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I LOVE A NUMISMATIC MYSTERY!

By Ruth M. Phillips

CSNA LM 22-3

As an exonumist, I just love little pieces of interesting exonumia that occasionally fall into my hands. This happened recently when one of my vest-pocket dealer friends handed me a small copper medal the size of an Indian Head Cent and asked, "what is this and how much is it worth?" I am truly amazed at what people think I know about all things numismatic, simply because I am an officer in a state association!

I looked at the interesting medal and had never seen anything like it so I told him the truth and said, "I haven't a clue to what it is, but I want it. Is it for sale?" I told him I would research it and let him know what is was worth and pay him that price. He agreed and we shook hands on the deal. He gave me the medal and thus began my quest to solve the "mystery of the medal."

As I stated earlier, it is the exact size of an Indian Head Cent and was probably struck on a blank copper cent planchet. One of the things that caught my eye was the vine-like design on the outer edge of both sides of the medal. It was beautifully tooled and very attractive. On one side of the medal, inside the vine-like design, was the Lord's Prayer. What was printed on the other side of the medal, however, was what both puzzled and intrigued me. This is what was printed on the other side: STRUCK IN THE MAIN BUILDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, PHILA., ON THE FIRST STEAM COINING PRESS USED BY THE U. S. MINT. 1877.

What could this possibly be?

I know quite a few medal "experts" so I decided to make a few telephone calls to them to find out what I had. No one could give an answer as to what it was but they all said that medals of this type usually sold for around $15.00. I have no idea where they came up with this price, so I told my friend that I would pay him that amount if he wanted to sell it and he sold it to me.

I've shown the medal to quite a few people and all agree that it is very interesting, but no one knew what it was. However, one of them asked if had I looked it up on the Internet. I've heard that you can find almost anything on the Internet but never believed it until now! I tried all kinds of inquiries relating to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, but got no information on the medal. I had just about given up when I asked for information on Steam Coining Press. And "BINGO," I had the answer to what I was looking for.

This is what I found out...... The first steam powered coining press to be used at the United States Mint in Philadelphia was invented in France in 1833 by a Frenchman named Thonnelier. It was operated by steam where earlier presses were operated by hand. Philadelphian's Merrick, Agnew and Tyler imported the press in 1836 and when it arrived, Franklin Peale of the United States Mint, modified it to the mints specifications. The press was first operated on March 22, 1836. Robert Maskell Patterson, the Director of the Philadelphia Mint from 1835 to 1851, wrote the following report to President Andrew Jackson in 1837:

"On March 23, 1836, the first steam coinage in America was executed at this Mint and the performance of the press, in which the power of the lever is substituted for that of the screw, has answered all our expectations. Since that time, all the copper coins have been struck on this press, and it has been lately used with success for coining half-dollars. The workmen are now engaged in making other steam presses and as these are completed, coining by human labor will be abandoned and the work that can be executed in the Mint will be greatly increased."

The press uses a "toggle joint," a special type of link mechanism which yields great pressure, and produced 100 coins per minute. David Gilbert remodeled the coining press in 1858, but it was removed from service in 1875 when George B. Soley purchased it as an "historic relic." Mr. Soley was a diesinker and maintained a shop on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. For the next 30 years, he exhibited it for his own and the public's benefit, following the "fair circuit," throughout the nation.

In 1876, Soley displayed the press at the Centennial Exposition and used it to strike the Centennial medal that I have. In 1883, it appeared at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Southern Exposition in Louisville. In 1893, Soley exhibited the coining press at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, then in Buffalo for the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, and the St. Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. At these events, he struck small 13mm medalets usually with an official logo on one side and the "Lord's Prayer" on the other, which he sold for a quarter. AND SO MY NUMISMATIC MYSTERY WAS SOLVED!

The Franklin Institute purchased the coining press from Mrs. George B. Soley in 1927, reconditioned and motorized it, and moved it to its Science Museum in 1933 where it was used to strike aluminum tokens for visitors.

On March 22, 2000, The Franklin Institute celebrated the 164th anniversary of the first strikings on this press. It was moved from the first floor of the Museum to the Rotunda, where commemorative medals were struck to celebrate the anniversary event.

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is very interested in this press, as it is one of the truly historic gems of the numismatic world. In August of 2000, the press appeared at a special exhibit at the ANA Convention in Philadelphia. The Franklin Institute has since loaned the coining press to the ANA for a period of five years for exhibit at the ANA Museum in Colorado Springs, CO, who is striking commemorative medals on it for visitors to the Museum.

I am indebted to my friend, Cameron Kiefer, who recently attended the ANA Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, and brought me a picture of the coining press as it stands today in the Museum and a sample of the current commemorative medal.

This article is the result of my curiosity and has been a truly educational experience. When you find something that piques your interest, run with it! You never know where the journey will lead you or what you will learn on the way.