The numismatic world has new commemorative dollars to collect- the Presidential Series. Also one can also collect the gold half-ounce First Lady Series. As these new coins are released to the market they remind us of the presidency and family of our forefathers. They also pique our interest in the history, lore and character of each presidential family. It brings us closer to those who formed and lead our nation as it grew. Each presidency had stories attached to them and the history of their families always excited the thoughts and imaginations.

Most recently, the cable network HBO ran a series about John Adams, our second president. The history and stories of the president and his family, before, during and after his presidency will stimulate the interest in our national history. The coins further enforce our appreciation of the work that each did.

It will be close to a decade before the George H.W. Bush and his son George W. Bush will appear on the new dollar coinage. In the meantime, those interested in history and background can study past to learn more about them, apart from what has appeared in modern history and ongoing political commentary.

Last year, in the New York Times Magazine of July 22, 2007 an interesting story appeared discussing the first George Bush (1796-1859), which revealed one of the ancestors of the presidential family.

According to Ted Widmer, who wrote the article in the New York Times, the pioneer George Bush was a first cousin of the president's great-great-great grandfather. He was hardly the black sheep of the family (which the current president likes to call himself), but was very distinguished during his lifetime. He was very interested in the esoteric religions. His opinions were described as liberal. Among other intellectual pursuits he was profoundly interested in the traditions of the Mid East.

The George Bush of the 1800s name was carried into the 20th century Dictionary of American Biography, in which no other Bush family member was mentioned. No doubt, any future edition will hasten to correct that!

The early George Bush read so incessantly that his parents became frightened as to the direction his interests were taking him. He later entered the ministry, but his controversial attitudes left him with no church to go to. He considered himself as a specialist predicting the Second Coming. He was not the only ones, and the Millerites captured national attention in this regard.

By 1831 he became a professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages. He also wrote a book, The Life of Mohammed. The volume was well received and added to his popularity. In it he expressed deep respect for the prophet, but also gave many negative opinions, calling the prophet an "imposter.". However, he concluded his biography of Mohammed by calling him a "remarkable man." Not unexpectedly, George Bush's opinions, both pro and con, made him very controversial. It went out of print in the 19th century and was mostly forgotten. Then in the mid-20th century it was republished in a limited edition. In 2004 the book attracted attention when it was denounced by Egyptian censors. Yet in 2005 the Egyptian censors ruled it was acceptable. This concluded that "Bush I" may not have been an enemy of Islam as thought by the earlier censors.

Possibly the history and writings of the "Bush I" may reveal some of the religious character that George W. Bush has inherited and since professed for himself.

In view of the continuing interest in the current political figures, including candidates as well as those in office, the above story becomes timely. When the Bush coins are issued in the future, I wonder if the first George Bush will be mentioned as a footnote?

History has always been commemorated in coins, but any additional facts and stories can only help complete the appreciation of each special dollar coin issued, and the respect each president deserves.

We Didn't Know: "El Paso (Texas) is closer to San Diego, on the Pacific, than to Houston." (The Economist)

Exciting! One of the best words we can use to describe our upcoming auctions in Baltimore, Sunday and Monday before the ANA Convention. Get ready, get set! Our catalogue is now in process.

Our Congratulations to Bill Gates for captaining Microsoft for 33 years. It's rather curious that the United States of America has harassed Microsoft in many areas, whereas other countries, Japan for example, go out of their way to encourage entrepreneurship and businesses. Come to think of it, the United States has never done anything to help the rare coin business, a dynamic part of American life, hobbies, and enjoyment. Perhaps we should hire some lobbyists.

Best wishes to the American Numismatic Society in its ongoing move to relocate its New York City headquarters. The coin collection has already been relocated, garnering a nice article in the New York Times. Wonder what will happen to the ANS home of two moves ago, at Audubon Terrace, 155th Street and Broadway, with the elegant Hispanic Society building next door? The neighborhood has deteriorated in the century since Archer Huntington, railroad scion, paid for both buildings and the surrounding plaza. The next thing we know, Donald Trump or someone will revitalize the area, and once again it will be the place "to be."

Studies of the Latin language are "on the rise again in Britain and America. It is not just useful in a competitive system, also sends a coded message about the nature of the school and the kind of people it attracts… In 2006 in America 32,191 students followed Latin, and 22,849 took some Greek." (The Economist)

Chances of death: by motor vehicle accident 1 in 90; by drowning 1 in 9,000; by airplane crash 1 in 30,000; by earthquake 1 in 130,000; by fireworks accident 1 in 600,000; by asteroid impact, various sizes, 1 in 720,000; by large asteroid impact 1 in 1,600,000; in regional asteroid impact at the tsunami level 1 in 2,800,000; by food poisoning by botulism 1 in 3,000,000; by meteorite impact mass extinction 1 in 4,300,000; by local impact of meteorite or space object 1 in 6,000,000; and by shark attack 1 in 8,000,000. Interesting statistics, as we often hear of shark attacks killing people, but not of meteorites or space objects. (Nature)

The 1796 British Settlement in Kentucky token, popularly called the Myddelton token, was struck in England but refers to the United States. In his 1875 work, The Early Coins of America, Sylvester S. Crosby paid this piece the ultimate compliment: "In beauty of design and execution, the tokens are unsurpassed by any piece issued for American circulation."

Introduction

A few years ago, back in 2002, Dave Bowers' More Adventures With Rare Coins was a best seller. This volume showcased 50 of his favorite coins, tokens, and medals, and told a bit about them. The present text is adapted from that feature. See also The 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens, by Katherine Jaeger and QDB, available from our books for sale section.

A Planned Settlement in Kentucky

In 1796 in England, Philip Parry Price, either surnamed Myddelton or from Myddelton, planned a real estate promotion whereby British citizens were to purchase tracts of land in Kentucky. To further this ambition, he commissioned the Soho Mint, a private enterprise operated by Matthew Boulton and James Watt in Birmingham, to create an appropriate token or medalet. Most likely, these pieces were produced primarily for the numismatic trade, rather than prospective customers for land. Today, several dozen examples exist in silver (primarily) and copper, all with Proof finish.

The obverse is inscribed BRITISH SETTLEMENT KENTUCKY and illustrates Hope (representing Britain) presenting two of her children to the goddess Liberty who welcomes them with an outstretched arm, with a cornucopia of plenty behind her, this in representation of the bounty of America.

The reverse shows the goddess Britannia, dejected and defeated, possibly an allegory to the loss of her citizens or, reaching back further in history, the British losing the Revolutionary War (the latter the suggestion in Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins).

From an era in which tokens and medals often carried subtle as well as obvious messages, this particular piece ranks high in numismatic interest today. And, it has been thus for a long time. In his 1875 book, The Early Coins of America, Sylvester S. Crosby paid this piece the ultimate compliment: "In beauty of design and execution, the tokens are unsurpassed by any piece issued for American circulation."

Diesinker Küchler

The dies were cut by Konrad Heinrich Küchler (usually given as Conrad H. Küchler) a gifted artist who also prepared the three different Washington Seasons medal motifs about the same time.¹ Striking was accomplished at the Soho Mint, Birmingham, England.

Küchler was born in Flanders. It is likely that he was a diecutter in several German cities circa 1763-1775, his locations including Darmstadt, Mannheim, and Frankfurt-am-Main. He seems to have traveled widely in his work, including to Italy, France, and England. By the early 1790s he was in the employ of the Soho Mint, where he remained for a long time. While there he made dies for many coins and medals of England, including certain of the illustrious copper issues of 1797-1806. Dies were also cut for coins and medals relating to Russia, Portugal, Ireland, and Denmark.

Begun in 1759, the Soho Manufactory, as it was called, was well known by the time of Küchler's arrival. The facility was situated on Hockley Brook, a convenient source for power until it dried up. James Watt, maker of steam engines, came to the rescue and set up a steam plant which drove dozens of machines in a three-story structure which, with outbuildings, at one time employed about 600 people.

Although the "Soho Mint" division made circulating coins for the British government and produced issues for others as well, most attention was given to small metal goods, utensils, and notions, including tableware, buttons, candlesticks, buckles, salt cellars, cups, and more.

Matthew Boulton, an inventor par excellence, developed very sophisticated coining equipment that eclipsed anything in use in the United States until decades later. In September 1789 he described his latest coining press:

It will coin much faster, with greater ease, with fewer persons, for less expense, and produce more beautiful pieces than any other machinery ever used for coining. The quantity of power or force requisite for each blow is exactly regulated and ascertained and is always uniformly the same, for the same pieces, thereby the dies are better preserved.

One of my coining machines will work much faster by the attendance of one boy than others can do by any number of men. Can stop these machines at an instant by the power of a child and the same child can as instantaneously set them to work again. Can increase or diminish the force of the blow at pleasure, in any proportion. Can lay the pieces or blanks upon the die quite true and without care of practice and as fast as wanted. Can work day and night without fatigue by two sets of boys.

The machine keeps an account of the number of pieces struck which cannot be altered from the truth by any of the persons employed. The apparatus strikes an inscription upon the edge with the same blow that it strikes the two faces. It strikes the ground of the pieces brighter than any other coining press can do. It strikes the pieces perfectly round, all of equal diameter, and exactly concentric with the edge, which cannot be done by any other machinery now in use.

In 1792 Matthew Boulton could be justifiably proud the facility, his Hôtel de Monnaie, as his employee Jean-Pierre Droz and French clients called it. This is from Boulton's biographer:²

The Mint consists of eight large coining-machines, which are sufficiently strong to coin the largest money in current use, or even medals; and each machine is capable of being adjusted in a few minutes, so as to strike any number of pieces of money from 50 to 120 per minute, in proportion to their diameter and degree of relief; and each piece being struck in a steel collar, the whole number are perfectly round and of equal diameter.

Each machine requires the attendance of one boy of only 12 years of age and he has no labor to perform. He can stop the press one instant, and set it going the next.

The whole of the eight presses are capable of coining, at the same time, eight different sizes of money, such as English crowns, [French] 6-livre pieces, 24-sous pieces, 12 sous, or the very smallest money that is used in France.

The number of blows at each press is proportioned to the size of the pieces, say from 50 to 120 blows per minute, and if greater speed is needed, he has smaller machines that will strike 200 per minute.…

Mr. Boulton's new machinery works with less friction, less wear, less noise, than any apparatus ever before invented; for it is capable of striking at the rate of 26,000 [French] écus or English crowns, or 50,000 of half their diameter, in one hour, and of working night and day without fatigue to the boys, provided two sets of them work alternately for 10 hours each.

The wonder of it all is why the Philadelphia Mint, constructed in 1792, did not incorporate some of Boulton's machinery. Instead, it used equipment that was antiquated compared to current technology at the Soho Manufactory and the Paris Mint.

The Soho Manufactory declin