Pig. 1 1 . — Floor Plan of the numismatic exhibit at the Mint arranged by 

 T. D. Comparette (from (juulc In the Xumnmatic Colleclion of the Mint. 1913). 



cases the gift of a sintjie specimen will exceed in 

 significance another contribution of thousands of 

 items, because historical importance — not intrinsic 

 \alue — is the primary consideration. Thus an heirloom 

 from the Theodore Roose\'elt family (fig. 8(S)-^ or 

 from Mr. Kent Packard, a descendant of the noted 

 engraver Christian Gobrecht, arouses special interest 

 (figs. 94—97). A group of original sketches, designs on 

 mica, and models prepared for the 183t)-1838 coinage 

 in- Christian Gobrecht (figs. 79-82), as well as 

 additional materials illustratixe of the work of mint 

 engra\-ers William Kneass, J. B. Longacre, George T. 

 Morgan (fig. 84), and William Barber are invalunhli- 



research materials for the study of die-sinking tech- 

 niques in the United States since the early lytii 

 century. Among important die trials is the 183() 

 ob\erse design by Gobrecht of a half dollar struck 

 on an octagonal planchet (fig. 78). Two other unique 

 documents worth\- of note are the original dies 

 prepared in 1861 by Robert Lovett, Jr., in Philadel- 

 phia, for the proposed striking b\- the Confcderacv 

 of a copper cent (fig. 85),'° and the only survi\ing 

 complete set of six Confederate ■"chemicograph" 

 currenc\' ]3lates manulactured by S. Straker and Sons 

 in London. 



r'.S'.V.U Rflml, 



p. c. 



'" US.XM Rfjmrt. 19f>L', p. 46; sec also, John J. Ford. "The 

 Confederate Clent," The Cutn Collector's Jaurnal ( I9ril ), pp. ')-14. 



PAPER 31 : HISTORY UF THE N.ATION.AE NUMISMATIC COLLECTIONS 



15 



