The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-10
An OLD MINT IS
TO Be DESTROYED
Rare Coin Finds Expected At
the Razing
SEEK TO SAVE BUILDlN
Establishment Was Authorized BY
Congress In 1792-Cornerstone Laid
In Philadelphia BY Rtten-
house-"Half Dismes.v
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Many finds of rare early United States
coins are expected when Uncle Sans
first mint building in Philadelphia. is torn
down. That is, provided there is not
enough patriotic sentiment aroused in the
meantime to preserve the purposes Of this
great government when it was in all truth
an infant republic.
Long before the revolution there had
| been much complaint against England for
not establishing a colonial mint in Amer
lea. and one of the first acts of the newly
organized United tsates was to provide
for the erection of place at which coins
of definite value bearing the stamp of
this country could be issued
Was Long Discussed.
The question Of the establishment at
mint had been widely discussed at
| least ten years before it was finally au-
thorized. Robert Morris on aJnuary Is,
liS2, had recommended a plan for Amer
| lean coinage and early in I7S2 went so far
| as to conduct negotiations for such an
establishment, the old Dutch church,
| then occupied for a time being under
Congress
on April 10. 1850, instructed the Presi-
| dent to establish mint and Secretary
| OF the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was
| directed to prepare and report a proper
plan. This Mr.. Hamilton did at the next
session, and on the strength of his report
| United States mint was authorized by
Congress on April 2 1892
A lot on the east side of Eleventh street
nd
priation was made for putting up a suit
able structure. On this lot stood an old
stillhouse, and some of the materials in
| it were sold for shilIngs and pence
This sum, according to an old memoran-
dunn, David Rittenhouse. the first director
of the mine. directed SHOULD be laid out
for punch in laying the foundation stone"
First Coinage In 1892.
The cornerstone of the mint was laid
by Mr.. Rittenhouse on July 81 1892 the
building consisting of a plain three-story
brick. The first coming was done here in
the following October In reference to
this coinage Washington in his address
to Congress of November g. 1872, said:
There has been small beginning in the
coinage of half dimes, the want of small
coins in circulation calling the first at
tention to them
These half dimes, or half dsmes's as
the word is spelled on the coins, were
said to have been struck from a quantity
| of private plate that Washington had de-
posted at the mint for coinage, and bore
on the diverse the representation of a
female, said to have been the portrait of
Martha Washington. BY numismatics
these early half dismes" are regarded
as pattern coins, the first regular de-
post of silver bullion for coinage, judging
by the records, was not made until July
49, 1884 This deposit made by the Bank
of Maryland, consisted of "the coins Of
France to theamount of $50 TO- 1914, and
the first recorded return of silver coins
from the mint to the United States treas
urer was made on October Is, 1871, prob
ably made up of dollars and half dollars,
the only silver coins to have been regu-
larry issued up to that time.
Gold Ingots Deposited.
The first deposit of gold bullion for COIN
age at this mint on record was made
by Boston merchant named Moses
Brown, who, on February r. 1895, depOs-
tied gold ingots valued at $2276.72, for
which he received silver coins In payment.