Numismatics, or the study and collection of coins, currency, and medals, make up one part of our collections here at the Luther College Anthropology Lab. One of our student workers is conducting a full inventory of the collection and picked a couple of her favorites, while another chose an ancient Greek coin recently transferred from the anthropology collections to the Classics department.

1896 Presidential Campaign Token

Metal
United States, 1896
Numismatic Collection, N433
Donor: Unknown, donated ca. 1900s

This token was designed for the 1896 presidential election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. Produced by the McKinley campaign, it focuses on the biggest policy issue of the day: whether or not cheaper silver should be implemented to back U.S. currency rather than the gold standard. Bryan, a “Silverite,” endorsed the idea of silver coinage, but McKinley argued that the resulting inflation would further harm the economy of the country already in a severe depression. McKinley won the presidential election of 1896, in part due to his effective campaign to defeat the free silver proposal.

This token portrays the iconic American eagle in two positions, the first posing proudly accompanied with the statement “I’m all right” to show that America would be prosperous and economically stable by maintaining the gold standard for currency. The token's reverse in this position declares: “Sound Money: Means A Dollar Worth 100 Cents”

When the token’s icon is rotated, the eagle bends its head, its body is distorted, and the slogan changes to say, “Where am I at?” to convey the risk that Americans would be taking if the free silver plans were implemented. The reverse in this position declares: “Free Silver: Means A Dollar Worth 50 Cents”

Why I Chose It:

My project for the Anthropology Lab is to complete a full inventory of the Numismatic Collection. Part of this collection includes campaign tokens and most are rather simple with some “vote for me” logo. This particular piece in the group of U.S. medals and campaign tokens caught my eye first because it is a brilliant gold color, and second because it features a movable part.

- Kelsey Williams ‘15

Pegasus Coin

Metal
Ancient Greece, ca. 4^th Century BC
Ancient Coin Collection, Classics, HV 51
Donor: Mr. Hatthvedt

The invention of coinage allowed for easier trade by fixing values through weight, and was later marked by different stamped images like turtles, lions, and bulls. Ancient Greece’s coins were issued by the separate city-states and can be identified by the different images depicted on them. These images would relate to the city’s history, mythology, and characteristic products.

Corinth depicted Pegasus on many of its coins due to the myth of its ancient king Bellerophon taming Pegasus with the help of a golden bridle given to him by Athena. This coin is recognizable as Corinthian by the letter Koppa beneath the front legs of Pegasus. The Koppa is a symbol for Corinth which had the spelling Ϙόρινθος.

Why I Chose It:

My interest in the Luther’s ancient coin collection began while working on my senior project which focuses on the iconography of doves in Roman coins; it has however spread to a wider range of cultures and time periods.

- Regina Preston ‘14

French Bank Note: Territorial Mandate

Paper and Ink
France, ca. 1796
Numismatic Collection, N419
Donor: Unknown, donated ca. 1900s

This object is a bank note from France in the late 1700s called a Territorial Mandate. The creation of this note was meant to stimulate the troubled French economy and was designed to be a challenge to counterfeit. However, the bill did not last a full year before it was removed from circulation. The bill proved very easy to forge and very few people wanted to use it while the old bills were still in circulation. In the course of a week this bill was worth 1/10^th of its original value, causing it to become widely unpopular and removed from circulation rapidly.

Why I Chose It:

I chose this bill because of the fascinating story surrounding it. It absolutely blew my mind that this bill could lose value so quickly while other forms of currency continued to do well in the country. I also was intrigued by the fact that a bill worthless in the past could be priceless now because of its failure.

- Kelsey Williams ‘15 

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