Money Museum

05/28/2026

1878 | Liberty Head Morgan Object # 103 ANA 1999.43.1

First issued in 1878, the Morgan dollar - designed by George T. Morgan - featured a bold heraldic reverse and an obverse Liberty modeled by teacher Anna Willess Williams. Although iconic today, its large size and weight made it unpopular in everyday circulation at the time.

Production was driven less by public demand than by federal silver purchases that were required under the Bland-Allison Act (and later the Sherman Silver Purchase Act), reflecting the political influence of western mining interests. Millions of Morgan dollars never circulated at all. Instead, they sat in Treasury vaults as bullion reserves. However, when released to collectors in the 1960s, the Morgan dollar fueled one of the strongest collector markets of any U.S. coin. Today, die varieties known as VAMs (after Van Allen and Mallis) make attribution a specialty field within Morgan dollar collecting.

💬 Do you have a favorite Morgan dollar or a memorable story about finding one in your collection?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4tn6rxH

05/27/2026

1877 CC | Double Eagle, Liberty Bust with coronet Object # 102 ANA 2023.4.191

The $20 double eagle, introduced under the Coinage Act of 1849 in response to the California Gold Rush, was the largest denomination ever struck at the Carson City Mint. Though Nevada is best known for its silver deposits, regional gold also justified establishing a western mint to convert gold bullion into coinage closer to its source.

Designed by James B. Longacre, the double eagle reflected the scale of western mineral wealth entering the national economy. Yet by 1877, lingering effects of the Panic of 1873 reduced coin production nationwide, contributing to lower mintages across several denominations.

That same year, economic tensions erupted into the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 - a reminder that access to money, wages, and industrial growth were deeply connected in the post-Civil War economy.

💬 Large gold coins like this were struck far from eastern financial centers. How did western mints change who controlled - and benefited from - America’s precious-metal economy?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4wiL9nD

05/26/2026

Pause the scroll we’ve got much better things for you to look at! 😉✨

The Edward C. Rochette Money Museum is proud to be a Blue Star Museum again this year! To say a huge thank you to our military community, we are offering free admission all summer long for active-duty military personnel and their families. 🇺🇸❤️

From rare numismatic artifacts to a mini-mint where kids can get their own keepsake, we are the perfect, budget-friendly summer stop for families and travelers visiting Colorado Springs.

Come explore history and the world of money with us! Check out the details on our website - link in bio.

https://www.money.org/money-museum/

05/26/2026

1876 | Indian Head Small Cent Object # 101 ANA 1977.6.42

Designed by James B. Longacre, the Indian Head cent presents an allegorical Liberty wearing a Native American-style feathered headdress, mimicking Longacre’s earlier “Indian Princess” motif on the $1 and $3 gold coins. The use of indigenous imagery reflects a broader post-Civil War search for symbols that distinguished the U.S. from Europe. The design intentionally pairs a uniquely “American” motif with a classical European-style portrait. Though the Mint Director, James Ross Snowden, reportedly found the combination stylistically inconsistent, it proved enduringly popular with the public.

In 1876, proof cent production rose to 1,150 pieces, likely boosted by interest surrounding the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, which celebrated the nation’s 100th anniversary and showcased new technologies such as Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone prototype.

💬 What other U.S. coins looked to indigenous imagery as a symbol of national identity distinct from Europe?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4wpl5Y8

05/25/2026

🇺🇸

This Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. 🇺🇸

Numismatics has helped preserve their legacy for centuries. Coins, medals, and other items pay tribute to those who exemplified valor beyond the call of duty and serve as a powerful reminder of sacrifice, courage, and national gratitude.

Explore military decorations throughout history on our website:
➡️ https://bit.ly/4uXUKie

05/22/2026

Lots are posted, place your bids! 🙌🪙

This month’s eBay auction runs until Thursday, May 28. Please Note: There won't be a Money Museum auction in June due to Summer Seminar.

All auction items are duplicates and primarily low-value specimens already represented in the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum collection. (No permanent collection items are being sold.)

ANA members receive a 20% discount on winning bids (excluding gold coins). All proceeds support the Museum’s educational mission.

Featured Lots:
1943 USA. Wartime Coin Collection of Steel Cents. American Legacy. Philadelphia. This set contains five steel cents from 1943 in a plastic holder. All are from the Philadelphia Mint.

1960 Andorra. 50 Diners. Carolus Magnus. Silver. X-5. 28 g. 38 mm. The obverse features the coat of arms of Andorra. The reverse features a portrait of Charlemagne facing left.

1884 USA. Seated Liberty Dime. Philadelphia Mint. Silver. KM-A92. 2.49 g. 17.9 mm. The obverse features Liberty seated facing left. The reverse features the denomination within a wreath. Engraver: Christian Gobrecht. Mint: Philadelphia, United States.

View lots and place your bids: https://ebay.to/4tQOfNk

05/22/2026

1875 S | Twenty Cents Seated Liberty | Object # 100 ANA 2023.4.94

The twenty-cent coin, sometimes called the “double dime,” was struck for just four years (1875-1878). The largest mintage was produced at the San Francisco Mint in 1875. Strongly supported by western silver interests, especially Nevada senator John P. Jones, the denomination reflected both the abundance of newly mined silver and a regional preference for metallic money over paper currency.

Theoretically, this denomination fit better into the decimal systems at two-tenths of a dollar, yet it proved unpopular. Its similarity in size and design to the quarter caused confusion in circulation. Americans, already accustomed to the “two-bits” tradition inherited from Spanish 8 reales, preferred to stick with the more familiar quarter dollar.

The short-lived denomination also foreshadowed larger national debates over silver coinage that later shaped legislation such as the Bland-Allison Act and helped drive the production of the Morgan dollar.

💬 Why do you think some coin denominations fail - like this 20¢ piece - even when they make logical sense within the monetary system?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4wlHMMG

05/21/2026

1874 S Liberty Seated Quarter | Object # 99 ANA 1992.79.1

The Coinage Act of 1873 slightly increased the weight of all U.S. silver coins to better align their bullion value with changing silver prices. To signal this adjustment—from 6.22 to 6.25 grams—the Mint added arrows beside the date on quarters struck in 1873 and 1874. Though removed again the following year, the arrows marked an important change in the coin’s metallic standard.

It was not the first time arrows served this purpose. In 1853, the Mint added arrows to several silver denominations, including the quarter, to indicate a reduction in weight intended to keep coins from being melted as silver prices rose. When the new standard stabilized, the arrows were removed in 1855. Their return in 1873 and 1874 signaled the opposite adjustment: a slight increase in silver weight. In this way, small design elements quietly communicated major monetary changes to the public.

💬 Small design changes can signal big economic adjustments. What other coins can you think of where tiny details reveal major changes in the nation’s monetary system?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4tq8VLJ

05/20/2026

1873 | $1 Trade Dollar 🪙 (R)evolution in Currency Object # 98 ANA 2024.14.29

Authorized by the Coinage Act of 1873, the Trade dollar was created specifically for commerce with East Asian markets, where large silver coins already circulated widely, such as the Mexican peso and Austrian Maria Theresa thaler. Unlike standard U.S. silver dollars, it carried no explicit denominations such as “one dollar,” reflecting its intended role as a bullion-weight trade coin, rather than domestic legal-tender currency, as well as its greater silver content to match international standards. Its acceptance depended on silver content - not face value - hence the frequent appearance of chop marks (small verifications) applied by Eastern merchants to verify weight and silver content.

The Act which created the Trade dollar also ensured that it was the only U.S. coin individuals could receive through the deposit of silver bullion at the Mint. Effectively, this shifted the United States toward a gold-based monetary system, contributing to the long decline in silver’s monetary role.

💬 What was the popular name for the Coinage Act of 1873 in the West? Share your answer with us below and be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you got it right. 🤔

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/3PBSjTs

05/19/2026

1872 | $3 Gold Indian Princess 🪙 (R)evolution in Currency Object # 97 ANA 2003.10.3

The $3 gold coin, first introduced in 1854, was designed by James B. Longacre during a period of expanding gold coinage following the California Gold Rush. Its distinctive obverse shows Liberty wearing a feathered headdress - an image long used as a symbolic representation of America on paper money. The reverse wreath combines corn, cotton, wheat and to***co to represent the agricultural strengths of both North and South.

Despite its artistic appeal, the denomination never gained wide circulation. With only 2,000 coins struck this year, it remained a niche issue, overshadowed by more practical gold denominations. Most $3 gold coins circulated lightly - or were saved as curiosities from the start. Its continued production only at the Philadelphia Mint, even as western branch mints struck large quantities of other gold coins, reflects the denomination’s limited commercial role.

💬 Why do you think the Mint continued producing a denomination that never became widely useful in everyday commerce?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4uHEguG

05/18/2026

1871 | Wells, Fargo & Co., $50 Bill of Exchange 🪙 (R)evolution in Currency Object # 96 ANA | 2023.100.967

Before modern banking networks, moving money across long distances was risky and expensive - especially in the rapidly growing West. A bill of exchange, like this one, allowed a customer to deposit funds in one city and receive payment in another without transporting value gold or silver.

Issued in San Francisco and payable in U.S. gold coin, this document functioned much like an early cashier’s check. After purchase, it could be redeemed elsewhere through Wells Fargo’s expanding network of agents, stage routes, and offices. During the Gold Rush era and afterward, Wells Fargo became one of the most trusted financial intermediaries in the American West, safely transferring bullion, letters, and credit between frontier communities and the eastern markets.

The attached Internal Revenue stamp reflects federal taxation of financial documents during and after the Civil War.

💬 In the 1870s, many Americans trusted Wells Fargo to move their money more than the federal government. Why might a private company inspire more confidence than a national bank?

Follow along each week day as we spotlight one American coin, token, or note for every year of our nation’s independence.🪙 🇺🇸

Explore the collection so far: https://bit.ly/4eAXZHA