which means you don't know what was legit, what was questionable, and what was 100% made up.

[zadok]

On 12/22/2022 at 12:29 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I guess the bottom line on Breen is he did some phenomenal work...but he also cut corners at other times....which means you don't know what was legit, what was questionable, and what was 100% made up.

...accurate on all both counts...

[RWB]

Wally's associations with shysters and conmen, on whom he was financially dependent, readily corrupted his original research and work. It is an apt parallel to his personal ethics. His various "owners" of course saw to it that they did not die in prison, and were even respected by some. Today, there is incessant struggle to separate fact from his fiction - making everything he wrote suspect.

Edited December 23, 2022 by RWB

[GoldFinger1969]

On 12/22/2022 at 9:04 PM, RWB said:

Wally's associations with shysters and conmen, on whom he was financially dependent, readily corrupted his original research and work. 

Didn't he make a pretty good liviing from being a dealer, author, and probably some paid appearances ??

Edited December 23, 2022 by GoldFinger1969