1849 The Philadelphia Mint Strikes Gold

The struggles of the U.S. Mint in the first half of the 19th century

Noted researcher Michael Moran, author of Striking Change: The Great Artistic Collaboration of Theodore Roosevelt and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, joined by gold specialist Jeff Garrett, provides his findings on the struggles of the U.S. Mint in the first half of the 19th century and the underestimated impact that the 1848 discovery of gold in California had upon such a financial institution and, consequently, our nation as a whole. From early struggles for adequate facilities and machinery for coining in Philadelphia to dramatic political arguments fought in Washington, D.C., the considerable evolution of the Mint and the country's coins and medals has never before been revealed like this.