How $75 of Jefferson’s silver sparked the U.S. Mint
- Published: Mar 20, 2017, 8 AM

It’s a wrap!
The latest Coin World Monthly issue, dated April 3, 2017, has been sent to the presses, and we have a quick preview of some of the Coin World Monthly exclusives, including our in-depth cover feature on the origins of the U.S. Mint, found in our latest digital edition.
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Thomas Jefferson’s Walk to Remember
On the morning of July 11, 1792, U.S. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson took a two-block stroll through the streets of Philadelphia, on him $75 worth of his own silver.
The metal in his possession was on its way to the fledgling U.S. Mint, where it would be melted down and turned into 1,500 1792 half dismes: the very first circulating coin of the U.S. government under authority of the federal Mint.
225 years later, the U.S. Mint, celebrating a milestone anniversary, has produced untold billions of circulating U.S. coinage and an extensive roster of commemorative coins, historical medals and bullion investment products.
But it’s the Mint’s humble roots, and the founding father who is most identified with them, that are the focus of the latest Coin World cover feature by Joel Orosz.
Coins Come in More Than Metal
Coins are made of metal. Everyone knows that.
But not all coins. And not everyone knows that.
Mark Benvenuto introduces readers to coins made from bamboo, porcelain, even coal, in his deep dive on alternative-material coins.
Looking Beyond the Price Realized
A Russian billionaire hires a personal art dealer, who buys on the billionaire’s behalf a Post-Impressionist masterpiece in 2008 for $85 million, then sells it on his behalf in 2017 for $25.3 million.
The billionaire gets mad and accuses the dealer of fraud. The dealer says the billionaire got what he wanted at prices he agreed to pay.
Steve Roach writes in his latest Investment Column, “Just as there is a cautionary tale here about getting advice from an expert, there is also a lesson about the challenges in valuing the top of any market.”
That, of course, includes the rare coin market.
Meet One of the Coin Hobby’s Most Prolific Writers
Kevin Flynn’s day job is a software engineer at MIT. His side gig is writing numismatic books.
If you can call it a side gig.
Flynn has put years into producing the massive series of The Authoritative Reference books featuring in-depth research on multiple U.S. coin series.
Coin World managing editor William T. Gibbs interviewed Flynn in our latest Editor’s Q&A, asking the author what inspired his book series, how many more books he has planned, and what his favorite U.S. coin series is.
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