Unlock the origins of American money and how a young nation learned to coin its own fate.
This nonfiction work traces the early steps of American coinage, from Massachusetts’s pioneering mint in 1652 to the broader story of coins across the colonies and the United States. It combines detailed history with illustrations and notes that illuminate the debates, challenges, and craftsmanship behind the earliest U.S. money.
- Learn why the colonists started minting their own coins and how shortages shaped daily trade.
- See how Massachusetts organized the mint, selected a master, and safeguarded the quality and weight of coins.
- Discover the kinds of coins used in the colonial period, including shillings, sixpences, and threepences, and how private minting evolved.
- Explore the broader arc of American coinage from colonial times through the early United States, including notable patterns and evidence.
Ideal for readers who want a grounded, documentary view of early American money, its makers, and its impact on commerce and national identity.