Len Augsburger alerted me to another great piece of numismatic ephemera - a 1791 Act of Congress signed by Thomas Jefferson authorizing the creation of the U.S. Mint. It was sold yesterday by Heritage for $137,500.00 (including Buyer's Premium). -Editor

"Congress of the United States: At the Third Session, Begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, on Monday the sixth of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninety. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a mint shall be established under such regulations as shall be directed by law. Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to cause to be engaged, such principal artists as shall be necessary to carry the preceeding [sic] resolution into effect, and to stipulate the terms and conditions of their service, and also to cause to be procured such apparatus as shall be requisite for the same purpose. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN ADAMS, Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate. Approved, March the third, 1791. GEORGE WASHINGTON, President of the United States. Deposited among the Rolls in the Office of the Secretary of State." Signed, "Th: Jefferson."

"As I recall this resolution was passed at the very end of this congressional session, and then not seriously dealt with until the following Congress, before culminating in the April 1792 Mint Act."