Among the numerous complaints voiced over the proliferation of commemorative coins during the 1930s, one of the most frequent was that these issues celebrated events of purely local significance. These themes were judged inappropriate for a United States coin, yet having the proper connections in Washington was often all that was needed to see one’s [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
When collectors are asked to identify their favorite U.S. commemorative coins, the answers given frequently include titles such as Oregon Trail, Panama-Pacific, Gettysburg and California Jubilee. Rarely heard, if at all, is the name Wisconsin. Having neither an attractive design nor any unique features, to many collectors it seems just one of those [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
To tourists, the state of Vermont is known primarily for its rich maple syrup and great wintertime skiing. To urban Northeasterners it is the source for many of their dairy products. To numismatists, however, Vermont is famed for its two great contributions to American coinage, its charming copper cents of 1785-88, so rich [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
“Remember the Alamo!” was the cry that spurred Texans on to ultimately defeat Mexico’s army and claim their independence as a republic. The tragic showdown at this humble mission yard in San Antonio became emblematic of the struggle for freedom and self-determination. Nearly a century later, the first in a series of coins [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Beginning in the late 1820s, an extended period of growth and prosperity began in the United States. Although based largely on land speculation, this expansion was intensified by a series of gold strikes that brought new wealth to parts of northern Georgia and the Carolinas, California, Oregon, and finally Colorado. Despite their vast geographical differences, [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Throughout the ages, the lure of gold has motivated man to brave almost any hazard in its quest. So it was again in California in 1848 when the greatest gold rush in U.S. history began with John Marshall’s discovery on the American River. Thousands of modern Argonauts suffered the rigors of arduous journeys “around the [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
One of the more common U. S. commemorative coins, the Stone Mountain half dollar was a by-product of a much larger undertaking-the carving of monumental figures of Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Jefferson Davis into the side of a sheer cliff. These heroes of the Southern Confederacy (only Lee and Jackson appear [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
By the mid-1930s, U.S. commemorative coins were nothing new: in fact, the proliferation of issues was beginning to be viewed with disdain by many collectors. In light of the blatant and unbridled commercialism and controversy associated with many of the earlier issues, even Congress started to look negatively upon the commemorative coinage program. [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The gold and silver coins of Spain played a crucial role in the commerce of England’s North American colonies for many years. After the United States declared itself independent of Britain in 1776, the “Spanish Milled Dollar” and its fractions remained the principal currency in everyday circulation. Indeed, these coins were legal tender as late [...]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Until it was dissolved in 1902 following the Anglo-Boer War with Great Britain, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) produced a rich array of coins and banknotes. Perhaps the most appealing of the coins were the gold pieces, consisting of the een pond (one pound) and half pond issues of 1892-1900. These coins have become [...]
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
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