This week, the JR Newsletter brings LOTS of information to you. For starters, we are fortunate to have David Finkelstein sharing his findings on topics from the early US Mint.
Silver & Gold
Registers Of The First U. S. Mint
By David Finkelstein
In the 21st
century, if someone needs additional recurring information in one of their
business logs, the required number of columns would simply be added into their
Excel spreadsheet. In the 18th
century, adding recurring information into an existing business log usually
required the purchase of a new log book.
Whereas an Excel spreadsheet can have an unlimited number of columns, a
paper log book is usually limited to the number of columns that could be
handwritten on adjacent left and right pages.
The first
U. S. Mint utilized multiple log books.
When similar log books are analyzed, different handwriting styles can be
observed. This indicates that some of
the logs were maintained by different officers or clerks. Although partially redundant, these logs most
likely assisted in the quarterly balancing of the monies and precious metals
that moved throughout the Mint on a daily basis. Four similar log books that are stored at the
National Archives and Records Administration in Philadelphia are as follows:
1.
The
Register of Silver Deposits or “The
Register of Certificates of the Standard Weight of Silver Bullion, Deposited
For Coinage”,
2. The Register of Silver Bullion or “The Register of Silver Bullion Received
From Individuals and of Coins Paid at the Treasury of the Mint”,
3.
The
Register of Gold Deposits or “The
Register of Certificates of the Standard Weight of Gold Bullion, Deposited For
Coinage”, and
4.
The
Register of Gold Bullion or “The Register
of Gold Bullion Received From Individuals and Coins Paid at the Treasury of the
Mint”.
The Register
of Silver Deposits and The Register of Gold Deposits are one page logs. The Register of Silver Bullion and The
Register of Gold Bullion are two page logs.
Each book is 13 inches wide and 18 inches high. The columns in each book are as follows:
|
Column In Log Book
|
Register Silver Deposits
|
Register Silver Bullion
|
Register Gold Deposits
|
Register Gold Bullion
|
|
Date of
Certificate
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
By Whom
Deposited
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Gross
Weight (ozs, dwts, gr)
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Standard
Weight (ozs, dwts, gr)
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Value
(dollars, cts, m)
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
When
Deposited
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
When
Received
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
No.
Receipt
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
Description
of Bullion
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
Sums
Paid, Including Discounts
(dollars,
cts, m)
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
When Paid
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
Remarks
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
Figure 1
shows the entries in The Register of Gold Deposits for gold certificates 1
through 5. Figures 2 and 3 show the
corresponding entries in The Register of Gold Bullion. Note that the Value and Sums Paid columns are
in Dolls or Dollars, Cts. (or Cents) and m.
“m.” is the abbreviation for mil, mill or mille (depending on which country
you live in). 1 mille equals 1/1000. One cent equals 10/1000th
of a dollar or 10 milles or 10 m. A half cent equals 5/1000th of
a dollar or 5 milles or 5 m.
Figure 1 - The
Register of Gold Deposits – Certificates 1 – 5
Figure 2 - The
Register of Gold Bullion – Receipts 1 – 5: (Left Page)
Figure 3 - The
Register of Gold Bullion – Receipts 1 – 5: (Right Page)
Figure 4
shows an interesting entry made in the Register of Silver Deposits. It is for silver certificate number 57,
issued on June 19, 1797. The deposit was
valued at $300.00. The depositor was
Thomas Jefferson, Vice President of the United States.
Figure 4 - The Register
of Silver Deposits – Thomas Jefferson
There were
5 major phases required for the conversion of silver or gold bullion into
coins:
Deposit Bullion → Assay
→ Melt & Refine → Strike Coins → Return
Coins
The four
log books described in this article assist researchers in determining the
endpoints of the timeline for each bullion deposit and coin return. What about the phases that occurred
in-between? To be continued…
------
Next, John Okerson wrote with an inquiry concerning early quarters:
I would like to find a conversion table for Early Quarter
dollars from the numbering used by Robert Duphorne to the Browning standard in
use today. Duphorne published The Early Quarter Dollars of the United
States in 1975. Louis Scuderi wrote
about him in 2005 in JRCS Volume 18 Issue #2 of June 2007. Not long after that article both Steve
Tompkins and Rory Rea and all published new books on the same series.
Anyone having this information is requested to share it with
johnokerson(at)gmail.com or participate
in correlating the data in the books.
John
------
Don Stoebner asked a question:
Why no
participation at this upcoming EAC? I was told by an officer of EAC that
this was not decided by EAC. The joint meeting and information sharing
seemed to work rather well.I feel that the members of JRCS should be
given a good answer for this change.
Don S
------
Readers will likely recall that Rich Uhrich wrote to us recently to tell about an 1838-O half dollar that he purchased for inventory and is offering on his website ( Rich Uhrich Half Dollars ). Kevin Flynn wrote to announce a book on the topic of 1838-O half dollars:
The 1838-O Half Dollar, An Alignment of the
Stars, by Kevin Flynn and John Dannreuther is now available. 8-1/2 by 11, 100
pages, softcover only. The following is a summation of this incredible
variety.
To meet
the increasing demand for coinage for commerce, Congress authorized three new
mints in 1835. One of the chosen locations was in New Orleans, a city strategically located on the Mississippi River that would help in disbursing coinage throughout the south and
west. The Philadelphia Mint supplied equipment vital to coinage
production such as three steam powered coining presses, each of a different
size. David Bradford was hired as the Superintendent of the New Orleans
Mint with Tyler Rufus employed as the Coiner. Robert M. Patterson was the
Director of the Mint from 1835 through 1851.
The New
Orleans Mint opened in 1838 and in anticipation of commencing coin production,
on February 14th, Tyler requested working dies for the silver half-dime, dime, and half
dollar. Between April 9th and 11th, two sets of 1838 dated half-dime,
dime, and half dollar working dies were sent from Philadelphia to New
Orleans. All working dies sent were shipped in a softened state, and
required hardening and polishing at the New Orleans Mint. For the two
sets of half dollar working dies sent, one set had a false border while the
other did not. Both half dollar working dies required being put through a
lathe at the New Orleans Mint. Director Patterson was very conscientious
about theft of these working dies and their illegal use to strike coins.
All of these working dies were in a state that they could not have been used by
the Philadelphia Mint prior to shipping to strike coins at the Philadelphia
Mint. These dies were not sent to New Orleans especially prepared or intended to strike proof coins or to test
the design or alloy. As stated by Patterson, these working dies were the
same used in Philadelphia except for a mint mark added.
On May 8th, 1838, Tyler struck thirty dimes on the small coining press before having
mechanical problems. One specimen was sent to Director Patterson, ten
were put in a cornerstone of a new building, with the remainder being given out
as mementos. Additional dimes were struck up through July 1838.
Between August 2nd and November 1st, the New Orleans Mint was closed because of
yellow fever. Dimes and half-dimes were struck in December and the
beginning of January 1839.
On January 17th, 1839, Director Patterson stated that no time should be lost in getting
ready for the coinage of the half dollars. Between January 17th and the
end of January, Tyler was able to get the large coining press into operation to be used
for the half dollars. Tyler found that the half dollar working dies were too short to be held
in place by the screws. In order to test the large coining press, he
built a support system to raise the bottom working die to reach the
screws. He was able to strike ten "excellent impressions" from
a single set of 1838 dated half dollar working dies before the support system
was crushed. The time frame in which these ten 1838-O half dollars were
struck is based upon a letters from Rufus Tyler on February 25th and Superintendent
Bradford on March 7th. Bradford stated in his
letter that Tyler had struck a few half dollars in the middle of January on the
large press. No 1838-O half dollars were submitted to Philadelphia for the annual assay sent on January 17, 1839. The fields of these ten coins exhibit a brilliant surface
texture expected from a new pair of working dies. The striking
characteristics of the design elements and rims are very strong.
Between
February 26 and March 12, 1839, three pairs of
1839 dated half dollar dies were sent to the New Orleans Mint. Two sets
of these arrived on March 16th. On March 29th, Superintendent Bradford
stated that Tyler was able to get the half dollar coining press into operation and
commenced striking half dollars on March 27th. The reverse used for the
1838-O half dollars in late January 1839 was moved from the large coining press
to the half dollar coining press and used to strike 1839-O half dollars.
This reverse is found on ninety percent of the known 1839-O half dollars.
The key to
a second striking was found in the 1838-O half dollar in the Smithsonian
Institution collection. This specimen exhibited the latest die stage of
any of the nine known 1838-O half dollars. The fields on the reverse
display mirrored surfaces equal to the 1838 proof half dollar at the
Smithsonian. The striking characteristics of this coin were also stronger
than the 1838 proof half dollar. There are several 1839-O half dollars
that have been categorized as proof coins. Two or three of these coins
exhibited diagnostics that were later than any of the first eight known
specimens, but earlier than the 1838-O Smithsonian specimen. The 1838-O
Smithsonian half dollar also has stronger striking characteristics than the
1839-O half dollars that are called proofs. A conclusion can be made that
in late March 1839, Tyler was able to get the half dollar coining press into
operation. He first used an 1839 dated obverse with the reverse used for
the 1838-O half dollars and struck several half dollars. Tyler then
replaced the obverse with the 1838-O half dollar working die, increasing the
striking pressure and struck one or more 1838-O half dollars. He then
continued to strike 1839-O half dollars.
The two 1838-O half dollar
working die obverses were defaced on June 13, 1839.
A note allegedly from Rufus Tyler published in 1894 stated a specimen was given
to Alexander Bache and that not more than twenty specimens were struck.
Nine 1838-O half dollars are known to exist today, including one in the
Smithsonian Institution collection. Most likely, eleven to fifteen 1838-O
half dollars were struck with only one specimen known from the second
striking. The 1838-O Smithsonian half dollar should be classified as a
proof, whereas the remaining coins should be classified as specimen coins.
Price for the softcover is
$29.95. To order, send a check or money order to Kevin Flynn, P.O. Box 396 , Lumberton , NJ 08048.
Please include $5 for
media shipping or $10 for first class shipping. Please email me at
kevinjflynn88(at)yahoo.com to
reserve a copy. See other
books available at www.kevinjflynn.com
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