HOLABIRD OFFER WEINBERG NUMISMATIC EPHEMERA

 

Lot 3284: Last Will & Testament of David Rittenhouse, First Director of the United States Mint
David Rittenhouse (1732-1796) was an astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania and the first director of the United States Mint.

In 1768, Rittenhouse was elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society. He served as librarian, secretary, and after Benjamin Franklin's death in 1790, he served as president of the society until 1796. He was one of the few Americans who belonged to the Royal Society of London.

In 1786, Rittenhouse built a new Georgian-style house on the corner of 4th and Arch streets in Philadelphia, next to an octagonal observatory he had already built. At this house, he maintained a Wednesday evening salon meeting with Benjamin Franklin, Francis Hopkinson, Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and others. Thomas Jefferson wrote that he would rather attend one of these meetings "than spend a whole week in Paris."

Rittenhouse was treasurer of Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1789, and with these skills and the help of George Washington, he became the first director of the United States Mint. On April 2, 1792, the United States Mint opened its doors, but would not produce coins for almost four months. The first coins were made from flatware that was provided by George Washington on the morning of July 30, 1792. The coins were hand-struck by Rittenhouse, to test the new equipment, and were given to Washington as a token of appreciation for his contributions to making the United States Mint a reality.

Signed by David Rittenhouse, witnessed by Benjamin Smith Barton and T. Thomson.

 

Lot 3279: Dahlonega Mint Superintendent Patton Letter Group, 1854-5

A group of previously unseen letters from Dahlonega Branch Mint Superintendent Julius Patton to Jonathan Slocum regarding Patton's investment and guidance regarding copper mines they own at Ducktown, Tennessee. Patton was the Dahlonega Branch Mint supt from 1853-1860, ultimately replaced by Lincoln appointee George Kellogg, from whom we described a major correspondence archive years ago, now at the North Georgia University in Dahlonega. The Mint lasted barely another year, when the Civil War broke out and the Mint closed.

Here, we learn Patton had outside interests in metal production. This particular group of correspondence is very important, because it is from the first period of serious production at Ducktown, and involves a potential major player in the superintendent of a US branch mint.

 

Lot 3275: San Francisco Mint Glass Slides
12 lantern slides in very good condition. Six of the mint, two of the earthquake and one very rarely seen panoramic view. All in good condition. Three in boxes.

 

Lot 3276: Letter from Frank A. Leach Superintendent of the San Francisco Mint 1907-1909
This two page letter addressed to his son; Frank A. Leach describes land examinations and tests for gold in Northern California with poor results. Place settings as Rock Creek, Dix Mine, Forest Hill are mentioned. On Mint of the United States at San Francisco letterhead dated 1908. Folded, light crease at upper right corner. Perfectly legible two page document of California gold history with Frank Leach's signature bold lower right. 8 in. X 10 in.

 

Lot 3285: Mint Director Patterson Letter re Rumford Medal, 1839
This letter is an important discovery of a January 19, 1839 letter written to Daniel Treadwell regarding the Mint paying $400 to "Mr. Furst" for the dies to the Rumford Medal. Patterson states that the head die is "advancing rapidly." Patterson notes that an additional $50 will be charged for the "preparing, turning, hardening of the dies in the collar and its striking". Patterson himself advanced Furst $100 because of "the usual Improvidence of artists" (got to love that quote! -fh) and Patterson is requesting reimbursement.

In 1839, James Jackson was the president of the Academy of Arts and Science in Massachusetts. Treadwell (1791-1872), an American inventor (story too long for this description) was also an important scientist associated with the Academy. He was chair of the Rumford Professor at Harvard from 1834-1845, and thus ultimately would have been in charge of the awarding of this incredibly important medal.

The Rumford Prize was conceived in 1796 by Benjamin Thompson who gifted the Society with a $5000 endowment for the award to be given to advancements in heat and light. It is one of the oldest and unarguably most important scientific prizes in America. The prize was so restrictive, that rule changes were made in 1832. The very first award was given in 1839 to Robert Hare for a oxy-hydrogen blowpipe. The first awarding of this prize resulted in the Society contracting with the US Mint for a "gold-silver medal", the very subject of this important letter.

It is unknown if the original, first medal, subject of the dies mentioned in this letter, still exists. The few recipients of this important prize include Thomas Edison and Enrico Fermi.

A parallel society was formed in Britain, and that group also awards a Rumford Medal to recipients, but it is not associated with the US medal.

This is a one page letter, folded, sent from Philadelphia. It bears a red wax seal on the reverse, though Patterson did not use a seal bearing any identification.

 

Lot 3295: Collection of U. S. Mint Reports 1795-1877
Published by order of the House of Representatives, annual reports on the State of the Mint (and what further measures are necessary to render the institution more beneficial).

Thirty two reports from 26 different years between 1795 and 1877. Year and (# pages): 1795 (15); 1797 (8); 1800 (contained in four page broadside edition of The Daily Advertiser published March 5, 1801, New York); 1802 (11); 1804 (7); 1816 (8); 1818 (10); 1819 (2 pieces: 6 & 4 pages); 1821 (2 pieces: 16 & 27 pages); 1829-30 (5); 1830 (27); 1831 (2 pieces: 3 & 29); 1832 (3); 1837 (10); 1838 (2 pieces, 4 pages); 1839 (60 pages); 1840 (10); 1841 (8); 1854 (2 pieces: 31 & 8); 1855 (20); 1862 (38); 1866 (40); 1867 (44); 1868 (42); 1871 (48); 1877 (61).

 
Lots 3326 and 3340

Lot 3326: Thomas Wyatt 1852 Letter Regarding Medals
Handwritten letter by Thomas Wyatt inquiring about receipt of American medals, including a Jefferson Medal. He even illustrated the size of the medals he sent. The recipient is unknown.

Lot 3340: Coins Coinage and Bullion by DuBois 1851
"New Varieties of Gold and Silver Coins, Counterfeit coins, and bullion; with mint values" by Jacob R. Eckfeldt and William E. Du Bois, assayers of the mint of the United States. Published by George P. Putnam, 155 Broadway. Hardbound, 80 pages plus 1852 Merchant and Banker's Almanac. To which is added "Pledges of History," a brief account of the collection of coins belonging to the Mint." Overall good condition, some tears to the edge binding.

 
Lots 3346 and 3347

Lot 3346: Annual Report Of Director Of Imperial Mint Japan
1874. The third annual report from Japan on the Imperial Mint, 1874. In plastic protective sleeve. Complete w/blue cover, binding is no longer holding, 32 pages. Some pages have sticky notes attached. In over all good condition, except for binding missing.

Lot 3347: 1804 Dollar Manuscript Written in 1904
Handwritten 4 x 7 inch pages labeled "1904 Manuscript." 14 pages of Discussion and investigation into the famous 1804 silver dollar. Discusses the thirteen known examples. Although no author could be discovered, it is a well written piece of numismatic journalism. More research is needed to discover the source.

For the complete sale, see:
The "Mint State" Americana & Numismatics Auction (2025 May) (https://holabirdamericana.liveauctiongroup.com/The-Mint-State-Americana-Numismatics-Auction-2025-May_a72190)

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