Another Philadelphia Coinage History Quiz

^ that was my first thought. But he was from Boston?

Ben Franklin....Printer

Clocks.

The Ben Franklin House, and his nearby printshop, are a well-preserved tourist site on Market Street. Not sure where Mint Director David Rittenhouse lived (hmm... maybe future quiz?), but Rittenhouse Square is at 18th and Walnut.

Darn... That basement was going to be the site of my next quiz. Maybe I'll just post a picture of the place in a non-quiz format.

Very close! The artisan in question also had a banknote engraving operation, that may originally incorporated at this address. When he sold it in 1810, it became the firm of Murray, Draper, Fairman &Co. When he was working at this location, though, his product was going seven blocks west, to the original US Mint.

It was actually John Reich's boss, the man who drive Reich to quit after ten years without getting a raise or promotion.

Ding ding ding!
Robert Scot indeed, and he was indeed a jerk. Personally, I think he wasn't so jealous of Reich's talent, as jealously guarding his own job as Chief Engraver, which he kept until the day he died, by sabotaging anyone who came along who had talent and promise. Still, the first dies for the Flowing Hair and Draped Bust coins and the early Capped Bust gold coinage, were probably made right here at his workshop at Front and Vine. Makes me wonder how such beautiful designs could have been executed by someone so petty and mean, by all accounts. Maybe it's the artistic temperament; great works don't always come from the nicest people. The other possibility is that he was taking credit for others creativity.