Six US Gold Bullion Coins

In the United States, gold coins were first struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1795. Production of the gold coins was legislated by the Mint Act of 1792 which authorized the ten dollar Gold Eagle, five dollar Half Eagle and the Quarter Eagle whose denomination you would be correct in assuming to be two dollars and fifty cents. So, you see it took a few years before the gold Half Eagles and Eagles were struck, followed by the $2.50 gold Quarter Eagles in 1796. The production of gold coins in the U.S. was more or less continuous until 1933 at the Philadelphia Mint and also at mints in Dahlonega in Georgia, Charlotte in North Carolina, New Orleans in Louisiana, Carson City in Nevada, San Francisco in California, and in Denver, Colorado.

During that period of time there were six denominations of the United States gold bullion coins. By face value they are the twenty dollar Double Eagle containing one ounce of pure gold, the ten dollar Eagle with one half ounce of gold, the five dollar Half Eagle, the four dollar gold Stella (for the 5-pointed star on its reverse), the three dollar gold piece, the $2.50 Quarter Eagle, and last but not least the Gold Dollar weighing in at one-tenth of an ounce of pure gold. The Gold Dollar was produced in 3 design types in the years from 1849 to 1889. The Liberty Head is called Type I and was struck from 1849 until 1854. Type II is the Small Head Indian Princess and was minted from 1854 to 1856. Then from 1856 until 1889 the Type III Gold Dollar was produced and is called the Large Head Indian Princess.

The gold Quarter Eagle, of denomination $2.50 , was in production from 1796 through 1929. During that time there were eight major Quarter Eagle design types. One of the original authorized gold coins, produced only in 1796, is named for its having ‘No Obverse Stars’. From 1796 to 1807 was the Capped Bust, Stars type. The 1808 gold dollar coin type is called Capped Bust to Left. The years 1821 to 1827 saw the production of the type known as Capped Head to Left, Large Diameter, Stars Around Head. The 1829 to 1834 type is the Capped Head to Left, Smaller Diameter, Stars Around Head. From 1834 to 1839 look for the Classic Head type. The Liberty Head gold dollar was minted from 1840 to 1907. And the Indian Head is the type produced from 1908 to 1929.

The minting of $3 Gold Pieces took place in the years from 1854 to 1889. 1879 and 1880 were the only years when the $4 Gold Stellas were produced. The five dollar denomination Half Eagles were minted from 1795 through 1929. Ten dollar Gold Eagles were struck between the years 1795 and 1933. And the period 1849 to 1933 saw the minting of the twenty dollar Gold Double Eagles.

Robert Burns In The US House Of Representatives

Scots Poet Robert Burns may have been dead for a couple of hundred years but that did not stop him earlier this year from making an impressive impact on the House of Representatives. In fact the impact caused them to pass a Resolution to confirm the link between the work of Robert Burns and the USA.

Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina proposed and steered the resolution through the House of Representatives in February 2009. North Carolina is of course the US State where thousands of early Scottish settlers put down their roots and now boosts more people who pride themselves in their Scottish ancestry than there are Scots living in the whole of Scotland.

The Resolution also recognised that Robert Burns had truly inspired the Founding Fathers of America writing inspirational poems such as “Ode for General Washington’s Birthday” and “Ballard on the American War”.

“Scots Wha Hae”

One of Robert Burns most famous songs Scots Wha Hae has long been recognised as the unofficial Battle Cry for Scotland’s own independence from foreign rule was actually inspired by the American struggle for Independence from the same ruling country.

At the back of Robert Burns mind was his strong belief that the United States victory in achieving independence would trigger off a monster size wave of independence war happening right across Europe.

President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was one of many Americans who took part in Burns Night celebrations. Shortly before his election he not only attended but gave the famous immortal speech to remind every person there exactly why they are meeting to celebrate the birth and life of Robert Burns who was an inspiration to so many around the world. It was reported that Lincoln was so moved enough by Robert Burns life and his poetry he tried with mixed success to give the address in an America version of the Scots Tongue (not and easy task for anyone to do even us born and living in Scotland would have to practice this).