By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek ….. #1. David Rittenhouse (April 1792 – June 1795) The term “polymath” is usually employed to describe the United States Mint’s first director, David Rittenhouse. He was a mathematician, a philosopher, an astronomer, a surveyor, a master clock maker, and a patriot. At all but the […]
The post Ten Notable US Mint Directors and What They Are Known For appeared first on CoinWeek.
The suspension of silver dollar production was lifted in 1831 under United States Mint Director Samuel Moore, enabling the resumption of the mintage of a coin not made in this country since 1804. It wasn’t until 1835 however, under Mint Director Robert M. Patterson, that efforts to actually produce the coin moved forward. The dollar […]
The post United States Dollars – Gobrecht Dollar 1836-1839 appeared first on CoinWeek.
By Dan Duncan – Pinnacle Rarities …… In discussions of our nation’s coinage, the use of a female allegory for Liberty dates back to the earliest days of our Independence, pre-dating the foundation of the United States Mint. In 1785, copper patterns were created using designs suggested by the early Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris. […]
The post Lady Liberty: The Allegory of a Nation appeared first on CoinWeek.
By Dan Duncan – Pinnacle-Rarities …… Description The 1861 half dollars from the New Orleans Mint have the distinction of being the only issue in U.S. numismatics struck under the authority of three different authorities. At the time, all working dies were prepared in Philadelphia and distributed to the branch mints as no tooling or […]
The post United States 1861-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar appeared first on CoinWeek.
Chief Engraver William Kneass suffered a stroke before he could finalize the design for the Seated Liberty motif, which replaced the Capped Bust design on U.S. silver coinage in the late 1830s. The talented Christian Gobrecht took over the project and completed the design, based on earlier contributions from Kneass, Thomas Sully, and Titian Peale. […]
The post Heritage Auctions – Seldom Seen Selections: Gem Proof 1837 No Stars Dime appeared first on CoinWeek.
By James McCartney, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stack’s Bowers ….. The No Stars Liberty Seated dimes of 1837 and 1838 are often considered Gobrecht’s little masterpieces. Uncluttered by stars on either side, Liberty sits majestically at center, placed upon a perfectly sized canvas that allows appreciation of the obverse motif without being distracted by the […]
The post Gem 1838-O No Stars Dime at November 2016 Baltimore Rarities Night Auction appeared first on CoinWeek.