When Presidents visited the early Philadelphia Mint
RogerB
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This little letter to President Tyler offers insight into visits made by US Presidents to the Philadelphia Mint.
"Mint of the U.S.
May 29, 1843
Hon. John Tyler.
President of the United States
Sir,
As you are about to honor Philadelphia with a visit, on your way to Boston, I have to beg that among the objects of your attention the Mint may not be forgotten.
While Gen. Washington was President, he took great interest in this institution, and visited it frequently. No other President has done us this honor, except Mr. John Quincy Adams, who came to the Old Mint on one occasion, quite privately. When Presidents Monroe, Jackson and Van Buren, in regard their transits through this City, they were not brought to the Mint, and no President has seen it in its present situation and with its improved machinery.
I therefore most respectfully do solicit that this honor may be done to us on the present occasion.
I am, Sir, with the greatest respect,
Your faithful servant
R. M. P."
Comments
I like the penmanship.
Notice the anti-clockwise flourish on "d" in "and"
Also the "t", when it's the last letter in a word, doesn't get crossed.
Older folks were still using quills in 1843 but most started switching to steel nibs starting about 1810.
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That was nice invite and “dime dropping” of the other Presidents. LOL
It is escaping me but who is RMP?
Unsure of the etiquette. Why would you sign with all initials when writing to the President? Seems informal.
The "no President has seen it in its present situation and with its improved machinery" remark probably refers to the fact that Washington visited the first Mint building near 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, but by 1843, the Mint was housed in a Greek revival-style building near Chestnut and Juniper Streets maybe a half mile away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Mint
This is the draft copy kept in the mint archives; the sent letter would have
been carefully written and signed. RMP was Dr. R.M. Patterson, the mint
director from 1835 to 1851. Patterson overlooked the visit of President
James Monroe on June 7, 1817.
Thanks @denga for the clarification.
Director Robert Maskell Patterson's statement was made 46 years after President Washington's second term was over. Was there any evidence, other than oral history, that President Washington made frequent visits to the Mint?
There was one recorded formal invite of President Washington to the Mint, mentioned in the books "Secret History of the First US Mint" and "1792: Birth of a Nation's Coinage."
Cool letter!
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Probably no evidence, but it would have been convenient with the Capital temporarily in Philadelphia.
What else was there to do in Philadelphia???
So....did President Tyler make that visit?
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@CaptHenway said:
No doubt IMO that President Washington made some unrecorded, drop-in Mint visits. Possibly even President Adams until his office moved to DC. Just wondering if President Washington's visits were one or two, occasional, frequent, or as Director Snowden claimed almost daily.
Denga makes an especially good research point. Most of the letters sent by mint officers are either copies or drafts. The originals, such as letters by the Director to Thomas Jefferson, or this one to President Tyler, are preserved in the recipients' archives. The various deletions, insertions and text adjustments, however, sometime offer insights into the sender's thinking and occasionally into issues the sender decided not to mention.
Couple things going on here.
The first Mint was a dump. You see little mention of it in contemporary literature. That all changes in 1829 with the new building. All of the sudden everyone puts it in their "top ten list of things to see in Philadelphia" list, and it starts showing up in engravings of Philadelphia city scenes. If you are the mayor of Philadelphia you do not take the President to the first Mint. But they were quite proud of the second Mint building.
RMP's observation that GW visited the Mint frequently is without doubt oral history that RMP heard from Adam Eckfeldt, chief coiner until 1839, who maintained an office in the Mint afterwards. As Nysoto notes there is no contemporary proof of a GW visit although we know one invitation was extended. The significance of this letter is that it puts this oral history as early as 1843, which is of higher value than all the GW-related claims coming out of the Mint in the 1860s. Naturally we'd like to get it back further than 1843 but this is a good find.
A check of contemporary Philadelphia newspapers shows the President in the city and attending various ceremonies, but do not mention the US Mint. I checked June 9-11, 1843. Tyler left for Trenton NJ on the 11th.
(The Mint prepared a silver medal with the visitation date of June 10. Has it survived?)
It was reported recently that President Tyler's grandsons are still living (this is what happens when successive generations wait until their 80s to father children). Perhaps they have it?
The President did in fact visit the Mint on June 10. The following earlier
letter indicates that the President would visit if possible on the 10th and
also mentions the medal to be struck for the visit.
Yes, the above letter mentions the 10th as the date of visit, "...if he can possibly do so." This date is also mentioned in earlier correspondence as Patterson tried to get the Committee on Arrangements to support a Mint visit.
[Letter Transcription]
"War Department
June 6, 1843
Dr. Robert Patterson
Director of the Mint
Philadelphia
Dear Sir,
Your letter addressed to the Hon. James M. Porter, Secretary of War, was duly received. An
answer has been delayed in consequence of the absence of the president, who returned but yesterday.
I am directed by his Excellency the President to say that he will arrive in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon. As to engagements in that city, he can say naught. If it will be in his power to visit the Mint, he will do so with pleasure, but how his time is to be occupied, he cannot tell until his arrival.
I would therefore respectfully recommend to you to have the medal, which you speak of, dated on Saturday the 10th, as that will be the day on which he visits the Mint, if he possibly can do so.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant
Samuel Humes Porter,
Acting Secretary of War"
However, there does not appear to be any US Mint follow-up correspondence, accounting for the medal's cost, or newspaper mention - which seems strange giving the importance placed on the visit by Patterson, and the detailed descriptions in newspapers.
Denga, do you have additional information confirming that the visit took place?
Yes. The following is a part of a draft (file copy) letter addressed by
Dr. Patterson to Treasury Secretary John C. Spencer:
This is good. Detective researchers.
I understand that making larger gold coins makes them easier to export, because they are easier to count, but I strongly suspect that in the absence of larger gold coins the smaller ones would be exported in their place.
MOO
TD
Thanks for posting. You would think the prez I would at least stop by if in town. They were minting gold and silver for goodness sake.
[Text of letter posted by Denga:]
"Mint of the United States
July 11, 1843
Hon. John C. Spencer,
Secretary of the Treasury
Sir,
During your late visit to the Mint in company with the President, you did me the honor to ask my opinion as to the importance of confining our gold coinage as much as possible to quarter eagles, with a view to prevent the exportations on American gold coins.
I felt that the question was one to be decided by facts, and I accordingly addressed a letter of inquiry to three different persons whom I believed to be fully possessed of the information desired. Of this letter, and the answers received, I now send you the enclosed copies.
This communication has been kept back from a desire that it should accompany my report of coinage for June but I have thought a further delay improprietous. In the monthly report you will see that your instructions as to the coinage of quarter eagles have been followed as far as practicable.
Etc….
R.M.P.,
Director
Copies sent of my letter of June 15th to Charles Macalester [international shipping merchant, Philadelphia], Geo. Newbold [President, Bank of America, NYC], and Geo. W. Beebee [Ludlow, Beebee & Co., bullion and specie exchange]; and of their answers received June 15, 16 and 17."
Great historical letters.... I love reading these... and I like the fact that I can read cursive
I wonder how future generations will be able to read these old documents... May have to get old retired guys and gals and pay them well.... 
Cheers, RickO
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