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Anyone heard of the Confederate States Mint???
Julio
Posts: 2,501 ✭
FLORENCE - The company that will put the likeness of Strom Thurmond's daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, on a commemorative coin is the Confederate States Mint.
The irony of a mint with the Confederate name producing a coin honoring Washington-Williams, who revealed last December she was the out-of-wedlock child of a man who spent much of his political career fighting integration, is not lost on the company's owner, Florence businessman Gene Brown.
"I think that's actually going to make the coin more valuable," said Brown, who owns the mint with Thurmond relative Bruce Elrod.
The mint was the old Confederate Mint in Ridgeway.
Brown said Washington-Williams' choice "also goes to show the open-mindedness of Essie. She doesn't need anyone to tell her about the history of racism in the South. She's lived it."
Washington-Williams entered the agreement with Confederate States Mint this year.
The company produces commemorative coins to be sold as fund-raisers. "I liked the idea that Bruce was trying to breathe some life back into this old historic mint and that he was bringing some attention to history," Brown said.
Elrod is cousin to Strom Thurmond Jr. and thus related to the late senator's daughter.
"Essie came to me because I keep the Thurmond genealogy," Elrod said. "I've been putting together her genealogy for her, and we got to talking about being related." Elrod said the idea for the coin grew from there. Elrod's newly found cousin agreed to donate part of her proceeds from the coin sales to the Essie Mae Washington-Williams Foundation that provides scholarship money to deserving college students.
There will be one ounce gold, silver and bronze coins.
They will have Washington-Williams' likeness on one side and a palmetto tree on the other.
Brown said the coins - bronze is $20, silver is $39 and gold is $575 - are worth the cost to collectors because of the historical significance.
Edited for spelling in title.
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TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: CSA; DAUGHTER; HISTORY; MINT; STROM; THURMOND
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The irony of a mint with the Confederate name producing a coin honoring Washington-Williams, who revealed last December she was the out-of-wedlock child of a man who spent much of his political career fighting integration, is not lost on the company's owner, Florence businessman Gene Brown.
"I think that's actually going to make the coin more valuable," said Brown, who owns the mint with Thurmond relative Bruce Elrod.
The mint was the old Confederate Mint in Ridgeway.
Brown said Washington-Williams' choice "also goes to show the open-mindedness of Essie. She doesn't need anyone to tell her about the history of racism in the South. She's lived it."
Washington-Williams entered the agreement with Confederate States Mint this year.
The company produces commemorative coins to be sold as fund-raisers. "I liked the idea that Bruce was trying to breathe some life back into this old historic mint and that he was bringing some attention to history," Brown said.
Elrod is cousin to Strom Thurmond Jr. and thus related to the late senator's daughter.
"Essie came to me because I keep the Thurmond genealogy," Elrod said. "I've been putting together her genealogy for her, and we got to talking about being related." Elrod said the idea for the coin grew from there. Elrod's newly found cousin agreed to donate part of her proceeds from the coin sales to the Essie Mae Washington-Williams Foundation that provides scholarship money to deserving college students.
There will be one ounce gold, silver and bronze coins.
They will have Washington-Williams' likeness on one side and a palmetto tree on the other.
Brown said the coins - bronze is $20, silver is $39 and gold is $575 - are worth the cost to collectors because of the historical significance.
Edited for spelling in title.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: CSA; DAUGHTER; HISTORY; MINT; STROM; THURMOND
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Comments
Will’sProoflikes
Edited to add: This is my first link, I learned how to do it from a thread the other night. Just wanted to pat myself on the back.
Will’sProoflikes
PS. Sweetwilliet, I think I got the linky thing down. Thanks to you and whomever taught you. jws
TD
Excellent point. jws
Brown said the coins - bronze is $20, silver is $39 and gold is $575 - are worth the cost to collectors because of the historical significance.
And what historical significance would that be?
Obscurum per obscurius
I dunno what the value would be in any of these coins? "If the confederate states minted a coin, it would look like this"
Sure, whatever you say.
I would not waste money with these guys, not when real coins and collectibles that are attractive and valuable can be had elsewhere.