Actually the image used may not represent the mighty oak correctly. The charter oak was a 500 year old white oak in 1687 when Capt. Joseph Wadsworth hid the charter in a cavity of the tree. White oaks do not loose all their leaves in fall/winter. It's not until the new leaves start to grow in the spring that they push off the last year's leaves. Red oaks do shed their leaves in the fall. Everyone does know the story of the Charter Oak right? King Charles the 2nd gave Connecticut a royal charter in 1622. 25 years later the Brittish representatives under King James the 2nd attempted to take it back. Sir Edmund Andrews arrived at Butler's tavern and the debate started. During the back and forth debate about the charter someone extinguished all the candles rendering the room pitch black. Capt. Wadsworth was outside when he was handed the charter. He promptly rode away and hid it in the white oak. The famous tree lived on another 150 years. It blew down during a summer storm in 1856.
I believe the Connecticut Capitol building has a chair or some piece of furniture made out of the Charter Oak tree. At least that is my memory from the school field trip when I was in 4th or 5th grade.
Actually I didn't know the story till a few weeks ago. I knew the tree on the coin was the charter oak, but didn't know how it got it's name till I read a article about it. Thanks for the recap. :thumb:
OK, I am going to go out on a LIMB and emBARK on a theory. I would say the problem STEMS from the BRANCH mint LEAVING off certain critical design elements that TWIGger the error manifested, here. Now, you might think that is ACORNy, TRUNKacted explanation. But, I do KNOT conSEED that. Rather, I think it is the ROOT of the problem.
Oh what the heck... Trees by Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. ...
This thread turned out better than I'd hoped... I meant it as a joke, but it actually turned into a thread with a lot of interesting information. Ya gotta love CoinTalk!
