Guess who lived at the Philadelphia Mint from 1830 to 1836? - Hint: his first name was Peter
1630Boston
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Mezzanine displays include the stuffed American bald eagle, Peter, who lived at the Philadelphia Mint circa 1830 to 1836 and was let out each night to fly around the city of Philadelphia. Peter died when one of his wings was irreparably damaged after being caught in the flywheel of a coinage press on which he had perched.
Peter is said to have been Engraver Christian Gobrecht's model for the silver dollars from 1836 through 1839.
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from The E-Sylum (9/9/2012) via the NNP
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Yes, I saw Peter when I visited the Mint many years ago. Very cool part of Mint history and trivia.
I have today learned two things here on the forum. Did not know an eagle lived at the mint. Cheers, RickO
@1630Boston interesting info thanks for sharing
"Peter" immortalized in silver.
And what was the other, if I may ask?
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good grief, nice coin, is there anything you don't have, Bill?
@1630Boston.... I learned there was a Barbie medal.... Had to go back and look for that one, between meds and age, memory is short.
Cheers, RickO
Thanks for the story.
I had no idea that my "namesake" was that popular, or ever existed for that matter.
Pete
I don’t have a California gold slug or much of any territorial gold. I have shopped for one, but every time I found the “right one,” it was too expensive or my finances were not in the right position to swing it.
I also don’t have an 1802 half dime. That’s last one I need to finish my set. A dealer offered one for over a year. It would have worked preservation wise, but the price was too high. I “tire kicked it” but he wouldn’t budge. Finally it was sold at auction and went for about what I thought it was worth. The difference was a bit more than $20,000, so it was “real money.” Once more my budget was not in the right spot.
I love Peter the Mint Bird!
Peter the Mint Bird:
Peter the Bald Eagle was famous in life and immortalized after death. While still alive he was the unofficial mascot of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, having simply flown into the building one day and deciding to hang around.
This went on for six years in the 1830s. Peter then unwisely decided to perch on the flywheel of a coining press; it caught his wing, crippled him, and he died. The mint had Peter stuffed -- he was a good-looking bird -- and for years its engravers used his body as a convenient model whenever they had to put a bald eagle on a new U.S. coin.
Millions of Americans have carried Peter in their pockets, and he's still an attraction nearly 200 years after his awkward death.
Another thing to do, cool 😎