Pocket Change North America
Prior to the adoption of the United States dollar with the Mint Act of 1792, the circulating medium in the young country was a mess. It was a mess during the colonial period and, quite honestly, it was a mess for decades thereafter. Well into the 19th century, a variety of foreign coinage circulated in the United States. With names such as real de a ocho or peso fuerte—names given to them in their place of origin—these coins would not have been able to circulate in the country. A name change was required in order for both consumers and merchants…
If you have not read Part I of this two-part series and would like to do so, please click here.
As…
Opportunity often leads to innovation. Sometimes the events that contribute to an evolution of this nature are well-known and documented,…
Lincoln Centennial Medal by Jules Édouard Roiné, 1909 (ANS 1909.45.1), King 310. The dies were ceremoniously canceled, donated to the…
Fig. 1. Ben Bernanke. Commissioned and rejected by Time magazine for their 2009 “Person of the Year” cover. Later purchased…
Figure 1. Chinese spade money, c. 770–475 BC (ANS 1937.179.14763).
The American Numismatic Society cabinet contains a remarkable collection of Chinese…
American Numismatic Society
Howland Wood: long-time ANS curator, Oriental coin authority, Huntington Award winner, and…illustrator? I must admit, I didn’t know…
Today marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s (1809-1865) assassination. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre during…