COINS, CURRENCY AND OTHER HISTORY EVENTS

1 Apr 1862

E.M. Scott patents hand cranked device for canceling notes and checks.

5 Apr 1795

Philadelphia Mint acquires half ton of Talbot, Allum & Lee tokens from William Talbot for recoinage as half cents.

6 Apr 1862

Inscribed date on 1860 Coronet gold $20 double eagle that saved life of Lt. George Dixon at Battle of Shiloh by deflecting a bullet as he carried it in his trousers.

7 Apr 1776

Navy Captain John Barry, commander of the American warship Lexington, makes the first American naval capture of a British vessel when he takes command of the British warship HMS Edward off the coast of Virginia. The capture of the Edward and its cargo turned Captain Barry into a national hero and boosted the morale of the Continental forces.

24 Apr 1964 

U.S. Treasury removes collector restrictions on gold-backed paper money.

7 May 1789

On this day in 1789, President George Washington attends a ball in his honor. The event provided a model for the first official inaugural ball, held to celebrate James Madison’s ascension to the office ten years later, which then became an annual tradition.

20 May 1935

Issue of National Currency Bank Notes discontinued.

25 May 1804

First deposit of native US gold discovered in North Carolina.

9 Jun 1837

Republic of Texas authorizes money issue.

20 Jun 1963

To lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war, the United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a "hot line" communication system between the two nations. The agreement was a small step in reducing tensions between the United States and the USSR following the October 1962 Missile Crisis in Cuba, which had brought the two nations to the brink of nuclear war.