Back when coins were not necessarily money. (Or - we make 'em but you can't spend 'em.)
RogerB
Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
Mint Director Patterson offers a simple solution to an excess of copper cents.
Mint of the United States
July 28, 1843
Hon. John C. Stephens [sic - Spencer]
Secretary of the Treasury
Sir,
The cent forwarded to you from Rockland County, N.Y., by Mr. A. P. Stephens, is perfectly genuine.
Mr. Stephens observes that “the country is inundated by them.” If this is any where carried so far as to be an annoyance, the remedy is simple: in as much as copper coins are not a legal tender in payment, and may be refused.
Very respectfully,
Your faithful servant,
R.M. Patterson. Director
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Comments
@RogerB ...That letter raises more questions than answers. Is the cent in question not a mint product? And if the Mint was producing copper coins, why would they not be legal tender? Please enlighten me... Cheers, RickO
Is this because only silver and gold were considered money?
Collector, occasional seller
Had they only known that the "money" would be scrap metal someday.
Mr. A. P. Stephens:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7591271/abraham-p.-stephens
I think there may be an error in the above letter.
In 1843 the Secretary of the Treasury was John Canfield Spencer,
who resigned in 1844 and had previously been the Secretary
of War of the U.S. from 1841 to 1843 and the Secretary of State
of New York from 1839 to 1841.
R.I.P. Bear
Either the modern transcription of the letter accidentally repeated the name "Stephens" mentioned in the letter as the recipient, or the clerk who wrote the original letter did.
Here's the addressee:
.
I corrected the transcription, as above. Thanks, LoveMyLiberty!
IIRC copper was legal tender only up to a certain amount.
Also, note that this letter may simply reflect local conditions in part of NY.
It's kind of like saying you don't believe in global warming because it is really cold today where you are.