SOPHIA HOLMES, FIRST BLACK FEMALE FED

In 1862, an African American woman named Sophia Brown Holmes (c. 1825–1900), who was working as a janitor in the Treasury Department, discovered a box of unguarded currency while cleaning. The large stack included bills with denominations as high as $1,000, an enormous sum of money at the time. Ms. Holmes faced a difficult choice: she feared she could be accused of theft if she tried to report the discovery and was found carrying the money. Instead, knowing that Mr. Spinner routinely made evening rounds, she waited until he arrived. When Spinner came to the Treasury building, she handed him the stack of notes and explained the situation.

Deeply impressed and touched by her honesty, Mr. Spinner took the unprecedented step of promoting Holmes to the position of messenger, making her the first African American woman formally employed by the federal government. President Abraham Lincoln even commended her act of integrity. This appointment marked a significant milestone in the history of African Americans and women in federal service.

Sophia Holmes would go on to have a long and respected career in the Treasury Department, serving under nine presidential administrations over 32 years. She passed away in 1900 in Washington, D.C., and is now remembered as a trailblazer and a symbol of integrity.

Like Sophia Holmes's legacy, Spinner's represents a moment in American history when character, trust, and opportunity intersected to create lasting change not just in the Treasury but also in the broader scope of civil service.

To read the complete article, see:
General Francis E. Spinner and Fractional Currency (https://www.numismaticnews.net/general-francis-e-spinner-and-fractional-currency)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW SIGNATURES APPEAR ON U.S. BANKNOTES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n50a29.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web