The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 16, April 18, 2004, Article 14

1870 SAN FRANCISCO MINT CORNERSTONE COINS

  Richard G. Kelly & Nancy Y. Oliver  write: "It is always great
  to have feedback concerning articles submitted to numismatic
  forums, and we appreciate the time Mr. Luedeking took to do
  just that in the recent E-Sylum concerning our article on the
  cornerstone coinage of the Second San Francisco Mint.  We
  feel it necessary to respond to his comments on the existence
  of the 1870-S quarter dollar mentioned in the warrant.  We
  would like to say that we believe very strongly that the quarter
  placed in that cornerstone is indeed dated 1870.  The reasons
  for this include the following evidence:

  First, the newspaper details, describing the contents of the
  cornerstone, were originally sent from the Superintendent of
  Construction, William P.C. Stebbins, to the newspaper offices
  specifically to be placed into each newspaper.  We have a
  copy of a letter, sent to the Supervising Architect, A.B. Mullett,
  from Superintendent Stebbins, letting Mullett know exactly what
  was to be put into the newspapers concerning the cornerstone
  contents.  In addition, during the cornerstone ceremonies, this
  information from Supt. Stebbins was repeated in detail by
  Masonic tradition.  In the letter, Supt. Stebbins specifically
  states that "I have sent several of the daily newspapers, giving
  the full account of the ceremonies in detail, to which I desire
  to call your attention."  What was stated in the newspapers
  concerning the cornerstone coinage (sent from Supt. Stebbins)
  was, "One of each denomination of the several coins of the
  United States of America, all struck off at the San Francisco
  Branch Mint in the year 1870."

  Secondly, there is documented evidence, as stated in our
  article in Coin World, that quarter dollar dies dated 1870
  were available to be used to make a quarter for the
  cornerstone, so why use any other year's quarter dollar die?
  Besides, by May of 1870, the previous years dies would have
  already been defaced.

  Thirdly, any cornerstone or time capsule would traditionally
  contain artifacts of the year of placement if at all possible,
  and in the case of coins, the exact year of same.

  Lastly, why would the San Francisco Mint go to the trouble
  to make sure that a $3 gold piece, with the 1870 date on the
  reverse,  was properly stamped with the mintmark "S" (the
  die had arrived in San Francisco without one).

  In conclusion, of course we do not have absolute 100%
  proof of the date of the coinage in the cornerstone without
  seeing it for ourselves, but government documents give us
  plenty of reason to believe that all coinage within that
  cornerstone is dated 1870.  The federal government has
  always been very meticulous in justifying it's expenses and
  detailing its expenses and that is exactly what was done in
  1870 in San Francisco.  We agree with Mr. Luedeking that
  the "exhumation of the bronze (copper) casket and its
  delightful contents" would be the only way to have absolute
  proof of the dates on the coinage, but until that time comes,
  all known records very strongly suggest they are all dated
  1870. "

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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