Q.David Bowers
For the first several years of the Mint's operation copper presented a severe problem. Despite newspaper advertisements, amounts acquired were sparse. Toward the end of November 1792 Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Washington requesting that copper be- imported from Sweden. Washington approved of this but suggested that the search not be limited to just one country abroad. On April 23, 1795, over 1,000 pounds of copper Talbot, Allum & Lee tokens were received by the Mint. From these, planchets for half cents were cut out. Later, in 1800, 5,750 half cents were struck on planchets made from misstruck United States cents. The entire production of 1802 half cents was accomplished the same way. One United States half cent is known overstruck on a copper half cent of Massachusetts, indicating another source. In 1796 the director of the Mint ordered 10 tons of sheet copper from which planchets were cut in England. On October 20, 1796, the director wrote to William 1. Coltman, the London supplier, stating that the planchets had arrived on the Rebecca and were badly executed, "being cut from coarse rolled sheet copper almost as rough as cast iron and not clean."
In 1797 15 tons of planchets were ordered from Boulton & Watt of Birmingham, England. These arrived on the Adriana and were in excellent condition. During the same year a substantial quantity of planchets amounting to 9,296 pounds weight arrived from the Governor & Company of Copper Miners on the William Penn and was stated to be a very poor lot. The planchets were bulged at the center, making them convex on one side and concave on the other. They had to be cleaned and processed before coinage. This was the second group of poor planchets from the same company. Following this experience, nearly all later orders were placed with Boulton & Watt. The planchets, milled (with raised rims to facilitate the movement of metal in coinage), were shipped to the Philadelphia Mint in wooden kegs. These same kegs were later used to reship cents from the Mint to various banks and other outlets.
On March 1, 1793, the first coins were delivered by the chief comer of the United States Mint to the treasurer. The initial shipment consisted of 11,178 cents. The first deposit of silver bullion at the Mint was made on July 18, 1794, by the Bank of Maryland and consisted of slightly over $80,000 worth of silver coins of France. On October 15, 1794 the first silver coins were sent by the chief coiner. The shipment consisted of 1,758 silver dollars. On December 1st 5,300 half dollars were shipped. These two groups comprised the majority of the silver coinage of the 1794 year.
On February 12, 1795, Moses Brown, a Boston merchant, made the first gold bullion deposit at the Mint, a group of ingots totalling $2,276.22. On July 31, 1795, the first gold coins were sent from the chief coiner to the treasurer; a group of 744 half eagles. The first eagles, a group of 400 pieces, were delivered on September 22nd of the same year.
Prior to the commencement of coinage at the Mint it was desired to acquire the services of Jean Pierre Droz as the chief engraver. Correspondence from Jefferson to various European intermediaries sought to employ Droz, but the engraver was beset by personal problems and changing ideas, so his employment never materialized. He did, however, assist with the procurement of coining presses in England.
Joseph Wright, a portrait painter, was the first engraver to be named for a position at the Mint. Before he received his official appointment, although he worked at the Mint in the meantime, he succumbed to yellow fever in September 1793. Henry Voigt, the chief coiner, prepared certain dies during the same year. Robert Scot was named by Jefferson to be the first official chief engraver of the institution. Scot continued until late 1823 or early 1824.
David Rittenhouse, the first director of the Mint, served until June 1795. In July of the same year his successor, Henry William DeSaussure, took office. He remained only until October. From that point until July 1805, Elias Boudinot filled the position. Following his term, Robert Patterson was director of the Mint from January 1806 to July 1824.
Expenses of the infant Mint were high, production was irregular, deliveries were often inconsistent, and many other problems arose. From time to time outside proposals for a contract coinage were received'. Earlier, Matthew Boulton proposed his services in Birmingham, England, but as the right of coinage was important to the United States, his overtures were refused. At the time the coins and tokens produced by Boulton & Watt were of superb quality and finish, far above those subsequently produced by the Philadelphia Mint.
On January 18, 1795, Albion Cox, the assayer of the Mint, replied to inquiries given him by Director of the Mint Elias Boudinot, who was in charge of a Congressional committee looking into the situation at the Mint. Unfortunately, the original questions do not survive, but Cox's reply gives an indication of the situation:
I enclose to you my answers to different questions communicated to me as assayer of the Mint-the last question put to me in a trying situation. I do not wish to condemn but if a remedy is not pointed out to alter the present proceedings of the Mint I anticipate its destruction very shortly-three years has very nearly elapsed since the Institution was first made-more than twenty thousand dollars has been expended in Complex Machinery-without producing 1/2 that sum in Coins-I will take the liberty of recommending to you a practical man who operated in the Jersey Coppers-he will give you such Information with respect to the proceedings of coinage as will appear almost Increditable when contrasted with the present proceedings-I mean this only that you may be acquainted with defects & see the remedy & apply it-
I declare to you Sr that I have no personal enmity ag't any officer of the Mint-but the nature of my obligations to the pub lick requires me to give every Information in my power to remedy the defects in the Institution of which I am concerned as a publick Officer-I should have endeavored to have made such remarks as have come under my knowledge but accidentally meeting this person Friday even'g-who is much better inform' d than I possibly can be & who is willing to communicate his knowledge regarding the practice of Coinage in England-this Information I trust Sr will remain in yr own breast & not be communicated; if any question should arise from my answers I shou'd be glad to answer them personally ...
The person I allude to is Jno Harper now very extensively in the Saw making business near the Iron works at Trenton-he will return to Trenton on Wednesday-I will communicate anything to him should you think proper.
Possibly as a result of the previous correspondence, John Harper, who in the meantime had been an adviser and a supplier to the Mint, wrote a proposal to the institution on November 4, 1795:
I propose to engage with you or any other gentleman on the following terms-that is to say-to receive sheet copper of the right size-and coin the same into cents complete for circulation at the rate of $80 per ton. To return the same in cents and shruff, deducting twenty-five pounds in each ton for waste. I will also forge and harden all the dies, beds, and punches for the same.