LOST MINT DOCUMENTS FOUND

The current Finding Aid for Record Group 104, United States Mint, is the "Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of the Mint" compiled by Forrest R. Holdcamper, January 1968, as identified on the cover page.

The final 26 pages of this Finding Aid consist of degraded photocopies of several hundred documents that were collected at the Philadelphia Mint by WPA employees sometime before October 12, 1936, and later compiled by L. J. Holverstott (May 1, 1947). Almost all of the listed documents are of a general correspondence nature and would be expected to be at NARA Philadelphia in RG104 Entry 1 "General Correspondence, 1792-1899." However, they have not been found.

Researchers in RG104 have long wondered if these documents were at the Philadelphia Mint, on rotating display at some Government building, or possibly lost. Inquiries of NARA Archivists were unsuccessful.

In an attempt to locate these documents, the writer made a complete transcription of the 26 page list at the end of the current Finding Aid. Although many entries were nearly illegible, the writer matched key words and names against the writer's database of digitized RG104 documents. This resulted in cross matches of identical or similar documents (by date, subject, correspondents) that had been misfiled.

The result is that the writer discovered that almost all of the documents exist. They were returned to Philadelphia NARA RG104 E-1, but not refiled in chronological order. Instead, they were put into file boxes #203, 204 and 205 and "added" to the end of the long run of Entry 1 "General Correspondence, 1792-1899" with only an obscure box label to identify them.

• Charges by George Breining, workman at Mint, against Chief Coiner, Henry Voigt. (1833)
• John Appleton, Asst. Secretary of State, to James Ross Snowden, Director of the Mint, relative to cost of striking medals. (1859)
• Fred. T. Frelinghuysen, Dept. of State, to Hon. Charles J. Folger, enclosing an impression of the great seal of the U.S. (1882)
• Samuel Moore to Franklin Peale, relating to trip to Europe on behalf of the United States Mint. (1833)
• Rufus Tyler, New Orleans, to Dr. R. M. Patterson, Director of the Mint, submitting his views in re incompetency of the Supt. Mr. Bradford, etc. (1839)
• Letter of recommendation from D. Hord, Chief Engineer, N.O. & N. R.R. to Dr. R. M. Patterson, Director of the Mint, recommending Philos B. Tyler for Coiner in New Orleans Mint. (1839)
• R. M.P. to Rufus Tyler, New Orleans, regarding spread of yellow fever among employees of the New Orleans Mint. (1839)
• John Forsyth, Secretary of State, to Samuel Moore, Director of Mint, authorizing preparation of 2 sets of coins of the United States with instructions for delivering same. (1835)
• R.P.M., Dir. to Hon. George W. Crawford, Sec. of War, regarding the engaging of C.C. Wright, of New York, for engraving the dies for Gen. Scott and Gen. Taylor Medals.(1849)
• Press copy of letter from James Ross Snowden, Dir. of the Mint, Phila., to John C. Deveraux, Esq., Phila., re-establishment of Medal Dept. (1854)
• Henry Voigt, Chief Coiner, report to Director of the Mint January 12, 1798, requesting more horsepower.
• Original letter from inventor Contamin describing the first die cutting machine purchased by the U.S. Mint from Paris, dated November 1, 1836.
• Framed letter dated December 11, 1848 D/M Patterson from Hon. Robt. J. Walker Sec. Tr. on first deposit gold from California
• Draft of Rules for sale of American Medals and Cabinet Coins (unsigned), with price list of medals attached. (1873)

Roger adds:

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