Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Jr. became the 26th President of the United States on September 14, 1901 following the assassination of William McKinley. Prior to becoming president, Roosevelt was a deputy sheriff in the Dakota Territory, Police Commissioner of New York City, U.S. Civil Service Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Colonel of the Rough Riders for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Roosevelt was elected to the New York State Assembly, Governor of New York, and Vice President of the United State. In fact, his nomination as vice president to run with William McKinley by the Republican Party was to get him out of New York because he was reforming the status quo out of existence.
On September 14, 1901, at 42 years and 322 days of age, Roosevelt became the youngest President when McKinley was assassinated (Kennedy was the youngest elected president when he was inaugurated at 43 years, 236 days). As president he was a trust buster, conservationist, and his slogan of “Speak softly and carry a big stick” set the tone for military and foreign policy that even impacts today’s policies. Roosevelt was the first U.S. citizen and sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the 1905 peace treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens designed the $10 Indian Head gold eagle that was first released in 1907.
Roosevelt initiated the “Golden Age of American Coin Design.” Using his bully pulpit, he held the designs of the U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber in contempt. In fact, Roosevelt had called Barber’s designs “atrociously hideous.” Roosevelt ordered coinage whose designs were more than 25 years old to be redesigned. Roosevelt was a fan of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and asked him to help redesign American coinage.
After Saint-Gaudens died of cancer, Roosevelt continued to look to revitalize U.S. coinage. He seized upon Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday to redesign the small cent. He was steered to Victor David Brenner, whose bust of Lincoln was used as the model for the new Lincoln Cent first issued in 1909. Not only was Lincoln the first president to appear on a circulating coin, but Brenner’s obverse design is still in use today.
Roosevelt called his coinage redesign his “pet crime.”
1991 Mount Rushmore Golden Anniversary Silver Dollar
Interestingly, the 2013 Mount Rushmore National Memorial quarter that will be released later this year will only show Washington and Jefferson during its sculpture. Lincoln and Roosevelt are not part of this image.
Teddy is now featured on the current one-dollar coin. The coin has a portrait Roosevelt facing to his right that even gives the impression of someone looking into the distance. It is fitting for a man who was always looking forward to preservation of America’s ideals and its place as a world leader.
Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president for many reasons including his view on coin designs. BULLY!
Credits
2013 Theodore Roosevelt Dollar and 1991 Mount Rushmore Golden Anniversary Commemorative Silver Dollar images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.
The case involves the sale of 70 artifacts from Arizona’s Hopi Tribe by the Paris auction house Néret-Minet. Hopi tribe members and historians believe that the items were illegally obtained. Representatives from Néret-Minet claim that the items were purchased legally from a collector in the United States.
A visitor looks at antique tribal masks revered as sacred ritual artifacts by a Native American tribe in Arizona which are displayed at an auction house in Paris April 11, 2013. (REUTERS/John Schults)
Following the ruling, Néret-Minet went ahead with the auction. According to The New York Times, the auction generated $1.2 million in sales (with buyer’s premiums). Five of the 70 items did not sell and not sold for less than their estimated value.
According to The New York Times:
Before starting, the auctioneer, Gilles Néret-Minet, told the crowd that the sale had been found by a judge to be perfectly legal, and that the objects were no longer sacred but had become “important works of art.” He added, “In France you cannot just up and seize the property of a person that is lawfully his.”
So let me get this straight, religious objects that are allegedly protected by the same treaties as ancient coins and United States law can be sold as “art objects” while foreign governments confront a dealer on a bourse floor while the State Department does little to protect collectors and those who have legitimate claims?
If France can do this with items of religious and cultural significance to the Hopi tribe, then will happen to the coin collecting hobby? I know some people can take their hobby seriously, but it is not religion. Most countries already have examples of the coins in question, so why are additional examples “culturally significant.” Remember, it was reported that when a dealer was approached in Baltimore by representatives of a foreign government, they were only interested in the more expensive coins and not the common coins from the same country with a lesser value.
The State Department is not doing enough to protect the American people, whether it is to protect what is really culturally significant items like the artifacts from the Hopi tribe or the abuse of international law as demonstrated by the actions of the State Department’s CPAC and the confrontation in Baltimore. This is something that must be addressed by the president!
Please take action!
I renew my request that all of my readers to go to http://wh.gov/MD2O and sign the petition. Share it on social media. I made it easy—just see the widget at the top of the right column. Petitions require 100,000 signatures in order to be answered by the White House. So far there are five signatures (THANK YOU!). Let’s see if we can motivate the coin collecting community to add more before you will not be able to own any foreign coin older than 100 years old!
A French supporter of the Indian cause, who refused to give his name, left, holds a flag of the American Indian Movement and an American exchange student, member of the Arizona’s Hopi tribe, Bo Lomahquahu, right, stand outside of the Druout’s auction house to protest the auction of Native American Hopi tribe masks in Paris, Friday, April 12, 2013. A contested auction of dozens of Native American tribal masks went ahead Friday afternoon following a Paris court ruling, in spite of appeals for a delay by the Hopi tribe, its supporters including actor Robert Redford, and the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Front Cover of the Heritage Platinum Night Sports Auction
Whomever said “Don’t judge a book by its cover” did not see the recent auction catalog from Heritage Auction Galleries for their Platinum Night Sports Auction that will be held in New York on February 23-24. The catalog is a work of art worthy of the fantastic sports collectibles that are described in its pages.
Opening the Priority Mail envelope delivered in February 4 was a beautiful holographic image of iconic image of the 1980 United States Men’s Olympic Hockey Team celebrating their victory over the Soviet Red Army team. The eye-popping three-dimensional image is far more impressive than the image that appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated because of the visual texture it delivers.
The “Miracle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team may have been a bunch of guys trying to play hockey, but to the rest of us, they were a proxy in the Cold War. With the games being played in Lake Placid, New York, the nation gathered around television sets across the nation to hope and watch our boys beat the Soviets—just because they were the Soviets, long suspected of cheating by twisting the rules to pay players at a time when the Olympics were an all-amateur competition. I remember a group of us transplanted New Yorkers watching hockey in the dorms at the University of Georgia trying to teach the southerners about hockey was almost as entertaining as the games.
After staring at the cover you tilt it and the image of Mike Eruzione’s jersey can be seen. Eruzione’s “Miracle on Ice”, game worn gold medal game jersey, and other memorabilia from the 1980 gold medal winning hockey team is what Heritage picked as the highlight of the auction. Current bid for “The Miracle on Ice” jersey is $325,000.
Turn the cover over and there is a three-dimensional holographic image of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth sitting on a bench, hats in hand holding a baseball bat. The image is from the 1927 Murders Row team. Tilt the cover to see the 1927-1928 game worn Gehrig uniform jersey that is part of the auction.
Inside the catalog are some of the most phenomenal sports collectibles that could ever be imagined from nearly every sport. One of the more unusual items if “The Bloody Sock” worn by Curt Schilling during the second game of the 2004 World Series. Schilling’s performance on bad tendons have been compared with the fictional Roy Hobbs in the 1984 movie The Natural. It also represents the end of the 84-year Curse of the Bambino. Starting bid is $25,000.
Since this is not specifically a numismatic item, I am grading it as a specimen release. I am grading this SP69 deducting a point for the typos that should have been caught in the editing process—one being in an item title that could not be ignored. It is a fantastic item and should be on the shelf of anyone who has an interest in sports and sports collectibles.
Happy bidding!
Front Cover of the Heritage Platinum Night Sports Auction
Front Cover of the Heritage Platinum Night Sports Auction tilted to show Eruzione jersey
Back Cover of the Heritage Platinum Night Sports Auction
Back Cover of the Heritage Platinum Night Sports Auction tilted to show Gehrig jersey
Catalog image is from the author whose catalog is not for sale!
Growing up in the metropolitan New York area, you can find people who live around all of these famous landmarks but had never visited them. Whether it is visiting the observation deck Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty, sometimes jaded New Yorkers just never get around to it.
My mother was different. She grew up in Coney Island and was adept at navigating the subway, so she wanted her children to be as wise about our hometown. During breaks from school, especially the winter break, we would take the Long Island Railroad into Penn Station and do something or see something that a tourist would do.
One of the treats about taking this trip was seeing my father in his office in Manhattan. As a youngster, it was cool to see the people who you might have spoken with on the telephone when trying to call my father or someone he had spoken to my mother about. It was also my first look into my future of working in an office, something I tried to resist to no avail.
Lunch at the Automat (ca. 1940s)
Part of that visit was lunch at Horn & Hardart’s Automat. The Automat was first opened in Philadelphia in 1902 and New York in 1911 before becoming a real institution in the areas between the cities. First opened in 1902, it was a fast food restaurant that sold meals, beverages, and deserts through coin-operated vending machines. Diners would choose what they wanted to eat, insert the correct change, and lift the window to get your food. The food was wrapped in plastic wrap when I went with my mother but in a era long before I was able to go the food was wrapped using waxed paper.
Behind the machines was a kitchen that refilled the machines and a cashier was in the center of the dining hall to give change. When the Automat first opened, the machines only accepted nickels. Things were a little more expensive in the 1960s, an era before vending machines were able to accept currency, Horn & Hardart used tokens. Remember, this was a time there were almost no dollar coins in circulation, a reported shortage of coins, and when half-dollars stopped circulating because the silver was worth more than their face value.
Tables were set up all around the room like a cafeteria and the decor was what I would later understand to be art deco.
Automat in Times Square Postcard ca. 1939
I have a distinct memory of visiting an Automat with my mother the winter break of 1968. That year was the first time my brother went with us and my youngest brother was just a baby, so he stayed with my grandmother. We went to Rockefeller Center and tried to skate on the famous skating rink. There was a man teaching the kids how to skate and I took great joy in watching my brother fall on his butt even though my skating style would not win points at any competition.
A dash to see my father and then we went to the Automat. I remember I had a sandwich and soda. Then, as my mother ran to a quick shopping excursion, I argued with my father about getting a piece of pie. He finally gave in and bought the pie that the three of us shared as we waited for my mother to return. When she did return, packages in hand, my father went back to work and we took the subway downtown to see Macy’s front window. From Macy’s it is a short walk down 34th Street to Penn Station. We went downstairs under Madison Square Garden to board the Long Island Railroad to go home.
This trip down memory lane is courtesy of the Alexandria Coin Club whose annual show was held on February 2. It was a show filled with a nice mix of dealers with varying types of collectibles, I made the trip in the snow flurries to see what I could find. While searching through an exonumia dealer’s box, I found a token that was as irresistible as a youngster picking a sandwich from an Automat vending machine. A wide smile ran across my face as the memories of the food in the machines ran through my memories. There was no way I was leaving the show without an Automat token!
I am not sure what the token is made from, but it is heavier than aluminum. It is 20 mm in diameter, larger than the cent (19.05 mm) and smaller than the nickel (21.21 mm). The front has the distinct Automat logo and the reverse has a child at one of the set of vending machines reaching up for his treat. Around the edge, it says the token commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Automat, which dates the token to 1981. What a great addition to my New York collection. Not only is it different but the memories are priceless.
Along with the Automat token I also found a commemorative medal someone issued for the Statue of Liberty centennial in 1986 and an aluminum souvenir from the Democratic National Convention held July 12-16, 1976 in New York City. When I picked it up I thought it had the look of a Mardi Gras token. When I turned it over, it says it is from Louisiana. The reverse image is that of a pelican since Louisiana’s official nickname is “The Pelican State.” Since the convention was in New York, it is added to my New York collection. Now I need to find something numismatic related from the 2008 Republican National Convention that was held in Madison Square Garden to balance the collection.
By the time I was old enough to become interested in the Automat it was in its decline. In the 1960s saw a decline in their clientele as people started to leave the city to live in the suburbs. Then companies began to open their own cafeterias and buildings reconfigured their lobbies to bring in retail customers including eating establishments. Finally, the city closed a loophole that allowed cafeteria patrons to avoid paying sales taxes and it forced the Automat to raise prices to cover the new tax burden. High labor and food costs drove its regular customers away as quality declined and the restaurants grew seedy. H&H closed half of their locations by 1971. By 1991, the last Automat in New York closed its doors for the last time.
Additional Reading
Read more about the Automat by Steve Stollman who restores old Automat equipment.
Today was the ceremonial inauguration of Barack Obama for his second term as the 44th President of the United States. This is the 57th presidential inauguration in United States history. Obama is the 43rd person to hold the office of the presidency (Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms).
The inauguration was held the day after the constitutionally mandated January 20th date because for the seventh time in history, the mandated date fell on a Sunday. Obama was inaugurated for his second term during a private ceremony held in the Blue Room of the White House.
Although the only part of the inauguration required by the constittution is the oath of office, all of the 57 presidential inaugurals have been as unique as the presidents and the times they served.
Federal Hall on Wall St. N.Y. and Washington’s installation 1789 / lith. Risso & Browne.
The first presidential inauguration was held on April 30, 1789 on the stairs of Federal Hall in New York City. New York City served as the temporary capital until the permanent capital in Washington, DC was built. Washington’s second inaugural address on March 4, 1793 in Philadelphia was 135 words, the shortest in history.
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, DC on March 4, 1801. Six presidents were not inaugurated in Washington, DC including Washington and John Adams. The last was Lyndon B. Johnson whose first inauguration was on in Dallas on Air Force One following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Johnson was the first and so far only president to be sworn in by a woman, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes.
Presidential fashion was changed on March 4, 1825 when John Quincy Adams was the first to wear long pants rather than knickers.
2009 William Henry Harrison Proof Obverse
The longest inaugural address was presented by William Henry Harrison. His 8,445 word speech took more than two hours to deliver in the cold of March 1841. Harrison, a war hero, refused to wear an overcoat. He eventually caught pneumonia and died 32 days later making him the first president to die before completing his term in office. Of course this lead to John Tyler to be inaugurated as the first president not directly elected to the job by the people or the electoral college.
Speaking of ascension to the presidency by the Vice President, this has happened nine times. Aside from Tyler being the first, the last and most significant was probably Gerald R. Ford, who was appointed Vice President under the provisions of the provisions of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This made Ford the only president not to be elected to national office.
Although the U.S. Constitution requires the president to be born in the United States, New York-born Millard Fillmore was the first president not to be born a British subject. Although Tyler was the governor of Tennessee, the first state that was not an original colony, Tyler was born in North Carolina which was an original colony. Kentucky-born Abraham Lincoln was the first president not born in one of the original 13 colonies. Obama was the first president to be born in Hawaii and the first not to be born in the continental United States.
Photograph of the Inauguration of James Buchanan, March 4, 1857 by John Wood
The technology advances that have been added to inaugurals include the first time an inaugural was photographed was James Buchanan’s inauguration on March 4, 1857; William McKinley’s inauguration in 1897 was the first to be recorded using a motion picture camera; coordination of Theodore Roosevelt’s second inauguration was aided using newly installed telephones in the White House; Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride in an automobile to and from the ceremony in 1921; Calvin Coolidge’s 1925 inauguration was the first broadcast on radio; in 1929, Herbert Hoover’s inauguration was the first to be recorded on talking newsreel; Harry S Truman’s second inaugural in 1949 was the first to be broadcast on live television; and Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997 was the first to be streamed live on the Internet.
Washington, DC is not known to have the best weather. Even the moving of the inauguration from March 4 to January 20 by the 20th Amendment (effective with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second inaugural) has not done much to change this. Rain plagued ten inaugurations. It snowed for seven inaugurations. Even though the warmest was 55-degrees for Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural on January 20, 1981, he experienced the coldest inauguration for his second go around on January 21, 1985 when the mercury was 7-degrees.
While Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to be inaugurated for four terms, Obama tied Roosevelt’s record for being the only presidents to receive the oath of office four times. Obama was given the oath of office a second time on January 20, 2009 after Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. did not exactly get the words right the first time. This year, Roberts delivered the oath on January 20, 2013 as required by the constitution and then delivered it again on January 21 in a public ceremony.
Finally, following the tradition of all presidents, the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee commissioned an official inaugural medal that was struck in bronze, silver, and gold. Struck by the Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Medals are available in bronze, silver, and gold. If you sign up for their mailing list, you will receive a code for discounts that can be applied to purchases. The last code I received was “2013” to take 15-percent off your order, but that could change as time passes.
Barack Obama Second Term Bronze Inaugural Medal
Barack Obama Second Term Silver Inaugural Medal
Barack Obama Second Term Inaugural Medal Set (L to R: bonze, gold, silver)
Credits
Inaugural Medal images courtesy of Presidential Inaugural Committee 2013.
After arriving in the New World in 1620, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in 1621. The three-day even was attended by 53 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans that lasted three days. The tradition of giving thanks for successes was a tradition that the Pilgrims brought with them from England. This three-day celebration in 1621 is considered the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was celebrated during many different times within the colonies, mainly to give thanks for something that was honorable to the colony or the locality that observed the celebration. The first national recognition of a Thanksgiving celebration came when General George Washington declared December 1777 as Thanksgiving honoring the defeat of the British at Saratoga. As President, George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving celebration on November 26, 1789. The only other president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation was President James Madison. From then, it was up to the individual states to declare a Thanksgiving holiday.
As part of his attempt to maintain the union, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that made Thanksgiving Day a national annual event on the last Thursday in November beginning in 1863.
Thanksgiving remained the last Thursday of November until 1939 when he declared Thanksgiving to be on the fourth Thursday of the month to give merchants more time to sell good during the Christmas shopping season. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1942 fixing Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November.
In 1947, the National Turkey Federation has provided the President of the United State with one live turkey and two dressed turkeys. President Harry Truman is credited with pardoning the first turkey in 1947 but it did not become a tradition until President Ronald Reagan started in 1987 and continued by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Since 1989, the pardoned turkeys have lived the rest of their lives at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia. Those pardoned by President Obama have gone to live at George and Martha’s old place in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
For All We Have
by Roger J. Robicheau
A table with chairs, that welcome sight
Our family, our friends, pure delight
A caring kiss with a gentle smile
Each tender hug lasts that country mile
The presence of love so fills the air
This gift of God brings our hearts so near
Reflections of past bring nurtured thought
Great visions come by, what life has taught
In thankful ways we embrace this day
And often think of loved ones away
Those serving us proud are often gone
But their spirit remains, closely drawn
Our Nation should praise each special one
For all we have is through what they’ve done
The freedom to have Thanksgiving Day
Keeps certain plates bare, please truly pray
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
“In Flanders Fields” was written during World War I by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian physician stationed in northern France. Aside from being a physician, he was a teacher, poet, and author. McCrea was appointed as a field surgeon and was in charge of a field hospital during the Second Battle of Ypres when his friend and former student Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed in the battle. The death and funeral of his friend inspired McCrae to write the poem.
“In Flanders Fields” was published anonymously in the British magazine Punch on December 8, 1915. However, the index for the year printed only a few weeks later attributed the poem to McCrea. The poem became one of the most popular of the war and was extensively printed in the United States while its leaders were debated whether to join the war.
McCrae died of pneumonia on January 28, 1918 while commanding No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne. He was buried with full military honors at Wimereaux Cemetery near the English Channel 3 miles from Boulogne.
2004 Canada Poppy Quarter, the first colorized coin ever issued for circulation by any mint.
McCrae’s poem has made the poppy a popular and powerful symbol of Remembrance Day celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the Commonwealth Realm to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day in 1919. In the United States, we celebrate it as Veterans Day.
The remembrance poppy is not as strong a symbol in the United States since the nation did not declare war on Germany until April 1917. The American Legion has used the poppy as part of its fund raising efforts.
Maybe the United States should embrace the poppy as well. Why not create a commemorative coin with a colored poppy as the design and use the seignorage from the sales to support the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs? How about changing the reverse of the Roosevelt Dime to be a red-colored poppy to raise awareness of all our veterans? Using the Roosevelt Dime would give it a needed refresh and would tie both World Wars in one coin. Then the U.S. Mint could strike special silver dime for sale to the public.
On February 25, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the National Bank Act of 1863 that created a single currency standard for the United States where the notes would be backed by the United States Treasury and printed by the federal government. The result of this act lead to the establishment of the National Currency Bureau which was later rename to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
1982 George Washington 250th Anniversary Commemorative Half Dollar
Contentious elections date back to the founding of this nation. Although the first two were handily won by George Washington, the third election in 1796 produced an electoral contest that would set the tone for years to come. The Federalist Party nominated Vice President John Adams and former Governor Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina. Running against the favored Adams was the Democratic-Republican ticket of former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson of Virginia and Senator Aaron Burr of New York.
At that time, it was not customary for the candidates to campaign. During the campaign Adams remained in his home in Quincy and Jefferson stayed at Monticello while members of their respective parties campaigned for their nominees. In a near evenly divided country, Adams won the electoral votes 71 to 68. Since Jefferson came in second, the constitution mandated that the second place electoral vote recipient would become vice president.
The election prompted the introduction of what would be the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution that changed the ballot would be cast for a president/vice president as a single ticket. But the amendment did not see floor action and left the door open for probably the most contentious election in United States history.
2007 John Adams Dollar
The election of 1800 was a rematch between Adams and Jefferson. For this election, the Federalists nominated General Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. Not only was Gen. Pinckney a war hero but was the older bother of Thomas Pinckney who ran with Adams in 1796. The Democratic-Republican Party brought back Jefferson and Burr with a renewed spirit to elect their candidates.
This was the United States’ first really partisan election. The evenly divided parties, electorate, and was one of the first where what we call today “the ground game” was very important especially since each state was allowed to choose its own election day. With the election lasting from April to October, the election came down to the vote in South Carolina with an electoral tie of 65-65. Even though Pinckney was a South Carolinian, the Democratic-Republican state majority chose the state’s eight electors.
Constitutionally in 1800, each elector was to cast two votes, which is where the problem began. Because electors that voted for Jefferson also voted for Burr, both were electorally tied. When all eight electors voted for both Jefferson and Burr, the electoral vote would be tied between Jefferson and Burr.
2005 Westward Journey Nickel Obverse designed by Joe Fitzgerald
Two hundred years before Bush v. Gore, there were contended electoral ballots as they were opened and counted on February 11, 1801. First, there was the improperly filed election certificate from Georgia that did not provide the constitutionally-mandated “List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each.” Vice President Jefferson, in his role as President of the Senate, counted the ballot for himself and Burr. No objections were raised from the floor.
When the votes from New York were counted, one elector voted twice for Aaron Burr in violation of Electoral College rules. After a contentious discussion, the New York delegation convinced the Jefferson to switch the vote for Jefferson. This gave Jefferson and Burr and official 73-73 electoral vote tie.
As required by the constitution, Jefferson adjourned the joint session of congress and the House of Representatives convened to break the electoral tie. When the House of Representatives selects the president, each state delegation is given one vote and the candidate with the majority wins. Since there were 16 states, the winner must receive the vote of nine state delegations. From February 11 through February 17, the House held 35 ballots with the result of Jefferson receiving 8 votes, Burr received 6, and two submitted blank ballots.
Federalists would not support Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans did not hold enough state delegations to sway the election. Alexander Hamilton became the lone bi-partisan voice amongst the Federalists. Even though the Federalists did not like Jefferson, Hamilton embarked on a letter writing campaign to convince at least one delegation to change their vote because he felt Jefferson was “by far not so dangerous a man” as Burr. On the 36th ballot, Maryland and Vermont changed their ballots from blank and voted for Jefferson as President.
Series 2004A $10 Federal Reserve Note (Cabral/Snow)
This would not be the last time that Hamilton worked to defeat Burr. In 1804, Morgan Lewis defeated Burr in the race for governor of New York with assistance from Hamilton. After Burr learned that Hamilton helped Lewis defeat Burr and that Hamilton allegedly said he had “a still more despicable opinion” of Burr, Burr demanded an apology. Hamilton refused saying he could not remember saying this.
This lead to not-so-nice letters being sent between the two men and mutual friends tried to intervene. Despite the pleas against it, a duel was scheduled for July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey. Vice President Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in the abdomen while Hamilton’s shot struck a tree branch over Burr’s head. Burr was shuttle back to Washington, D.C. and Hamilton was taken to a friend in New York City where he died on July 12, 1804.
Although this year’s election may seem contentious, it will not lead the the death of a participant. Aside from the fact that duels were outlawed after the Burr-Hamilton Duel, we have become more “sophisticated” in managing our disputes. Just ask Al Gore!
On this Election Day, it is your duty as a citizen of the United States of America to VOTE! Make sure you do so today.
Did you?
Credits
Coin images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.
Image of the $10 Federal Reserve Note courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.
On October 31, 2012, President Ben Shelly of the Navajo Nationannounced that Navajo Code Talker George Smith passed away on Tuesday at 90 years old. As a tribute to Smith’s service, President Shelly ordered the Navajo Nation Flag to be flow at half-staff through sundown on November 4.
After learning that Japanese intelligence experts broke every code the United States armed forces could devise, Philip Johnston, a missionary who learned the difficult Navajo language, proposed to create a code based on that spoken-only language. Johnston recruited 29 Navajo native speakers and they devised a code based on the Navajo language that Japanese intelligence was never able to decipher.
From the 200 word code, it grew to over 600 words and required 400 additional native Navajo soldiers to help with the communications across the Pacific theater.
President George W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Navajo code talkers on July 26, 2001.
The “Honoring the Code Talkers Act,” introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman from New Mexico in April 2000, and signed into law December 21, 2000, called for the recognition of the Navajo code talkers. During a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 26, 2001, the first 29 soldiers received the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Silver Medal was presented to the remaining Navajos who later qualified to be code talkers.†
As part of the authorizing legislation, the U.S. Mint produced bronze versions of the medal for the public. These medals are no longer for sale by are still on sale at the U.S. Mint. [Correction complements of the Mint News Blog]
“This news has saddened me. Our Navajo Code Talkers have been real life heroes to generations of Navajo people. They have brought pride to our Navajo people in so many ways. The Nation’s prayers and thoughts are with the family at this time as they mourn the passing of a great family man who served his country and protected his people,” President Shelly said.
We are all saddened by the passing of this true American hero. May his family and friends take comfort and pride in his memory.
The 2000 Navajo Code Talkers Bronze Medal sold to collectors by the U.S. Mint
Even though the Presidential $1 Coins have been relegated to collector coins, numismatists should celebrate the release of the Theodore Roosevelt dollar coin.
While Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to be inaugurated for four terms, Obama tied Roosevelt’s record for being the only presidents to receive the oath of office four times. Obama was given the oath of office a second time on January 20, 2009 after Chief Justice 
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