Copper Coinage Act of 1792 explained

Shorttitle:	Copper Coinage Act of 1792
Longtitle:	An Act to provide for a Copper Coinage.
Enacted By:	2nd
Effective Date:	May 8, 1792
Cite Statutes At Large:	, Chap. 39
Introducedin:	Senate^[1]
Introducedby:	Paine Wingate^[2] (F–NH)
Introduceddate:	May 8, 1792
Signedpresident:	George Washington
Signeddate:	May 8, 1792

Copper Coinage Act of 1792 is a United States statute authorizing copper coinage to be engraved and issued by the United States Mint. The Act of Congress confirmed the procurement of copper not to exceed a weight of 150ST. The United States Mint procured a shipment of copper at a weight of 15ST as endorsed by the first director of the mint David Rittenhouse.^{[3] [4]}

In 1792, the United States Mint petitioned Henry Voigt as the Chief Coiner providing craftsmanship as an artwork engraver for the United States copper coinage and early American currency.^{[5] [6]} Mr. Rittenhouse commissioned the artisan talents of Robert Scot and Joseph Wright to assist the skillful engraving efforts of Henry Voigt as the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.

Declaration of the Act

Copper Coinage Act of 1792 was penned as two sections providing authorizations and rulings for the issuance of authentic copper currency by the United States Mint.

• U.S. Mint Director, appointed and endorsed by the Coinage Act of 1792, was authorized to contract and purchase a quantity of a group 11 element being pure or unalloyed copper. The coinage metal was to be defined as a federal standard having a consistency in uniformity and weight.^{[7] [8]}
• Copper purchase quantity not to exceed a weight of 150ST
• Copper to be coined into cents as authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792
• U.S. Mint Director to publish when a monetary sum has been paid into the United States Treasury
• Forfeiture of copper planchets offered as milled coinage holding incredulous purchasing power which was not issued from the new foundry of the United States Mint

Copper Coin Contract of 1787

James Jarvis was a coin minter utilizing artistic repoussé and chasing techniques in Colonial America. In 1785, Abel Buell and James Jarvis established a currency mint in New Haven, Connecticut sustaining operations of milled coinage until 1788.^[9]

On April 21, 1787, the Continental Congress endorsed a contract for 300ST of copper coin being of federal standard from James Jarvis.^[10] The copper coinage was milled as the first standardized coin of Colonial America known as the Fugio cent.^{[11] [12]}

Correspondence affirming a narrative concerning the Copper Coin Contract of 1787 with James Jarvis:

• Continental Congress . April 9, 1787 . Report of Board of Treasury on Proposals for Coining Copper . Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 . 32 . Monday, April 9, 1787 . 160-164.
• Continental Congress . April 21, 1787 . Report on Copper Coinage of 1787 . Board of Treasury to contract copper coin of Federal standard from James Jarvis . Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 . 32 . Saturday, April 21, 1787 . 223–225.
• Web site: To Alexander Hamilton from Samuel Broome . Broome . Samuel . August 13, 1788 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: To George Washington from the Board of Treasury . Board of Treasury (New York) . June 10, 1789 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: To Alexander Hamilton from James Jarvis . Jarvis . James . February 10, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: To George Washington from John Bailey . Bailey . John . April 17, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: To Alexander Hamilton from James Jarvis . Jarvis . James . March 19, 1791 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: A Historical Account of Connecticut Currency, Continental Money, and the Finances of the Revolution . Bronson, M.D. . Henry . 1865 . Chapter XIII: First United States Coinage ~ Connecticut Coppers . Internet Archive . New Haven Colony Historical Society . 175-182.
• Web site: James Jarvis and the Fugio Coppers . Douglas . Damon G. . 1949 . Unpublished Manuscript with Corrections . Internet Archive . American Numismatic Society. ^[13]

Diplomatic correspondence concerning early American copper coinage

• Web site: To Benjamin Franklin from Edward Bridgen . Bridgen . Edward . September 17, 1779 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: The American Peace Commissioners to Robert R. Livingston . American Peace Commissioners . December 20, 1782 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: From Benjamin Franklin to Robert R. Livingston . Franklin . Benjamin . December 24, 1782 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: To George Washington from John Fitch and Henry Voigt . Fitch . John . Voigt . Henry . February 26, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: John H. Mitchell to Thomas Tudor Tucker . Mitchell . John H. . March 22, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
• Web site: Editorial Note: Report on Copper Coinage . Jefferson . Thomas . April 14, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

See also

• • Bullion Hôtel des Monnaies, Paris
  • Matthew Boulton James Watt
• Colony of Connecticut Trader's Currency
• Jean-Pierre Droz
  • Committee of Five John Bailey
  • Copper Panic of 1789 Philadelphia Mint
  • Tench Coxe Vermont copper
• Continental Committee for United States Copper Coinage
  • William Samuel Johnson
  • Rufus King
  • William Pierce
  • Abraham Clark
  • Charles Pettit

External links

• • • Web site: George Washington: Special Message - January 29, 1796 . Peters,Gerhard . Woolley, John T . The American Presidency Project . University of California - Santa Barbara.
• Web site: Mint Act of 1800 – P.L. 6-34 . 6th United States Congress . April 24, 1800 . 2 Stat. 53 ~ Chapter XXXIV . USLaw.Link.

Notes and References

1. 2nd United States Congress . May 8, 1792 . Copper Coinage Act of 1792 . Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, First Session, 1789-1793 . I . Tuesday, May 8, 1792 . U.S. Library of Congress . 605–606.
2. 2nd United States Congress . May 8, 1792 . Copper Coinage Act of 1792 . Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, First Session, 1789-1793 . I . Tuesday, May 8, 1792 . U.S. Library of Congress . 442.
3. Web site: To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson . Jefferson . Thomas . June 20, 1792 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
4. Web site: From George Washington to David Rittenhouse . Washington . George . July 9, 1792 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
5. Web site: To George Washington from Henry Voigt . Voigt . Henry . April 13, 1792 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
6. Web site: To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson . Jefferson . Thomas . June 9, 1792 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
7. Web site: Report on Copper Coinage . Jefferson . Thomas . April 14, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
8. Web site: To Alexander Hamilton from Tench Coxe . Coxe . Tench . November 15, 1790 . Founders Online . U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
9. Web site: 1788 Connecticut and Federal Mint Account Book . Platt . Jeremiah . 1788 . Internet Archive . New Haven, Connecticut Museum.
10. Web site: Copper Coinage Contract and James Jarvis . April 21, 1787 . Congress of the Confederation . United States Library of Congress . 90898265.
11. Copper Coinage Stamp as Fugio Cent . July 6, 1787 . Congress of the Confederation . Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 . XXXII . United States Library of Congress . 05000059 . 303-304.
12. Web site: Money in Colonial Times . Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
13. Book: Douglas, Damon G. . September 9, 2021 . [{{google books|GPW1zgEACAAJ|plainurl=y}} James Jarvis and the Fugio Coppers [unpublished Manuscript With Corrections] ]. Creative Media Partners, LLC. . 978-1013498886.