Coins, Currency, and Medals

The museum possesses one of the largest and most diverse numismatic collections in the world. Its diverse holdings represent every inhabited continent and span more than three millennia. The collection includes coins, paper money, medals, tokens, commodity and alternative currencies, coin dies, printing plates, scales and weights, financial documents and apparatuses, credit cards, and objects that reflect established and emerging digital monetary technologies worldwide.

One (1) 10 dollar coinUnited States, 1830Obverse Image: N/AObverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD / 1830Reverse Image: N/AReverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER / TEN DOLLARSBefore the famous California gold rush, several important strikes were made in the East: in North Carolina, South Caroli
Description (Brief)
One (1) 10 dollar coin
United States, 1830
Obverse Image: N/A
Obverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD / 1830
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER / TEN DOLLARS
Description
Before the famous California gold rush, several important strikes were made in the East: in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The earliest took place in Mecklenburg County, N.C., in 1799, where a nugget weighing several pounds was discovered. Its finder used it as a doorstop until someone recognized it for what it was! Discoveries multiplied, and a federal branch Mint was eventually set up in Charlotte to process the metal into coinage.
Discoveries in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1820s received wide publicity, and a "gold fever" resulted. Thousands of people began trekking to the areas in search of instant wealth. Most returned home empty-handed, but successful prospectors found millions of dollars' worth of precious metal.
What should they do with their new wealth? Many felt the Philadelphia Mint was too far away for safe travel, and the government wasn't ready to create other coining facilities. A jack-of-all-trades named Templeton Reid had an answer: strike private gold coins, at a private mint. Reid had extensive experience as a watchmaker, gunsmith, and metalworker. In July 1830, he set up shop in the Georgia hamlet of Milledgeville and began his brief career as private moneyer-the first since Ephraim Brasher.
He later moved to Gainesville, which was closer to the gold mining district. His coins came in three denominations: ten dollars, five dollars, and two and one-half dollars, in recognition of "official" denominations. And he put slightly more gold into his products than the federal government did into its coins, just to be on the safe side.
Although historians believe that Templeton Reid conducted business fairly, an unknown adversary, signing himself simply "no assayer," published several notices in newspapers complaining that the coins were not as represented.
Rumors spread and before long Reid was forced to close up the business.
date made
1830
maker
Reid, Templeton
ID Number
NU.68.159.1185
accession number
283645
catalog number
68.159.1185
This coin is one of the type sent to the United States at James Smithson's bequest for the creation of the Smithsonian Institution.
Description
This coin is one of the type sent to the United States at James Smithson's bequest for the creation of the Smithsonian Institution. James Smithson was born in 1765 as the illegitimate son of Sir Hugh Smithson, later known as Sir Hugh Percy, Baronet, 1st Duke of Northumberland, K.G., and Elizabeth Hungerford Keate.
Elizabeth Keate had been married to James Macie, and so Smithson first bore the name of James Lewis Macie. His mother later married Mark Dickinson, by whom she had another son. When she died in 1800, he and his half-brother inherited a sizable estate. He changed his name at this time from "Macie" to "Smithson."
James Smithson died June 27, 1829, in Genoa, Italy. His will left his fortune to his nephew, son of his half-brother, but stipulated that if that nephew died without children (legitimate or illegitimate), the money should go "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men."
The nephew, Henry Hungerford Dickinson, died without heirs in 1835, and Smithson's bequest was accepted in 1836 by the United States Congress. Smithson never visited the United States, and the reason for his generous bequest is unknown. The gift was the foundation grant for the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithson bequest consisted of 104,960 gold sovereigns. Presumably they all bore the head of the new Queen Victoria, who had acceded to the throne in 1837.
The United States insisted on new sovereigns rather than circulated ones for a very practical reason: the United States would get more gold that way. The U.S. Mint subsequently melted these coins down to reuse the gold.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1838
ruler
Victoria Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India
maker
American Type Founders Company
Great Britain
ID Number
1985.0441.1579
catalog number
1985.0441.1579
accession number
1985.0441
One (1) 5 dollar coinUnited States, 1830Obverse Image: N/AObverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD. / $5Reverse Image: N/AReverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 dollar coin
United States, 1830
Obverse Image: N/A
Obverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD. / $5
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER. / $5
Description
Before the famous California gold rush, several important strikes were made in the East: in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The earliest took place in Mecklenburg County, N.C., in 1799, where a nugget weighing several pounds was discovered. Its finder used it as a doorstop until someone recognized it for what it was! Discoveries multiplied, and a federal branch Mint was eventually set up in Charlotte to process the metal into coinage.
Discoveries in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1820s received wide publicity, and a "gold fever" resulted. Thousands of people began trekking to the areas in search of instant wealth. Most returned home empty-handed, but successful prospectors found millions of dollars' worth of precious metal. What should they do with their new wealth? Many felt the Philadelphia Mint was too far away for safe travel, and the government wasn't ready to create other coining facilities.
A jack-of-all-trades named Templeton Reid had an answer: strike private gold coins, at a private mint. Reid had extensive experience as a watchmaker, gunsmith, and metalworker. In July 1830, he set up shop in the Georgia hamlet of Milledgeville, and began his brief career as private moneyer-the first since Ephraim Brasher.
His coins came in three denominations: ten dollars, five dollars, and two and one-half dollars, in recognition of "official" denominations. And he put slightly more gold into his products than the federal government did into its coins, just to be on the safe side. Although historians believe that Templeton Reid conducted business fairly, an unknown adversary, signing himself simply "no assayer," published several notices in newspapers complaining that the coins were not as represented.
Rumors spread and before long Reid was forced to close up the business.
He apparently planned to go to California to participate in the gold rush there, and even made dies with a California imprint. However there is no record of his having made the trip West.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830
maker
Reid, Templeton
ID Number
1991.0357.0126
catalog number
1991.0357.0126
accession number
1991.0357
One (1) 5 dollar coinUnited States, 1834Obverse Image: N/AObverse Text: CAROLINA GOLD. / CARATS. / AUGUST 1. 1834. / 140 / .G. / 20.Reverse Image: Star.Reverse Text: C. BECHTLER.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 dollar coin
United States, 1834
Obverse Image: N/A
Obverse Text: CAROLINA GOLD. / CARATS. / AUGUST 1. 1834. / 140 / .G. / 20.
Reverse Image: Star.
Reverse Text: C. BECHTLER. AT RUTHERF: / 5 DOLLARS.
Description
Like Templeton Reid, a family of German immigrants named Bechtler established a private mint to coin gold between 1830 and 1852. The head of the clan, Alt Christoph, started out in the Black Forest area where he was apprenticed as a goldsmith, silversmith, and gunsmith.
Already well into middle age, he decided to seek his fortune in America. The early spring of 1830 found him and his family in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, where they set up shop as jewelers and watchmakers. The shortage of coinage in that part of the South, the abundance of gold from the new discoveries, the near-impossibility of getting it safely to the Mint at Philadelphia, and Alt Christoph's experience as a metallurgist, set the conditions for an important event.
When local settlers were unsuccessful in petitioning Congress to establish a branch Mint, Alt Christoph created a private mint. He made his dies, punches, even his presses, himself. His coins were simple affairs, but they were of honest weight and good quality. His first gold coins began making their appearance in the summer of 1831.
Alt Christoph ran the Bechtler mint until 1840. He then retired, and the operation was taken over by his son, August, remaining at work until about 1852, when it finally closed. To the Bechtlers goes the distinction of issuing the first gold dollars. They were doing so as early as 1834; the federal government didn't get around to striking the denomination until 1849!
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1834
mint
Bechtlers
obverse designer
Bechtler, Alt Christoph
reverse designer
Bechtler, Alt Christoph
ID Number
1991.0357.0143
catalog number
1991.0357.0143
accession number
1991.0357
One (1) 10 dollar coinUnited States, 1830Obverse Image: Ring of stars.Obverse Text: GEORGIA GOLDReverse Image: N/AReverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER / TEN DOLLARSProduced by Templeton Reid in Milledgeville or Gainesville, Georgia.Templeton Reid was a jack of all trades.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 10 dollar coin
United States, 1830
Obverse Image: Ring of stars.
Obverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER / TEN DOLLARS
Description
Produced by Templeton Reid in Milledgeville or Gainesville, Georgia.
Templeton Reid was a jack of all trades. In mid-1830, he gained immortality by becoming the first American since Ephraim Brasher to strike his own gold coins. Some of his ten-dollar pieces bear dates. Others, including this one, do not. Five dated pieces are known and only three undated ones.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1830
maker
Reid, Templeton
ID Number
NU.68.159.1186
accession number
283645
catalog number
68.159.1186
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coinUnited States, 1830Obverse Image: N/AObverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD. / 1830Reverse Image: N/AReverse Text: T. REID ASSAYER.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin
United States, 1830
Obverse Image: N/A
Obverse Text: GEORGIA GOLD. / 1830
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: T. REID ASSAYER. / 2.50
Description
Before the famous California gold rush, several important strikes were made in the East: in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The earliest took place in Mecklenburg County, N.C., in 1799, where a nugget weighing several pounds was discovered. Its finder used it as a doorstop until someone recognized it for what it was! Discoveries multiplied, and a federal branch Mint was eventually set up in Charlotte to process the metal into coinage.
Discoveries in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1820s received wide publicity, and a "gold fever" resulted. Thousands of people began trekking to the areas in search of instant wealth. Most returned home empty-handed, but successful prospectors found millions of dollars' worth of precious metal. What should they do with their new wealth? Many felt the Philadelphia Mint was too far away for safe travel, and the government wasn't ready to create other coining facilities.
A jack-of-all-trades named Templeton Reid had an answer: strike private gold coins, at a private mint. Reid had extensive experience as a watchmaker, gunsmith, and metalworker. In July 1830, he set up shop in the Georgia hamlet of Milledgeville, and began his brief career as private moneyer-the first since Ephraim Brasher.
Reid struck about a thousand of the $2.50 denomination. As with the larger $10 and $5 dollar denominations, most were later melted down and re-coined by the U.S. Mint. We can trace fewer than twenty-five survivors, including this one.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830
maker
Reid, Templeton
ID Number
NU.68.159.1183
accession number
283645
catalog number
68.159.1183
One (1) 3 dollar noteFulton, Ohio Orphan Institute's Bank, United States, 1838Obverse Image: Steam ship in center. Small sailboat at center bottom. Allegorical scene at right, winged baby atop a lion.Obverse Text: STATE OF OHIO / 3 / ORPHAN INSTITUTE'S BANK / NO.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 3 dollar note
Fulton, Ohio Orphan Institute's Bank, United States, 1838
Obverse Image: Steam ship in center. Small sailboat at center bottom. Allegorical scene at right, winged baby atop a lion.
Obverse Text: STATE OF OHIO / 3 / ORPHAN INSTITUTE'S BANK / NO. 1107 / THREE DOLLARS / FULTON, OHIO / MARCH 4, 1838
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: N/A
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1838-03-04
ID Number
NU.NU76314
accession number
248278
catalog number
NU76314
serial number
1107
Minted in Russia in 1836, this family one and one-half ruble was issued during the reign of Nicholas I. Married to Charlotte (Alexandra Fedorovna) of Prussia, Nicholas I ruled from 1825 to his death on March 2, 1855.
Description
Minted in Russia in 1836, this family one and one-half ruble was issued during the reign of Nicholas I. Married to Charlotte (Alexandra Fedorovna) of Prussia, Nicholas I ruled from 1825 to his death on March 2, 1855. He led the Russian army unsuccessfully in the Crimean War, but helped defeat the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War (1828-29). Under his rule, the Russian Empire spanned over 7.7 million square miles.
Obverse text: 1 ½ of ruble / 10 zlot. / 1836
Obverse image: Portrait of Nicholas I
Reverse text: No reverse inscription.
Reverse image: Portrait of Nicholas I
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1836
ruler
Nicholas I Emperor of Russia
ID Number
NU.NU51548
catalog number
NU51548
accession number
161590
The Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Monroe, Michigan, issued this five dollar note on April 1, 183 7. The note is decorated with a scene of men loading barrels on a wagon at a wharf.
Description
The Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Monroe, Michigan, issued this five dollar note on April 1, 183 7. The note is decorated with a scene of men loading barrels on a wagon at a wharf. A medallion at the lower left bears the image of a spread-winged eagle; a medallion on the lower right contains an image of a blacksmith at his anvil pointing to the left. The bottom of the note has an image of a Native American rowing a canoe. The note is signed by the bank’s president but is not made out to a bearer.
After the Second Bank of the United States closed in 1836, national funds were shifted into state banks, and states began a “free banking” period. Prior to this period, banks were explicitly chartered by an act of state legislature. In March 1836 Michigan passed its act to create a state safety fund for banks, and in March 1837 passed an act to organize and regulate banks. The safety fund required each bank to pay one half of one percent of its capital stock to the bank to create a fund in times of crisis. The banking act allowed any twelve landowners to form a bank with capital more than 50,000 dollars but less than 300,000 dollars, with at least 30% of the capital held in specie at the bank. The relaxed regulations gave rise to “wildcat” banks, which would transfer specie among different banks ahead of the regulator arriving, allowing for the approval of around forty new banks in Michigan. This fraud made the safety fund relatively worthless, and the crisis of 1837 caused many of these banks to fail catastrophically, and the “free banking” act in Michigan was promptly amended.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1837
maker
New England Bank Note Co.
ID Number
NU.NU60991
catalog number
NU60991
accession number
227803
collector/donor number
153
The Real Estate Banking Company of Clinton in Hinds County, Mississippi, issued this five dollar bank note on January 25, 1839.
Description
The Real Estate Banking Company of Clinton in Hinds County, Mississippi, issued this five dollar bank note on January 25, 1839. The note was printed by the firm Draper, Toppan, Longacre & Company of Philadelphia, and features a central motif of two seated allegorical female figures. The left and right sides of the note are decorated with a cotton bush. Over the image of the figures, the text reads “On demand, five months after date.” The note is signed by the bank’s cashier, Joseph Davenport, and its president, Cowles Mead. The Real Estate Banking Company was one of the many banks that sprung up after the dissolution of the Second Bank of the United States, and like many of these banks it failed spectacularly within a few years. Cowles Mead served as a congressman from Georgia before becoming governor of the Mississippi Territory, where he was infamous for arresting Aaron Burr for treason after fleeing prosecution for killing Alexander Hamilton. When Mead’s bank failed, its cashier, Joseph Davenport, went to Philadelphia on the pretense of securing a loan to continue the bank’s operation, but never returned.
From 1790 to 1863, states and private banks issued their own currency to supply capital in a young nation without a national currency. This currency was backed by the hard money the banks had on deposit, and was only used locally where the bank and its operators were trusted in the community. However, banks often oversupplied notes, and this overextension caused bankruptcy among private and state banks when financial panic struck, particularly in 1837. Currencies from these failed banks are known as “obsolete bank notes” or “broken bank notes,” and several are held in the National Numismatics Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1839
ID Number
NU.NU76258
catalog number
NU76258
accession number
248278
serial number
5559
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1860
associated date
1837
associated institution
Bank of Washtenaw
maker
Bromo-Mint Company Inc.
ID Number
NU.170666
accession number
170666
date made
1839
head of government
Victoria Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India
ID Number
NU.68.159.5426
catalog number
68.159.5426
accession number
283645
The Kirtland Safety Society Bank of Kirtland, Ohio, issued this five dollar note on February 10, 1837. The note’s plates are printed by Underwood, Bald, Spencer & Hufty of Philadelphia. The note is decorated with a central motif of a man seated on a log with a dog.
Description
The Kirtland Safety Society Bank of Kirtland, Ohio, issued this five dollar note on February 10, 1837. The note’s plates are printed by Underwood, Bald, Spencer & Hufty of Philadelphia. The note is decorated with a central motif of a man seated on a log with a dog. The identical end panels depict a young boy with a shovel over his shoulder. The note is signed by the bank’s cashier, Joseph Smith, and its president, Sidney Rigdon.
The Kirtland Safety Society Bank was formed by Joseph Smith and other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on November 2, 1836. The bank’s constitution established the capital stock of four million dollars, a severe overextension of the available specie in the area. With the closing of the Second Bank of the United States in 1836, many states allowed “free banking,” however, Ohio still required banks to be granted a charter from the state legislature. When Ohio’s legislature declined a charter for Kirtland, the officers formed their own “anti” bank. Like many banks at the time, the Kirtland Safety Society Bank failed spectacularly in the general financial crisis of 1837.
From 1790 to 1863, states and private banks issued their own currency to supply capital in a young nation without a national currency. This currency was backed by the hard money the banks had on deposit, and was only used locally where the bank and its operators were trusted in the community. However, banks often oversupplied notes, and this overextension caused bankruptcy among private and state banks when financial panic struck, particularly in 1837. Currencies from these failed banks are known as “obsolete bank notes” or “broken bank notes,” and many are held in the National Numismatic Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date on object
1837-02-10
date made
1837
issuing authority
Kirtland Safety Society Bank
ID Number
1992.0281.1635
accession number
1992.0281
serial number
770
catalog number
1992.0281.1635
This medalette commemorates the monument built at Borodino, the site of one of the most significant battles against Napoleon in Russian history. The Battle at Borodino took place on August 26, 1812.Obverse inscription: БОРОДИНО 26 АВГУС 1812Г. / ОТКРЫТЪ 26 АВГУС. 1839Г.
Description
This medalette commemorates the monument built at Borodino, the site of one of the most significant battles against Napoleon in Russian history. The Battle at Borodino took place on August 26, 1812.
Obverse inscription: БОРОДИНО 26 АВГУС 1812Г. / ОТКРЫТЪ 26 АВГУС. 1839Г. ("Borodino, 26 August 1812. / Open, 26 August 1839").
Reverse inscription: (None)
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1839
ID Number
NU.68.263.693
catalog number
68.263.693
accession number
281689
One (1) 5 dollar noteThe Lafayette Bank, Boston, Massachusetts, 1837Obverse Image: Small portrait of George Washington in a decorative oval border, a factory building and a portrait of Lafayette.Obverse Text: 5 / NO 614D / THE PRESIDENT, DIRECTORS AND COMPANY OF MASS.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 dollar note
The Lafayette Bank, Boston, Massachusetts, 1837
Obverse Image: Small portrait of George Washington in a decorative oval border, a factory building and a portrait of Lafayette.
Obverse Text: 5 / NO 614D / THE PRESIDENT, DIRECTORS AND COMPANY OF MASS. / THE LAFAYETTE BANK PROMISES TO PAY FIVE DOLLARS TO BEARER ON DEMAND / BOSTON / JOSHUA CHILD / ISAAC BERMES
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: N/A
Description
The Lafayette Bank of Boston, Massachusetts issued this five dollar note in January 1837 to Josiah Dunham Jr. The note—numbered 614D—is decorated by a scene of Alger’s Iron Foundry in South Boston, with oval inset portraits of George Washington on the left and the Marquis de Lafayette on the right. The note is signed by the bank’s cashier, Joshua Child, and its president, Isaac Barnes. Lafayette Bank was established on April 16, 1836, with a capital stock of 150,000 dollars.
The Lafayette Bank and the signatories on this note are notable for the spectacular failing of the bank that ended with the presidents of the board all indicted of perjury, with Josiah Dunham Jr. being convicted on that count. The perjury charge was related to falsifying the records of the bank, necessitated by the dissemination of out-of-circulation bank notes for their own use. The bank failed in July 1837.
From 1790 to 1863, states and private banks issued their own currency to supply capital in a young nation without a national currency. This currency was backed by the hard money the banks had on deposit, and was only used locally where the bank and its operators were trusted in the community. However, banks often oversupplied notes, and this overextension caused bankruptcy among private and state banks when financial panic struck, particularly in 1837. Currencies from these failed banks are known as “obsolete bank notes” or “broken bank notes,” and several are held in the National Numismatics Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1837
maker
New England Bank Note Co.
ID Number
NU.73.6.18
accession number
304868
serial number
614
catalog number
73.6.18
One (1) 50 cent coin, proofUnited States, 1838Obverse Image: Left-facing bust of Liberty wearing a cap.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 50 cent coin, proof
United States, 1838
Obverse Image: Left-facing bust of Liberty wearing a cap. 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1838 / O
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF DOL.
Description
In 1835, Congress amended American coining laws. These laws made numismatic history. Three branches of the United States Mint were established. Two were in the southern Piedmont region, at Charlotte, North Carolina and Dahlonega, Georgia. These facilities were intended for the coinage of gold.
The third branch was set up at New Orleans, Louisiana, hundreds of miles from any mining activity, but the major port of entry for gold and silver coinage shipped in from Mexico and points south. It is estimated that twenty 1838-dated half dollars were struck in proof, perhaps at the beginning of the following year. Numismatist and U.S. coin encyclopedist Walter Breen believed they were minted to test the coining capabilities of a new large press. But they also could have been intended as presentation pieces. We know of eleven survivors. We don't know what happened to the other nine.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1838
mint
U.S. Mint, New Orleans
designer
Gobrecht, Christian
ID Number
1985.0441.0295
catalog number
1985.0441.0295
accession number
1985.0441
This ten dollar note was issued by the Bank of the United States in 1831 in Philadelphia and it reads "The President of the Bank of the United States promises to pay C.S.
Description
This ten dollar note was issued by the Bank of the United States in 1831 in Philadelphia and it reads "The President of the Bank of the United States promises to pay C.S. Towell or bearer on demand ten dollars.” Although made of paper this is not cash, it actually represents a promise to pay a debt. In addition to script and images that represent the Republic this private bank note is also adorned with the signature of Nicholas Biddle, then president of the Bank of United States.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1831
ID Number
1979.1263.02174
accession number
1979.1263
collector/donor number
CM00561
catalog number
79.112.CM00561
The Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Monroe, Michigan issued this ten dollar note on April 1, 1838. The note is decorated with a central motif of two men shoeing a horse. A medallion on the upper left has an image of a clipper ship; a medallion below features an image of a train.
Description
The Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Monroe, Michigan issued this ten dollar note on April 1, 1838. The note is decorated with a central motif of two men shoeing a horse. A medallion on the upper left has an image of a clipper ship; a medallion below features an image of a train. On the lower right of the note is an inset portrait of a seated woman. The note is signed by the bank’s cashier and president, but is not made out to a bearer. The note also bears the text “Michigan Safety Fund” and “Real Estate Security.”
After the Second Bank of the United States closed in 1836, national funds were shifted into state banks, and states began a “free banking” period. Prior to this period, banks were explicitly chartered by an act of state legislature. In March 1836 Michigan passed its act to create a state safety fund for banks, and in March 1837 passed an act to organize and regulate banks. The safety fund required each bank to pay one half of one percent of its capital stock to the bank to create a fund in times of crisis. The banking act allowed any twelve landowners to form a bank with capital more than 50,000 dollars but less than 300,000 dollars, with at least 30% of the capital held in specie at the bank. The relaxed regulations gave rise to “wildcat” banks, which would transfer specie among different banks ahead of the regulator arriving, allowing for the approval of around forty new banks in Michigan. This fraud made the safety fund relatively worthless, and the crisis of 1837 caused many of these banks to fail catastrophically, and the “free banking” act in Michigan was promptly amended.
Location
Currently not on view
date on object
1833-04-01
date made
1833
ID Number
NU.NU46192.0004
accession number
170666
serial number
400
catalog number
NU46192.0004
One (1) 5 dollar coinUnited States, 1838Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head with curled hair and wearing headband.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 dollar coin
United States, 1838
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head with curled hair and wearing headband. 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1838 / C
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest with vertical stripes on bottom part and horizontal stripes on top part.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 5 D.
Description
To process the gold and silver being mined in new locations, the federal government passed legislation to open three new branch mints in 1835: in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dahlonega, Georgia; and New Orleans, Louisiana. The first two would only strike coins from local gold. The third would mint coins from silver as well as from gold, because those two metals were pouring into the Crescent City from Latin America.
All three branch facilities opened their doors in 1838. The New Orleans Mint was a success from the very beginning. The other two suffered growing pains but finally reached full production in the 1850s. All three closed during the Civil War, but New Orleans eventually reopened in 1879 and remained a major player in the country's monetary system until the first decade of the twentieth century. Charlotte and Dahlonega stayed closed.
A way was sought to distinguish the products of these new mints from those of the original one. Philadelphia had never marked its coins-there had been no need, with no other coiners in existence. But now a way was devised to show which coins came from where.
A mint mark, consisting of a single letter, would be placed on each of the products of the branch Mints-an O for New Orleans, a D for Dahlonega, and a C for Charlotte. The mint marks briefly appeared on the coins' obverse, but then they were relegated to the reverse, where they remained.
Collectors call the 1838 Charlotte half eagle a "one-year type": coins of this design with the obverse mint mark were only struck during that single year. There were about seventeen thousand of them, compared with over a quarter million at Philadelphia.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1838
mint
U.S. Mint, Charlotte
designer
Kneass, William
ID Number
1984.1046.0372
accession number
1984.1046
catalog number
1984.1046.0372
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Company of New York printed this five dollar proof note for the Merchants and Planters Bank of Magnolia, Florida, in 1832.
Description
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Company of New York printed this five dollar proof note for the Merchants and Planters Bank of Magnolia, Florida, in 1832. The top of the note has an image of Mercury spreading coins from a cornucopia, while the allegorical figure of Agriculture is at the bottom of the note. The three punches on the signature lines mean this note is a proof, printed to confirm that the design is suitable for mass printing.
From 1790 to 1863, states and private banks issued their own currency to supply capital in a young nation without a national currency. This currency was backed by the hard money the banks had on deposit, and was only used locally where the bank and its operators were trusted in the community. However, banks often oversupplied notes, and this overextension caused bankruptcy among private and state banks when financial panic struck, particularly in 1837. Currencies from these failed banks are known as “obsolete bank notes” or “broken bank notes,” and many are held in the National Numismatic Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1832
maker
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Co.
ID Number
NU.66.11156
catalog number
66.11156
accession number
266906
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proofUnited States, 1835Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty wearing a headband, 13 stars along coin edge.Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1835Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.Reverse Text: UNITE
Description (Brief)
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1835
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty wearing a headband, 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1835
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 2 1/2 D.
Description
Designer William Kneass used his "Classic Head" idea for quarter eagles as well as halves. Coins with this general depiction of the goddess were struck from 1834 through 1839. Perhaps five proof quarter eagles exist from 1835. This is one of the nicest.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1835
mint
U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
designer
Kneass, William
ID Number
1985.0441.0267
catalog number
1985.0441.0267
accession number
1985.0441
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proofUnited States, 1834Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head wearing cap surrounded by 13 stars along coin edge.Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1834Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield on chest.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1834
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head wearing cap surrounded by 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1834
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield on chest. Scroll above eagle.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E PLURIBUS UNUM / 2 1/2 D.
Description
United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below.
Four proof specimens including this coin are known to exist. A fifth proof is rumored to exist. Some 1834 proof coins were created for presentation to foreign dignitaries. The most famous example of a presentation coin for diplomatic purposes was the so-called "King of Coins" among the 1804 Silver Dollars. Silver dollars dated 1804 were simply not issued for circulation. Silver dollars with that date were produced during the 1830's and 1850's for various purposes.
If nothing else, the minting of special coins for presentation abroad suggests that, after years of isolation, the United States was now beginning to take its place in the family of nations. U.S. Coins struck with special care as well as Peace Medals were excellent tokens of friendship.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1834
mint
U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
designer
Reich, John
ID Number
1985.0441.0260
catalog number
1985.0441.0260
accession number
1985.0441
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proofUnited States, 1836Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty wearing a headband, 13 stars along coin edge.Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1836Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.Reverse Text: UNITE
Description (Brief)
One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1836
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty wearing a headband, 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1836
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 2 1/2 D.
Description
Four proof coins including this coin are known for this date of 1836 and this denomination of quarter eagle.
Until the later discoveries of gold west of the Mississippi River, the U.S. had little gold for making coins. A gold strike in Rutherford, North Carolina provided some new gold. Soon, the U.S. Mint established branch mints in Dahlonega, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina to mint gold coins close to the discoveries in those areas. In addition, a branch mint in New Orleans was established convert foreign coins that arrived at this very busy port into U.S. coins. Other sources for gold included French coins that recently arrived as an indemnity payment as well as melting down old American coins and re-issuing the precious metal as new U.S. coins.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1836
mint
U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
designer
Kneass, William
ID Number
1985.0441.0276
catalog number
1985.0441.0276
accession number
1985.0441
One (1) 5 dollar coin, proofUnited States, 1836Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head with curled hair and wearing headband.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1836
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty head with curled hair and wearing headband. 13 stars along coin edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1836
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest with vertical stripes on bottom part and horizontal stripes on top part.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 5 D.
Description
This coin is one of two proof half eagles dated 1836. They may have been struck to commemorate the admission of Arkansas as the twenty-fifth state. Eminent numismatic researcher Walter Breen asserted that belief in his encyclopedia of U.S. coins.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1836
mint
U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
designer
Kneass, William
ID Number
1985.0441.0275
catalog number
1985.0441.0275
accession number
1985.0441

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