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How would you like to find this little "bonus" in your Philadelphia Mint pay envelope?

RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

In 1869 James Pollock had just been appointed Director of the Mint to succeed Henry Linderman. Pollock decided to make some staffing adjustments.

Comments

  • JBKJBK Posts: 14,637 ✭✭✭✭✭

    :o

  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    GrandAm :)
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow... devastating news for people at that time....Cheers, RickO

  • tyler267tyler267 Posts: 1,233 ✭✭✭✭

    @GRANDAM said:
    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    I have been reading these since RogerB started posting them, I always have a hard time with handwriting. Handwriting styles must have changed over the years and I'm sure they could read them fine back when these were written.

  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,454 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • CoinstartledCoinstartled Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 27, 2018 10:55AM

    Tough to read...he should have fired up the Gutenberg.

  • ACopACop Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 27, 2018 11:19AM

    All the clerks and employees of the mint, male or female who have been appointed by the directors since October 1st 1866 (except those requested to remain) are hereby notified that their services from this day are no longer required in the U.S Mint

  • tyler267tyler267 Posts: 1,233 ✭✭✭✭

    @ACop said:
    All the clerks and employees of the mint, male or female who have been appointed by the directors since October 1st 1866 (except those requested to remain) are hereby notified that their services from this day are no longer required in the U.S Mint

    Thanks

  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,946 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sounds like a pretty big purge for some reason.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,208 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FadeToBlack said:
    Cleaning house of the people appointed by Jackson? Lol

    You mean Johnson?

  • CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @tyler267 said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    I have been reading these since RogerB started posting them, I always have a hard time with handwriting. Handwriting styles must have changed over the years and I'm sure they could read them fine back when these were written.

    In 50yrs only specialized historians will be able to read ANY form of cursive..

    The more you VAM..
  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,640 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Smudge said:

    @FadeToBlack said:
    Cleaning house of the people appointed by Jackson? Lol

    You mean Johnson?

    All Mint employees hired since October 1866 were Johnson deep state operatives.

  • tyler267tyler267 Posts: 1,233 ✭✭✭✭

    @CascadeChris said:

    @tyler267 said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    I have been reading these since RogerB started posting them, I always have a hard time with handwriting. Handwriting styles must have changed over the years and I'm sure they could read them fine back when these were written.

    In 50yrs only specialized historians will be able to read ANY form of cursive..

    @CascadeChris said:

    @tyler267 said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    I have been reading these since RogerB started posting them, I always have a hard time with handwriting. Handwriting styles must have changed over the years and I'm sure they could read them fine back when these were written.

    In 50yrs only specialized historians will be able to read ANY form of cursive..

    I think you're right, I have heard cursive has been removed from most school curriculums and kids are only being taught how to print, or type on a computer.

    It's a shame because cursive can be beautiful (although a little hard to read) as evidenced by these mint documents RogerB has been kind enough to share with us.

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,208 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FadeToBlack said:

    @Smudge said:

    @FadeToBlack said:
    Cleaning house of the people appointed by Jackson? Lol

    You mean Johnson?

    Yeah sorry lol. Was in the middle of explaining about Andrew Jackson to my wife so it was on my mind.

    That's ok my wife would not be interested.

  • lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 7,738 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow... I suppose it could have been worse. It could be dated Dec. 24th instead of May 1...

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • thefinnthefinn Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FadeToBlack said:
    Cleaning house of the people appointed by Jackson? Lol

    Jackson had been long dead. This is for people hired SINCE October 1st 1866. You must have meant JOHNSON.

    thefinn
  • thefinnthefinn Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FadeToBlack said:

    @thefinn said:

    @FadeToBlack said:
    Cleaning house of the people appointed by Jackson? Lol

    Jackson had been long dead. This is for people hired SINCE October 1st 1866. You must have meant JOHNSON.

    Keep reading. ;)

    I always do. That's how I knew it was Johnson.

    thefinn
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pollock had previously resigned under Johnson's administration...see the earlier post with his resignation letter. He was reappointed by President Grant when Linderman resigned to go into the stock broker business. But Linderman continued to do special assignments for the Mint Bureau and Treasury.

  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,400 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ACop said:
    All the clerks and employees of the mint, male or female who have been appointed by the directors since October 1st 1866 (except those requested to remain) are hereby notified that their services from this day are no longer required in the U.S Mint

    GEEZE.............seems like no one cared much back then.

    This makes my heart sad.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well, I'm sure they all received 2 weeks pay for every year of service and 6 month of assistance in finding a new posisition.

  • OnastoneOnastone Posts: 3,765 ✭✭✭✭✭

    So some were requested to stay. What a way to clean house. You'd figure you'd be pretty safe at a job after three years.....

    What were they minting at that time?? Hmmmm, Indian Head Cents, Two Cent Shield Cents, a Silver Trimes Three Cent Piece, a Copper/Nickel Three-Cent Nickel, Shield Nickels, Liberty Seated (Dimes, Quarters, Half Dollars, and Silver Dollars), then the gold...Indian Princess Head Dollars and Three Dollar coins, Liberty Head Quarter Eagles (2.50) and Half Eagles (5.00) and Gold Eagles (10.00) and Double Eagle (20.00). The Civil War had just ended, people were hoarding silver and gold coins, the largest coins being used for transactions were the new 3 cent nickel (which could buy a first class stamp), and Mint Director James Pollock gave birth to the five cent nickel in a move to help get rid of fractional currency.

  • OldhoopsterOldhoopster Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CascadeChris said:

    @tyler267 said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    I find the handwriting hard to read but it seems they got canned?

    I have been reading these since RogerB started posting them, I always have a hard time with handwriting. Handwriting styles must have changed over the years and I'm sure they could read them fine back when these were written.

    In 50yrs only specialized historians will be able to read ANY form of cursive..

    Like trying to decipher Old German lettering on Notgeld and Weimar Inflationary notes. It’s hard enough for me to do the translation without having to guess at the letters. FWIW: I only had a few minor slow downs when reading the Pollock note. I guess elementary school was useful for something, although I haven’t used cursive in over 35 years

    Member of the ANA since 1982
  • RittenhouseRittenhouse Posts: 565 ✭✭✭

    @Coinstartled said:
    Tough to read...he should have fired up the Gutenberg.

    If you think that's bad, try reading Director Samuel Moore's writing. It usually takes me two or three days of reviewing various letters to get myself adjusted to the point where I can make out most of the words. Here's an example, and this is one of his more legible ones.


  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,427 ✭✭✭✭✭

    In the days before Civil Service, that's how it worked. When there was a change in the party in the White House, a lot of people lost their jobs whether they deserved to lose them or not.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,284 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not a "bonus"

    I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment

  • BarberianBarberian Posts: 2,977 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very easy to read. Are teachers not teaching cursive writing in school these days?

    3 rim nicks away from Good
  • BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,284 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Barberian said:
    Very easy to read. Are teachers not teaching cursive writing in school these days?

    No, actually, in many schools, including those around me in Washington State, it has been removed from the curriculum for awhile now. They have replaced it with certain other things though....such as gender identity and other things they feel are more important for grade schoolers to learn about.

    I'm not even getting political about this.....I feel that, removing certain things such as cursive writing, is a huge negative as future generations will have difficulties with reading historical documents.

    I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment

  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 11,865 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The writing of the day had such a great style! I can honestly say that I don't "write" anything...it's mainly printed, but has some exaggerated strokes on certain letters and falls short on others.

    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

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  • JBKJBK Posts: 14,637 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is that piece of paper what each person received, or is this a master copy that was turned into a printed announcement?

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 30, 2018 10:34AM

    @JBK said:
    Is that piece of paper what each person received, or is this a master copy that was turned into a printed announcement?

    I don't know. The pictured item is a signed original, but it is sitting alone in the archive box and not oversized. It might have been placed in pay envelopes as well as posted on a general notice board. So far I've found no related correspondence - but others might have.

    It is in Box 084 in the last 1/4 of the letters (about PDF page #500 if you look on-line at NNP. It is preceded in the box by a bunch of letters written appointing people to various positions. The letters are in the same blue-purple ink - which is an odd color for Mint documents (they are usually in black or red - accountant-style).

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