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Message:: [QUOTE="cpm9ball, post: 1762996, member: 24633"]First, it is a medal, not a coin. I'd also like to point out that the coinage press, itself, was not powered by steam, but leather belts were used to transfer power from a steam-driven motor to the coinage press. Benjamin Franklin Peale is credited for the press designs that were used by the US Mint during most of the 19th century. It is difficult to say when this medal may have been produced, but I think it is unlikely that it was struck in 1836. Until the late 1830's, most US medals had been produced in France. In some cases, the dies became the property of the US Mint, while in other cases, ownership of the dies was maintained by the Paris Mint. It wasn't until 1854 that a Medal Department was formally established by the US Mint under Director James Ross Snowden, but until then, the production of medals seemed to be a source of "private" income for the Chief Coiner rather than the US Mint. Production records for such "moonlighting enterprises" (my choice of words) are sketchy. Chris[/QUOTE]