WWW.COINSMAGAZINE.NET 19
half dime and half dollar. On May 8,
1838, a special ceremony was held at the
Mint to celebrate the first coinage, with
local dignitaries invited to share in the
occasion. The festivities were marred,
however, by an accident to the press after
only 30 dimes had been struck.
Once the initial difficulties were
solved, coinage proved resilient and
nearly 400,000 dimes had been delivered
by the end of July. This proved to be the
last coinage for several months, however,
as the annual Yellow Fever epidemic
came early that year; those who were
able fled for their lives and the Mint was
hastily shut down.
Coinage resumed in late December
with a few thousand dimes being struck.
In early January 1839 the coiner used the
dies of 1838 to strike a few more dimes
as well as 70,000 half dimes. The total
number of 1838 dimes was therefore
just over 400,000. As it is known that
the smaller of the steam coining presses
could coin about 40,000 dimes per day,
not all that much time had been spent in
striking coins during 1838.
The slowness in beginning coinage
was nothing compared to the problems
that soon struck the Mint. During the
latter part of 1838 there were several
major thefts of silver bullion. Due to the
lax manner in which the Treasurer oper-
ated his department, however, only the
thief was aware of the missing silver.
The dies for 1839 were received
in late February of the new year and
coinage resumed at a better pace than
in 1838. At the same time in January
when dimes and half dimes were being
made, Coiner Tyler tested the large steam
press by striking 10 half dollars dated
1838; a few more, perhaps eight or nine
pieces, were later struck as additional
souvenirs for local citizens. These 1838
New Orleans half dollars are rightfully
considered extraordinary rarities today.
Regular half dollar coinage began soon
afterwards, with 64,000 pieces delivered
in early April.
By May 1839 the bullion thefts had
become known; matters came to a boil-
ing point when the record of a silver
deposit was “lost.” Charges and threats
filled the air and caused ripples all the
way to Dr. Patterson in Philadelphia.
Dimitry (whose first name is not avail-
able) was arrested on May 19, but soon
freed on a technicality. He soon did a
vanishing act, leaving Louisiana for the
safety of then-independent Texas.
Mint Director Robert Patterson asked
New Orleans District Attorney Thomas
Slidell to look into the charges. This was
done but there were so many avenues to
investigate that his report was not ready
until September. In the meantime two
key officers, James Maxwell and Rufus
Tyler, died of the Yellow Fever, compli-
cating the final accounting.
Slidell’s report was at length finished
and it was a thorough one. He did not hesi-
tate to cast blame where it was deserved;
he found, for example, that Dimitry had
acted alone despite widespread suspi-
cion to the contrary. Treasurer Edmund
Forstall was described as incompetent
and Superintendent David Bradford as
even less able. The two were soon out of
office, their resignations being demanded
by Slidell, perhaps in lieu of prosecution
for criminal negligence.
Within a short time new officers had
been appointed by President Martin Van
Buren: John L. Riddel was Melter &
Refiner, Philos Tyler (the brother of Rufus
Tyler) was Coiner, Joseph Kennedy was
Superintendent, and Horace Cammack
the Treasurer. All were competent and
served with distinction.Beginning in 1840, under the sober
guidance of Superintendent Kennedy, the
New Orleans Mint settled into a steady
routine of preparing those coins needed
for the local economy. Prior to 1853
coins of precious metals were struck
strictly to the order of depositors, which
gives a good indication of the kinds of
U.S. coins being used in the old South.
Half dollars were the mainstay at New
Orleans though other silver denomina-
tions were struck as well. Because small
Spanish and Mexican silver coins were
widely used in Louisiana, not all that
many dimes and half dimes were made.
In addition, silver dollars were not coined
until 1846. Gold was coined on a regular
basis in the 1840s, sometimes in fairly
large quantities.
The discovery of gold in California
proved a good and bad omen for New
Orleans. Large quantities of gold were
sent to the New Orleans Mint but this
very fact contributed to problems for the
monetary system. Too much gold was in
the channels of commerce, forcing up
the value of silver. Bullion dealers began1840 wasthefirstyearforquarterdollarsatNewOrleans.
ImagesCourtesyofStack’sBowers
ThefirstbranchmintsilverdollarsarestruckinNewOrleansin1846.
ImagesCourtesyofStack’sBowers
1840 th fi t f t d ll t N O l
The first branch mint silver dollars are struck in New Orleans in 1846