Philadelphia History Quiz

Just a WAG...location of the First US Mint?

History lesson follows:

1792

(April, 02)
Congressional legislation creates a national mint "at the seat of the government of the United States," and regulates coinage. It authorizes the Mint to make coins of gold (Eagles, Half Eagles and Quarter Eagles), silver (Dollars, Half Dollars, Quarter Dollars, Dimes, and Half Dimes), and copper (Cents and Half Cents).

(April, 02)
The Act also authorizes the President to construct buildings in Philadelphia. (The Mint was the first Federal building erected under the Constitution). The Director's annual salary is set at $2,000. Annual salaries for the assayer and chief coiner will be $1,500; for the engraver and treasurer--$1,200; for clerks--$500; and "customary and reasonable" wages for workmen and servants according to their "respective stations and occupations".

(April, 13)
David Rittenhouse of Pennsylvania is appointed 1st Director of the Mint by President Washington.

(May, 08)
Congressional legislation authorizes the Director of the Mint to "contract for and purchase a quantity of copper, not exceeding one hundred and fifty tons... to be coined at the Mint into cents and Half Cents."

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1793

The first coins struck are " Half Dimes", believed to be made from silverware provided by George and Martha Washington. The first circulating coins are copper cents.


(January, 06)
A "Dog for the Yard" is purchased for $3 by the Mint as protection.

(January, 28)
President Washington appoints Henry Voigt as Chief Coiner.

(March, 03)
The first circulating coins--11,178 copper coins -- are delivered.

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1794

(April, 03)
President Washington appoints Henry William DeSaussure of South Carolina 2nd Director of the Mint. He serves the second shortest term, resigning in less than four months.

(April, 03)
President Washington nominates Albion Cox as first Assayer for the Mint. (Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate, Vol. I, p.149)


1795

(October, 10)
The first two women are employed in the Mint to work as adjusters.

(October, 28)
President Washington appoints Elias Boudinot of New Jersey 3rd Director of the Mint. He serves the 6th longest-term: 9 years and 9 months.


1797

The Mint in Philadelphia closes in the summer and autumn due to outbreaks of yellow fever.

I think this is about somebody's wife.

I think he prefers to let someone else take the win.

The woman who posed for the draped bust liberty image lived there.

IIRC, they were responsible for "adjustment marks" on coins.

If a planchet was overweight, a couple passes with a heavy file would fix the problem pretty quickly.

AM differ from other scratches in that they were parallel, and were softened by the striking process.

Hence the word "alleged." No proof even remains that Gilbert Stuart created the design; the claim was made by Stuart's family after his death. According to their family history, he washed his hands of the project when he saw how poorly Mint engraver Robert Scot had rendered his designs on the actual dies. Another layer of assumption is necessary to name Mrs. Bingham as the model, though she was in the right place at the right time, with the right face. In our era, her name was only first raised as a possible model in the book "The US Mint and Coinage" by Don Taxay in 1966. His theory has been put forward as fact a lot since, and I certainly don't want to continue that bad tradition.

You know, I have thought the same thing.