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Everyone know that good old George Morgan had one of the best known rare coin side business.
Everyone knows? This is news to me.
Several of the engravers had private sidelines producing medals. Some used mint equipment and some were made outside the mint. There were some people who made fantasies and restrike INSIDE the mint (and this happened before Morgan was employed by the mint.)
About the only coins made outside which are considered to be "official" Would be the 1792
Half Disme an disme, the 1795 Jefferson head cents, and the 1915 Panama-Pacicfic fifty dollar gold pieces. And maybe the 1850 US Assay Office $50 gold slugs.
The 1792 coins were struck in John Harpers basement because the Mint bulding did not exist yet. The 1795 Jefferson head cents were struck there as well by Harper in an attempt to convince a Mint and Congressional committee that he could produce cents for the government. (After the demonstration the dies and coins were taken by the government and Harper was reimbursed for his expenses)
The 1915 fifites were struck on US mint presses that had been transported to the exposition grounds. The coining was part of the Mints exhibit.
In 1851 Augustus Humbert was appointed US Assayer and was given authority to produce $50 gold pieces that would be accepted by the customs office. (All customs duties had to be paid in gold coin. There was a shortage of US gold coin and the office could not accept foreign gold coin. The US Assay office gold slug was a way around the problem.) It didn't solve all the problems though because smaller denominations were needed and the Assay office was only authorized to make $50 pieces. Humbert tried to get authorization to make smaller pieces but the government instead took over the opperation in 1854 and creaated the San Francisco Mint.
Posted 06/25/2015 02:01 am
