NEW BOOK: U.S. MINTING TECHNOLOGY 1793

As part of our on-going commitment to numismatic education, we are happy to offer EAC member Craig Sholley's book on early US minting technology. Why should you buy this book? We can think of no better words than those in the foreword by noted author John W. Dannreuther:

Those of us who know and have worked with Craig have firsthand experience about his dogged determination and analytical mind. No problem is too difficult or complex to solve. Steeped in the manufacturing world, as well as computer programming, solving issues is his forte. Digging into the historical records of the first United States Mint, Sholley dispelled numerous myths. Droz did not supply presses as some in the past have asserted and really had no connection to the mint. Searching the archives, the truth slowly unfolded. Matching records to reality is his specialty.

Using the available documents and depictions of minting equipment, Craig has coalesced his decades of analyzing the mint's records and inner workings into this work. The reader will experience a vivid depiction of mint technology and how the improvements over the years changed the coinage. From using only manpower for nearly every machine to the mechanization fueled by the Industrial Revolution, Sholley presents a timeline of the people involved and their contributions to the innovations.

This work will appeal to the casual numismatist, as well as those of us who like the minutiae of coins and how they are made. A technical approach to the subject is necessary but he breaks down the complex into readable and understandable text, as well as using depictions of the devices to illustrate how they worked. Putting together the discoveries of the past decades of his research, Craig brings alive the workmen and machines that struck our nation's coinage. Enjoy!

We would also like to note that Craig has donated the copyright to EAC, so all proceeds from the sale of his book will go to support club activities.

I chose 1840 as the cut-off for this booklet since that was the year Franklin Peale introduced the last of his improvements, transforming the mint from a largely hand-work shop typical of the 18th century into a mechanized manufactory of the industrial age. Future improvements were largely variations on those introduced by Peale, particularly the mechanized presses, rimming machines, and engraving equipment.

The principal sources for this work are the mint records in the National Archives, the July 17, 1852 issue of Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, Waldo Abbott's two-part article "Making Money" which appeared in the November and December 1861 issues of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, the mint report for 1896, and "The Art and Craft of Coinmaking, A History of Minting Technology" by Denis Cooper, a former Chief Engineer of the Royal Mint.

I will occasionally reference Don Taxay's "The U.S. Mint and Coinage," along with George C. Evans' "The History of the U.S. Mint and Coinage." However, they are only supplemental sources. Taxay's work, although quite good, contains a number of critical errors, especially on the equipment and processes of the first mint and Evans only covers processes and equipment circa 1890 to 1900. For those wishing an in-depth discussion of minting processes, I strongly recommend reading all of the aforementioned works starting with Taxay and Evans, followed by the 1896 mint report, then proceeding to Waldo Abbot's articles and the "Peale Report" available on the Newman Numismatic Portal. Finish with Cooper, whose work will tie it all together.

NEW BOOK: U.S. MINTING TECHNOLOGY 1793 - 1840