Portland, Oregon is well known to the rest of the country for its progressive, forward-thinking style. The city is rich in culture, abundant with examples of its pioneer history through old world architecture and the use of natural resources. Prior to the 1840’s, Portland was nothing more than a small portion of land along… Read more »
Every 4th of July we celebrate the day we declared our independence from England in 1776. But there was also a mysterious coin that was issued the same year. While most experts don’t know much about the coin’s production, one thing is certain: Benjamin Franklin designed it. Franklin’s design for the Continental Dollar was emblematic… Read more »
April 13th marks the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. Of course we all know the American forefather as our third president. Additionally, coin and currency buffs know him from the nickel and the $2 bill. But few people know how the famed politician and thinker earned his place in U.S. currency history. When Jefferson wasn’t penning… Read more »
While Oregon’s history is full of many legends, gold mines don’t figure into many of them. But many of these stories are truly fascinating. Especially when you hear the incredible—possibly tall—tales of the lucky Oregon settlers who struck gold. In 1851, the California Gold Rush was going strong. In order to stock the miners with… Read more »
When the California Gold Rush began to subside in the mid-1850s, miners started moving east. Spanish legends of rivers rich with gold in the area surrounding what is now Arizona led many miners to the region. But with little to go on besides legends, and a harsh and unforgiving landscape to explore, the miners were… Read more »
This is the third part in the Great American Mines series from Liberty Coin & Currency. Early one Sunday morning in 1799, a twelve-year-old boy decided to forego church and go fishing. It was a profitable choice. While fishing on a creek on his family’s property, the boy found a bright yellow seventeen-pound rock. The… Read more »
