Home World & Ancient Coins Forum

1962 - US Mint refuses to strike Hati gold coins

RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

This might be of interest to collectors. I also have a copy of the original letter of proposal to the Mint and can post it if anyone wants to read it.

Comments

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Of course, modern Haitian gold coins started to appear in 1967 (IIRC, struck by an Italian firm called Italcambio). I wonder if it was the same promoters in 1962 and later?

  • mvs7mvs7 Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 9, 2018 1:55PM

    Thanks @RogerB - I'd love to see the original letter. Prior to this, and not including the Saudi Arabia £1 and £4 from the late 1940s, most of the last gold coins produced for a foreign countries were for Venezuela (1930), Costa Rica (1928), and Guatemala (1926)... the key being, of course, these were all before FDR's 1933 executive order. The only other exception is Syria in 1950... don't know what's up with that one.

  • carabonnaircarabonnair Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I imagine in 1962 the mint was also quite busy keeping up with US demand because of the "coin shortage"

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 9, 2018 3:27PM

    Here is the introductory letter. Another document, which I did not copy, refers to the same Italian company mentioned above.

    Folder --

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    RE: "The only other exception is Syria in 1950... don't know what's up with that one."

    I'll make a note to check for a project file next time I get to NARA. Was there today, but have much other work to complete before I can go back and 'graze' the dust bins. ;)

  • SaorAlbaSaorAlba Posts: 7,466 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have to wonder that one of the reasons for declining the proposal to strike the gold coins was that the US Mint or the Secret Service thought the coins would make it back into the USA similar to how the 1967 Canadian $20 coins with collectors buying them in Canada then bringing them back into the USA?

    In memory of my kitty Seryozha 14.2.1996 ~ 13.9.2016 and Shadow 3.4.2015 - 16.4.21
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 9, 2018 8:56PM

    Yes, that's correct. Other letters show that Howard and others at the Mint were going to refuse entry of the Hati gold into the US.

  • mvs7mvs7 Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Double-checked. The only gold coins manufactured for foreign countries after the 1933 Executive Order were for Saudi Arabia (1940s) and Syria (1950). These were the Syrian gold coins... one pound and half pound... same basic design. According to Altz/Barton Foreign Coins Struck at United States Mints, these were struck in 1951 even though dated 1950 (dual dated 1950AD - 1369AH). The only silver coins manufactured on behalf of Syria was three years earlier.

    @carabonnair - We did severely cut down on foreign production from the late 50s through the 60s. We had rolled off huge contracts for Cuba and the Dominican Republic (both ended after 1960) and paused production for a number of other countries until the late 60s (Liberia, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Philippines after 1963, etc.).

Sign In or Register to comment.