More From the 1850s
Q. David Bowers
- May 15, 1998
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One of my favorite occupations is browsing through 19th century book and newspapers (sometimes while listening to a small 6-rank Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ which has its own chamber at one side of our library). Recently, in some dusty and water-stained old copies of Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, the following caught my eye (for some entries, current comments are added in italics after the publication dates).
- Counterfeit ten dollar gold pieces are numerous in Cincinnati. (January 10, 1852, p.31)
Cincinnati was either a rich ground for the distribution of counterfeits in the 19th century, or else a newspaper editor had a sharp eye for them in that location, for quite a few notices of such pieces bear that dateline.
- Counterfeit silver dollars and half dollars of the United States stamp are in circulation at Cincinnati. (February 7, 1852, p.95)
- The reports of the Dahlonega Branch Mint the past year, show the receipt of gold to have been $379,000, of which $214,000 was from California. (February 14, 1852, p.111)
I was not aware that California gold bullion was sent far inland to the Dahlonega Mint in Georgia, never mind that California gold accounted for more than half of the metal received there! Interesting!
- HARD NAMES.-The call their paper money bad names in Wisconsin. The Madison Argus speaks of "Richmond's irresponsible red dog, blue pup and sick monkey paper issues!" (March 20, 1852, p.189)
Such names are interesting and would make a good subject for a future article. Most probably, the "red" and "blue" notations had something to do with the color of certain notes became worthless. Somewhat related is this comment by Lyman H. Low in the American Journal of Numismatics, July 1898, although the venue is New York: "Red dog was a term for worthless small paper money notes of the late 1830s, also called "shin plasters." The term may have originated "from bills with red edges, put out by one Jacob Barker, of New York, who on a certain occasion when asked to redeem his pledges, replied with much indifference that as soon as he could possibly make arrangements to do so, he would publish an advertisement to that effect." In his 1949 work, BankNote Reporters, William H. Dillistin commented that the term blue pup was slang for a bank note, often worthless, especially certain Michigan bank notes that had a blue stamp on their backs. Sick monkey is a new term to us!
Q. David Bowers has been in the rare coin business since 1953 when he was a teenager. The author has served as president of the American Numismatic Association (1983-1985) and president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (1977-1979), is a recipient of the highest honor bestowed by the ANA (the Farran Zerbe Award), was the first ANA member to be named Numismatist of the Year (1995), has been inducted into the Numismatic Hall of Fame (at the ANA Headquarter in Colorado Springs), is a recipient of the highest honor bestowed by the Professional Numismatists Guild (The Founders' Award), and has received more "Book of the Year Award" and "Best Columnist" honors given by the Numismatic Literary Guild than any other writer. He has has written over 40 books, hundreds of auction and other catalogues, and several thousand articles.
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