In 1778, when George Vancouver sailed under Captain Cook on his exploration of the Sandwich Islands, he was well into his career as a renowned explorer. After Cook’s death, Vancouver was given command of the British ship Discovery and... read more »
Alabama, first explored by the Spanish in 1540 and settled by the French in 1702, was still a part of the American frontier in the early 19th century. But the frontier areas, with land cheap and plentiful and an influx of migrants from the... read more »
No one ever disputed that the city of Albany, New York was a pleasant enough place to live and worthy of its residents’ pride. Yet, in the mid 1930s, those who believed that commemorative coinage programs had gotten out of hand needed... read more »
The date of September 17, 1862 is remembered as the single bloodiest day of the American Civil War, as Federal forces under the command of General George B. McClellan countered the advance of Confederate troops led by General Robert E. Lee.... read more »
The Arkansas half dollar is a good example of a worthy project discredited through greed and poor management. Although this issue was the product of a state-sanctioned committee, this group’s actions were more in character for racketeers.... read more »
Of the many different themes which have appeared on United States commemorative coins, by far the most common are those pertaining to historic anniversaries, such as the Pilgrim Tercentenary and the Sesquicentennial of American Independence.... read more »
In retrospect it seems an inconsequential act to honor the distinguished African-American educator Booker T. Washington. At the time, however, this was a fairly bold move for a nation that in many places still maintained legal segregation... read more »
It wasn’t too many years ago that Daniel Boone was one of the best known figures in American history. This was due in no small part to a popular television series about his adventures that featured Fess Parker in the title role. Today,... read more »
More than one writer has noted the appropriateness of depicting showman P. T. Barnum on a commemorative half dollar. The saying “There’s a sucker born every minute” has been attributed to Barnum, and by the time that this issue was... read more »
The discovery of gold in California in 1848 focused attention on that western territory as few other events ever could. The siren call of “riches for the taking” spread rapidly around the world. Tens of thousands caught “gold fever,”... read more »
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