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JCH22
Posts: 256 ✭✭✭✭
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18
JCH22
Posts: 256 ✭✭✭✭
JCH22
Posts: 256 ✭✭✭✭
Comments
That was interesting to read.
Regarding the design work, I think the author is severely biased due to the fact that American coins did not have the King or Queen of England on them
He evidently does not like the concept of "Liberty" ?
Europeans were still reluctant to give up their leadership in the Arts by the 1850s but the reality is that we certainly had more talent in the United States in bank note engravers. Great Britain, France, and Germany were at the forefront of numismatic technology and art but we had some talented diesinkers here, too (mostly from Europe) and the designs are a matter of taste. And the diversity and artistic skill on our currency exceeded that of any European nation in 1853.
And our seated liberty designs, so prevalent in 1853, are an American version of Britannia, which, in turn, comes from classic Roman art, aren't they?
You still see dollar-notes, purporting to be issued by state and city banks; but, to all appearance, the circulating medium is to a very large extent, if not chiefly, in gold coins.
Not true, Mr. Chambers. Banks always had far more in paper currency on their balance sheets than gold, even in 1853. Gold was always scarce compared to paper. Below is a link to the conditions of US banks in 1853 which includes balance sheet information on just how much specie specific banks had on hand compared to paper currency. The first few pages (4-5) show six Maine banks. The healthier but small banks typically had a few thousand to the low 10,000s in specie on hand with amounts like $50,000-$100,000 in paper on hand. This was quite typical for banks during the obsolete note period. link
Then again there was a reason why Teddy Roosevelt pushed for a complete redesign of US coinage.
Very interesting read.
An interesting read, but it must be read in the context that almost all silver coinage disappeared in early 1853, and slowly reemerged in the new lighter form over the rest of the year. When did he visit?
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His itinerary and observations of gold in circulation makes some sense. The gold that DID circulate, did so in cities like New York and Boston while gold was very scarce in rural areas.
Then again there was a reason why Teddy Roosevelt pushed for a complete redesign of US coinage.
Taste changes. We liked the seated liberty (silver) and liberty head designs (gold) in the 1830s and continued to keep them for decades. The switch in 1892 to the Barber designs represented a simpler and cleaner design, more consistent with the Liberty gold coinage designs. Roosevelt didn't like them. Art nouveau followed by art deco were powerful new influences seen everywhere. Teddy was keeping up with the times. And numismatists generally are very positive about the new designs. They are among the favorites of collectors today-the Lincoln Cent, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime. Standing Liberty Quarter, Walking Liberty Half, Peace Dollar, Indian Head gold $2.5, $5 and $10 and St Gaudens $20.
Thank you.
we need some pics of the girls doing the coining please.
1903 photo but the mint hired it's first woman in 1795.
