Newman Numismatic Portal intern Garrett Ziss provided the following article based on recently added digital content. Thanks!
-Editor
An 1883 letter from Chief of the Secret Service, James J. Brooks, to Superintendent of the Mint,
A. Loudon Snowden, mentions government operatives and inquiries set afoot. Even though
it sounds like an excerpt from a Sherlock Holmes novel, this National Archives correspondence,
recently transcribed by the Newman Portal, discusses the possibility of the U.S. Mint striking
coins for the country of Bolivia. The Mint was authorized to produce coins for foreign countries
as specified by an Act of Congress approved on January 29, 1874. However, the correspondence
raises questions about the authenticity of Bolivia’s petition and Brooks requests of Snowden
that no action be taken…as to the preparation of dies for the coining of Bolivian money.
Sixty years later, the outcome was much different when Bolivia was one of more than 20
countries for which the United States produced coins during World War II. Due to the global
economic challenges brought on by this War, many countries were unable to make their own
coins and the United States helped them maintain their monetary systems. During the War,
these foreign coins were produced at cost and did not yield any profit for the Mint. Between
July 1, 1942 and June 30, 1944, they produced 30 million Bolivian coins, evenly divided among
the denominations of 10, 20, and 50 centavos.
Image: 1942 50 centavos PCGS MS66+RD; Pasadena Collection Registry Set
Image: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1944, p. 53
Link to 3 pieces of correspondence regarding Bolivian coins:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/599780
Link to the Mint Report for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1943
https://archive.org/details/annualreportofte1943unit/page/40/mode/2up?q=Bolivia
Link to the Mint Report for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1944:
https://archive.org/details/AnnualReportOfTheDirectorOfTheMint1944/page/n55/mode/2up?
Wayne Homren, Editor
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