Photographing coins illegal at one time?

Scavenger

Up until 1951, photographing coins was just as illegal as photographing paper money. It could be done, but you had to have specific permission from the Chief of the Secret Service. That provision was removed for coins by the July 16, 1951 amendment to Title 18, section 489 of the U.S. Code. It is still illegal to make machine copies or photographs of U.S. currency except in certain specific sizes for educational purposes.

ricko

I did not know that about coins... thanks, Cheers, RickO

John737

I think I heard that a photograph of paper money had to be 150% of actual size, but I would not bet on it.

seemyauction

Anyone have an auction catalog that pre dates 1951?

Are there any coin photos in it?


AL

RWB

It was a bit more complicated...coins could be photographed without restriction. The photos could only be used for educational and technical displays. Neither photos nor drawings of coins could be reproduced in newspapers and magazines w/o approval from the treasury dept. However, they could be reproduced in numismatic publications or with a coin collector column in a newspaper. Practical application of the law on this vanished in 1938 when treasury gave newspapers permission (encouraged is a better word) to print photos of the Jefferson nickel designs.

Apparently, this law was supposed to discourage counterfeiting of coins and included prohibition on making casts of coins, too. But all a crook had to do was pull a coin from circulation. The net effect was to force newspaper to prepare confused written descriptions of new coin designs. Note the problems created for the Peace dollar when an incomplete description referring to a broken sword was released by the treasury department. The subsequent editorial and public outcry forced the mint to have engraver Morgan recut the reverse hub and remove the sword – he converted it to an olive branch and part of the eagle’s talons.

(See the footnotes in Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 for the regulation and its application to US coinage designs. Also, for Morgan’s work on the Peace dollar.)

firstmint

Another "strange-but-true" episode took place in 1897.

Samuel Hudson Chapman, the older brother of the two coin dealers in Philadelphia, took such excellent photographs for their auction sales, that the Secret Service, in their "wisdom" thought the images were too perfect to see print.

Consequently, they confiscated the glass negatives for the M A Brown sale, which took place on April 16, 1897. The ridiculous thing about this was that all of the illustrations in that sale were of Large Cents, which hadn't been minted for 40 years.

Yes, there are many illustrated coin auction catalogues. The first American one, with actual photographs, was produced in 1869.

BlindedByEgo

Thanks for the fascinating coin trivia. Sad that this has less replies than most First Spouse threads...

VicThrust

what if someone were to photograph and create large prints of classic coins today for signage, coin shop or collector walls - sort of a "Fat-
Head" kind of thing for coin collectors. Are there any issues with that today? I have the ability to do that and made one for myself and have a 28" morgan on the wall behind my desk in my office. It looks awesome.

RWB

Unlikely that anyone cares - Mint HQ has huge bas-reliefs of coins on its facade.

GFourDriver

I am still amazed at the amount of knowledge shared on this forum. Great thread.

firstmint

Heritage has several 10 foot tall St. Gaudens twenty dollar gold pieces on the side of the building they are in.

With the price of gold going crazy, they might want to take them down and store them so some idiot doesn't try to remove them.

pb2y

<< <i>Another "strange-but-true" episode took place in 1897. Samuel Hudson Chapman, the older brother of the two coin dealers in Philadelphia, took such excellent photographs for their auction sales, that the Secret Service, in their "wisdom" thought the images were too perfect to see print. Consequently, they confiscated the glass negatives for the M A Brown sale, which took place on April 16, 1897. The ridiculous thing about this was that all of the illustrations in that sale were of Large Cents, which hadn't been minted for 40 years. Yes, there are many illustrated coin auction catalogues. The first American one, with actual photographs, was produced in 1869. >>



Large cents were never legal money and could be refused by merchants.
They were accepted as return change only for nickels ect or for purchases
costing less than a nickel--- a one cent bag of hard candy for example.

VicThrust

If you could have the coin of your choice or your pic on your wall for $35.00 - would you buy?

ProofArtworkonCircs

Large cents may now be legal tender by the Thomas admendment of 1933 and subsequent acts.

PerryHall

<< <i>Large cents may now be legal tender by the Thomas admendment of 1933 and subsequent acts. >>



Coinage Act of 1965 made all coins produced by the United States legal tender.

pb2y

<< <i> Coinage Act of 1965 made all coins produced by the United States legal tender. >>




The Coinage Act of 1965 is another example of a knee jerk reaction by Congress.
This law was enacted to allow for the mintage of clad coinage but the words "all coins"
was regretfully included.
Would this include millions of coins minted for the Phillippines, one peso coins minted
for Mexico. Trade Dollars, pattern coins, Large Cents, ect, ect??--of course not. If the
question became a legal matter, lawyers would have no trouble proving the point.
Congressional nimwits were probably unaware such coins were minted in the US Mints
or that Large Cents were never legal money.