Numismatic History for May

For all of you history buffs out there like me.........

May 1,1885- Conrad N. Jordan started his term as the 15th Treasurer of the United States.

May 1, 1928- Frank White ended his term as the 25th Treasurer of the United States.

May 2, 1828- Thomas T. Tucker ended his term as the 3rd Treasurer of the United States.

May 2, 1921- Frank White started his term as the 25th Treasurer of the United States.

May 3, 1933- Nellie Taylor Ross became the first woman appointed as director of the United States Mint.

May 5, 1972- The United States notified the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of its intent to change the par value of the dollar.

May 8, 1969- Dorothy Andrews Elston started her term as the 33rd Treasurer of the United States.

May 9, 1863- Hugh McCulloch was appointed as the first comptroller of the currency.

May 10, 1837- The Panic of 1837 began and New York banks suspended specie payments. This began the second worst depression (1837-1843) in United States history.

May 10, 1889- James W. Hyatt ended his term as the 16th Treasurer of the United States.

May 15, 1987- The San Francisco Mint opened to the public for the first time in its history.

May 16, 1866- The nickel five cent coin was authorized to replace the smaller silver piece known as the half-disme.

May 17, 1938- The Bureau of Engraving and Printing occupied the Treasury Annex building.

May 18, 1908- The motto "In God We Trust" was made mandatory on all United States Coins.

May 21, 1861- Confederate soldiers occupied the Charlotte Mint as a headquarters during the Civil War.

May 26, 1652- Massachusetts estalished the only Colonial Mint. The Pine Tree Shilling was produced in a Mint house in Boston.

May 31, 1878- An act of Congress forbade further retirement of United States legal tender notes.

There you have it, your history lesson for May, 2007.......Enjoy!!!

 

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Thanks for the info!

You going over to Monroeville for PAN this weekend?

 

I didn't think any U.S. government banknotes were ever pulled from circulation & retired.I thought that you can still spend the notes dating right back to 1862 (when Abraham Lincoln was President of America (1861-65).

Aidan.

 

I didnt either Aidan. Im learning this stuff myself just as I'm copying it right from the U.S. Treasury web site.

 

No, Im not going to make it there. I have some other things going on, bought a house this week and have 500,000 things to do. Wish I could be there. Oh! Could you pick me up a 1916 SLQ while you're there. I still need that one...lol. Have a great time!!

 

Thanks, Kevin, that was a cool historical post.

 

This change however didn't affect already existing designs... Buffalo nickels for example never had "In God We Trust" on them, but when the Jefferson nickel was started in 1938, it was added to the nickel. (All new designs from 1908 on were required to add the motto.)

 

Kevin,Buffalo nickels started in 1913.I think you will find that they do have 'IN GOD WE TRUST' inscribed on them.It was the Liberty Head nickels that were in circulation in 1908.

Aidan.

 

I'll keep my eyes out for that 1916 .


I think the prevention of futher retirement of United States Legal Tender Notes was the law that forced the US Government to keep a minimum value of Red Seal notes in circulation at any one time, and they continued to print Red Seals until through 1966 to meet this circulation requirement.

 

Where did you see this?
The US never demonitized currency. (The colonial pre-constitutional government did do so.)
The only instance that I can recall is the de-monetizing of the Trade Dollar, which was reversed and is now legal for trade. (no pun intended).

 

Thanks Aidan, thats what I thought. The other post that said otherwise had me thinking for a second.

 

Hi Frank, all of this information is on the U.S. Treasurys website. All I do is write it down and post it here in the forum.

 

:thumb: haha...thanks alot, I'll send you a rubber check for that when you get home.....lol

 

Wow alot happened in May. That is interesting. Thanks for the info Kevin. :thumb: BTW, where do you find this stuff?

Phoenix

 

according to indianhead ...
"Hi Frank, all of this information is on the U.S. Treasurys website. All I do is write it down and post it here in the forum"

 

Thanks for the history.

Congrats on the House!!! That will keep you busy for a bit.

Figures - big show in my area and I have a camping trip planned up North this weekend. Father/Son trip so really that is way more important.

Best Regards,

Darryl

 

Er, wrong, pick up a buffalo nickel and look again. No "In God We Trust" on them.

It's my understanding that the legislation in 1908 at the time exempted coins with a denomination of less than 10 cents. In 1909 Indian head pennies and Liberty nickels did not have the motto (nor did Barber dimes). When the Lincoln cents were introduced in 1909, "In God We Trust" was added anyway, despite not being required, but when Buffalo nickels were introduced in 1913 the motto was not added. I believe the legislation that required them on all coins (no excpetion for under 10 cents) must have been passed later; some time between 1913 and 1938 the legislation was amended to include all denominations.

Also, the legislation passed in 1908 did not apply to already-existing designs; you'll note that dimes of the time (Barber) didn't have the motto but the motto was added to dimes when the Mercury design was started in 1916.

Edit: Researched it here, the act passed in 1908 only required that "In God We Trust" be added to coins upon which it previously appeared (apparently the legislation was interpreted to mean a specific coin design, rather than the denomination, because "In God W Trust" was not added to Liberty nickels, despite the motto having been on shield nickels previously). It was reaction to its removal from the $20 gold piece that prompted its return. Nothing mandated that they be placed on coin designs that they never appeared on (which meant the one cent and five cent were exempted), however the Secretary of the Treasury could add it to new designs if he chose. He did so for the Lincoln Cents and the Mercury dimes when they were introduced, but did not do so for the Buffalo nickel; nickels would not have "In God We Trust" on them again until the Jefferson nickel was introduced in 1938. Since 1938, all US coins have the motto (exempting some presidential dollars that are missing the motto due to an error.)

You'll notice that when the Buffalo nickel design was reproduced for use on the 2001 commemorative and the 2006 gold Buffalo, the motto was added despite it not being on the original design. On the 2001 commemorative, it is added below "E Pluribus Unum," on the gold buffalo it was added below the buffalo's head (the same place "E Plurinus Unum" was on the original design; that motto was moved below "United States of America.")

 

i checked.. no God in my closet

 

Thank you for the interesting information Kevin! VERY interesting reading....ALL of these posts! Thanks to you all!!
What's going on in Monroeville, PA this weekend?? AND....where?

swick

Also....CONGRATULATIONS on your new house! Also, also.....have a GREAT time with your son this weekend Darryl!!

 

Right here swick.....:loud: www.pancoins.org. It'll tell you about the PAN show this weekend. I wish I could go :headbang: .