Illustrated history of the United States mint: with a complete description of American coinage, from the earliest period to the present time
History
Illustrated history of the United States mint: with a complete description of American coinage, from the earliest period to the present time
Coinage -- United States; Mints -- United States
For the remainder of his life until his last illness, which began in
the fall of 1878, he worked incessantly. Under his hands the Bureau of
the Mints and the entire Coinage and Assay service were shaped in their
present form. Much is due to his official subordinates, but his was the
master mind, his the skillful and methodical direction, the studious and
laborious devotion to the duties and obligations of his high position
at the head of the Coinage Department of this great nation, which have
given the United States the best coinage system in the world. It was
Dr. Linderman who projected the “trade dollar,” solely for commerce,
and not intended to enter into circulation here. It was a successful
means of finding a market for our great surplus of silver, which Dr.
Linderman sought to send to Oriental countries rather than flood our own
and depreciate its fickle value. The old silver dollar by the Coinage
Act of 1873 was abolished. The codification of all the legislation of
Congress since the foundation of the Mint in 1792 was thus accomplished.
Other needed legislative enactments were passed by Congress on his
recommendations.
In 1877 Dr. Linderman wrote, and Putnam published, “Money and Legal
Tender in the United States,” a valuable and interesting contribution
to the science of finance, which was favorably received abroad as well
as here. The same year his official report presented one of the most
exhaustive, profound, and able efforts which has ever emanated from the
Government press. The fact that several of his reports were in use as
text books of technical information in some of the technical schools
(notably that at Harvard University), will serve to show the estimation
in which the late Dr. Linderman was held as an authority upon coinage,
mining, and finance. When the Japanese established their mint, that
government made him the liberal offer of $50,000 to stay in their country
one year and organize their mint service.
When M. Henri Cernuschi, the eminent financier and the Director of the
French Mint, was in this country in 1878, he said, “Dr. Linderman’s
name is as celebrated on the continent of Europe in connection with
his opinions on the double standard of metallic currency, as that of
Garibaldi in connection with the Italian revolution.”
In 1877 Dr. Linderman was appointed a commissioner, with power to name
two others, to investigate abuses in the San Francisco Mint and Custom
House. He appointed ex-Governor Low, of California, and Mr. Henry Dodge,
and this commission sat as a court of inquiry in San Francisco in 1877.
He returned to Washington in the autumn of that year. His report of the
commission was duly approved, and all the changes it advised were made by
the Government authorities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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