BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Museum of American History -- Exhibit: Stories on Money

DC -- Natl Museum of American History -- Exhibit: Stories on Money:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SIAHMO_110704_018.JPG: First American Paper Currency: The persistent lack of metal led to issuing official paper money -- the first of its kind by a government outside China.
2. SIAHMO_110704_025.JPG: 1776-1861: Money for a New Nation: Fighting the American Revolution was expensive. Paper money -- an ingenious substitute for coins -- saved the day. At the war's end, people hoped for a coin-based economy, but precious metal remained hard to find. The first U.S. Mint private banks, states, and other entities all sought a dependable, expandable monetary system for a growing nation. They found a solution in paper money.
3. SIAHMO_110704_029.JPG: A Blizzard of Paper: Lack of metal plagued federal efforts to monetize the nation. Private banks issued their own paper, raising awareness of the communities they served. Even the Orphan Institute's Bank, with buildings to repair, joined in.
4. SIAHMO_110704_043.JPG: Cold, Hard Cash: The first Mint at Philadelphia strived for one unified coinage, but lack of metal hampered its efforts. A variety of coins from fledgling states and foreign countries helped people make it through the early days.
5. SIAHMO_110704_052.JPG: 1824-1875: Gold! Gold, first discovered in the southeastern United States before 1800, next in California in 1848, and finally across the West, provided the raw material to make gold coins. Private minters made the first coins, but eventually the federal government took control. These coins tell stories about how the gold rush forever changed commerce, confidence, and communities in America.
6. SIAHMO_110704_057.JPG: First Gold: Gold was first discovered in the Carolinas and Georgia. That gold -- and these coins -- inspired other people to look for more.
7. SIAHMO_110704_065.JPG: Liberty Returns: Traditional designs like Liberty and the American eagle were adopted by private minters.
8. SIAHMO_110704_071.JPG: New Denominations: The abundance of gold inspired new denominations. One-, twenty-, and fifty-dollar gold coins appeared.
9. SIAHMO_110704_089.JPG: Risky Cargo: Miners soon discovered that paper notes were safer and lighter to travel with than gold nuggets, dust, or ingots.
10. SIAHMO_110704_100.JPG: 1861-Present: Rebuilding America's Money: The Civil War led to a major makeover in America's money. Greenbacks -- the first national paper money since the Revolutionary War -- paved the way for changes in design and denominations. By 1907 those designs seemed stale, so President Theodore Roosevelt led the charge for yet another new era of money.
11. SIAHMO_110704_107.JPG: Greenbacks and Government: Before the Civil War, many entities could issue paper money. By war's end, Congress deemed that only the federal government could issue it. Greenbacks, with their unique color, were designed to foil counterfeiters. Later notes changed in size, design, and anti-counterfeiting features.
12. SIAHMO_110704_112.JPG: Greenbacks and Government: Before the Civil War, many entities could issue paper money. By war's end, Congress deemed that only the federal government could issue it. Greenbacks, with their unique color, were designed to foil counterfeiters. Later notes changed in size, design, and anti-counterfeiting features.
13. SIAHMO_110704_140.JPG: Major Makeover: Inspired by the artistry found on ancient coins, President Theodore Roosevelt spurred a movement for coinage redesign. Between 1907 and 1921, new, dynamic interpretations replaced outdated concepts. The new coins broadcast vitality and confidence -- not only to Americans but to the entire world.
14. SIAHMO_110704_181.JPG: By Popular Demand: People invent and re-invent ideas about money based on perceptions of value, actual circumstances, and societal agreements. To our eyes, the $100,000 bill may look the most "valuable," but during the Great Depression in 1933, a clamshell worth $1 was the only available money in some communities. The More Things Change... Today, credit cards are preferred over cash for their convenience, the Euro is accepted by many nations, and we readily swap cash for smart cards. The colonists would have preferred blue beads, a piece of silver, even a block of tea. So what is money and how has our perception of its value changed over time? What's Money Worth? In ancient Egypt, an octadrachm was worth its weight in gold. A credit card has no intrinsic value, yet its convenience makes it preferred by many.
15. SIAHMO_110704_205.JPG: Special coins called "trade dollars" were made between 1873 and 1878. This one was created for use in China. However, this early attempt in common trade currency was abandoned.
16. SIAHMO_110704_213.JPG: America's Legendary Coins: The legendary coins in the National Numismatic Collection took unusual paths to stardom. A single coin escapes a meltdown and survives to tell the tale, exquisite artistry sets one Lady Liberty apart from thousands, or an illegal issue goes underground and then resurfaces with rock-star status. Here are some of our favorite legendary coins.
17. SIAHMO_110704_215.JPG: 50 Dollar "Half Union" Patterns, 1877 Each of these coins is unique -- notice that Liberty's head is slightly larger on the coin to the right. Neither version ever made it into circulation because hard times hit, eliminating the need for such a large denomination. These patterns, or trial strikes, are all that remain in gold.
18. SIAHMO_110704_221.JPG: Brasher Doubloon, 1787 This coin was made by New York goldsmith Ephraim Brasher, a neighbor of George Washington. Exactly why it was made is unclear except that Washington may have requested it. Only seven are known to exist.
19. SIAHMO_110704_232.JPG: 5 Dollars, 1822 While nearly eighteen thousand five-dollar gold pieces dated 1822 were produced at the Mint, almost all were melted down. This is one of only three survivors.
20. SIAHMO_110704_240.JPG: 20 Dollars, 1907 (pattern) Lady Liberty strides confidently on this ultra-high-relief coin designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Fewer than two dozen were struck.
21. SIAHMO_110704_248.JPG: 50 Dollar Humbert Octagonal, 1851 Gold slugs -- huge round or eight-sided pieces of gold -- were minted in San Francisco during the early 1850s. This one is a special striking whose intended recipient is lost to history.
22. SIAHMO_110704_255.JPG: Dollar, 1804 (class one) The Mint never circulated silver dollars dated 1804. This coin was made in 1834 from a die that was backdated to 1804. This unusual gesture created magnificent souvenirs that were given to dignitaries. Only eight are known.
23. SIAHMO_110704_263.JPG: Dollar, 1804 (class two) This coin was one of several struck around 1859, perhaps by a Mint employee seeking personal profit. His plan to sell these re-strikes as original rarities was revealed, and all but this one were melted down.
24. SIAHMO_110704_269.JPG: Dollar, 1804 (class three) From 1859 through the 1870s, Mint employees made at least six more 1804 dollars. These coins were struck from a new reverse die.
25. SIAHMO_110704_275.JPG: 5 cents, 1913 Only five of these Liberty Head nickels were made. Three are in private collections, and two are now in museums.
26. SIAHMO_110704_282.JPG: 20 Dollars, 1854 S (proof) This coin was the first struck at the new mint in San Francisco. It is unique -- the only one known to exist.
27. SIAHMO_110704_289.JPG: 20 Dollars, 1849 (pattern) Many considered this the most historically significant US coin because it is the very first federal twenty-dollar gold coin, also known as a double eagle, ever made.
28. SIAHMO_110704_300.JPG: 20 Dollars (Barber Design) This coin, designed by Charles Barber, was his version of the contender for America's most beautiful coin. Compare it with the 1907 design (far left) by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, considered by many to be the most artistic coin.
29. SIAHMO_110704_311.JPG: 20 Dollars, 1907 (pattern) People wondered if making an ultra-high-relief design smaller but thicker would make it easier to produce. It didn't, and most of the few samples made were melted down. This is one of just two surviving coins.
30. SIAHMO_110704_315.JPG: Continental Dollar, 1776 This pewter coin was slated for mass production in silver. The idea was abandoned because of the scarcity of the precious metal in Revolutionary America.
31. SIAHMO_110704_321.JPG: 50 Dollar Humbert Octagonal, 1851 Gold slugs -- huge round or eight-sided pieces of gold -- were minted in San Francisco during the early 1850s. This one is a special striking whose intended recipient is lost to history.
32. SIAHMO_110704_328.JPG: Immune Columbia, 1785 (pattern in gold) This is one of the most mysterious coins ever struck. We're still not certain who made it or why, but we do know that it was struck upon another coin, an English guinea. This specimen is the only one known in gold.
33. SIAHMO_110704_333.JPG: 5 Dollars, 1828 (proof) Proofs are showpieces struck by a mint to demonstrate the highest quality possible. It was uncommon to strike proofs in the early 1800s. This coin is unique.
34. SIAHMO_110704_342.JPG: 20 Dollars, 1933 Over 400,000 double eagles were minted early in 1933. When America went off the gold standard, these coins were ordered melted. Fewer than twenty survived. This is one of the Smithsonian's two specimens.
35. SIAHMO_110704_359.JPG: Power of Liberty: Since ancient times, images on coins have reflected the men and women who held power. But our first president, George Washington, rejected that tradition. He chose Lady Liberty instead, so that Americans could be inspired by the power of liberty, not the power of a president. Power of Freedom: Our first Liberty coin -- the 1793 cent -- signaled freedom to citizens in the new republic. The depiction of Liberty changes over time, but her message of freedom persists.
36. SIAHMO_110704_375.JPG: An Enduring Symbol: The United States did not invent the symbol of Lady Liberty. She is found on money in many nations, as far back as ancient Rome.
37. SIAHMO_110704_382.JPG: Actual Women on US Coins: Few American women have appeared on United States coins. Below are two examples. (Susan B Anthony [1979] and Sacagawea [2000].)
38. SIAHMO_110704_385.JPG: Actual Women on US Coins: Few American women have appeared on United States coins. Below are two examples. (Susan B Anthony [1979] and Sacagawea [2000].)
39. SIAHMO_110704_395.JPG: The Power of Kings and Queens: For thousands of years, rulers strengthened their power by putting their images on coins. Across empires, coins carried messages of prosperity, power, and patriotism from rules to citizens.
40. SIAHMO_110704_412.JPG: Spiritual Power: Some rulers have tried to enhance their power by associating themselves with deities. Spiritual images carry strong, familiar messages.
41. SIAHMO_110704_431.JPG: Stories on Money: Money evokes memories and stimulates imagination. It unlocks history and transports us over vast distances and spans of time. Money preserves stories of American history and reflects the birth of nations. Take a closer look and explore some stories about money. National Numismatic Collection: One of the largest, oldest, and most diverse collections of coins, currency and medals in the world, the NNC began as a private collection in the 1850s. Generations of Smithsonian curators have preserved more than 1.5 million objects, ranging from ancient to modern times. Stories on Money features historic items primarily from the American collection.
42. SIAHMO_110704_433.JPG: 1607-1765 Making Do in Colonial America: The first settlers in English North America found vast and valuable forests, but not enough precious metal to make their own coins. For people accustomed to an economy based on coins, this was a serious predicament. How did they survive? Back to Basics: Colonists survived by bartering and by adopting local money like wampum shells and nails. Tobacco, a cash crop, served as money when shipped to England in exchange for goods.
43. SIAHMO_110704_448.JPG: Circulating Foreign Coins: Coins from Spanish America and Europe were readily accepted. In the early American economy, these foreign coins gave colonists a glimpse of Latin American and European cultures.
44. SIAHMO_110704_460.JPG: Transforming Foreign Coins: The first coins struck in English North America were made by melting down silver coins, like the Bolivian eight reals, from Spanish America. The simple inscription NE (for New England) was all that indicated the origin of Massachusetts's first coin. The Willow, Oak, and Pine Tree shillings followed.
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Description of Subject Matter: Stories on Money
June 11, 2009 – Indefinitely
Through objects from the museum's National Numismatic Collection, this exhibition explores the development and meaning behind American coinage and currency and demonstrates the interplay among people, money, and history from the earliest times to the present.

America's Money shows what money looked like in colonial America and at pivotal times in the nation's history, including the gold rush, the Great Depression, and the current era. It also compares coins from the 19th century with those produced during the renaissance of American coinage in the early 20th century.
The Power of Liberty features an array of coins from the U.S. and around the world depicting Liberty, the feminine personification of freedom, as well as coins featuring real and mythological women.

Interactive stations allow visitors to view enlarged images and learn more about numismatic history.
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