Knowledge (XXG)

Beaver coins

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382: 31: 394: 42: 370: 151:, after being petitioned by William Rector for the establishment of a mint, gave its approval for the plan. Legislators from Clackamas and Yamhill counties objected to the bill, stressing the illegality under the U.S. Constitution of private mints. Although the Oregon Exchange Company was a mostly private organization, the legislature appointed the officers to the Company, which included Governor 185:
It was argued by the Provisional Government of the Oregon Territory that "necessity knows no laws". It could also be argued that during the Anglo-American joint occupation of Oregon, the territory was not officially part of either government, and any established government could act as it wished.
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However, after Oregon was officially organized as a U.S. Territory the coins were clearly unconstitutional. Governor Lane remedied this upon his examination of all the provisional government's laws, striking only the law calling for the minting of coinage.
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an estimated 2,000,000 dollars worth of gold entered the Oregon settlements within two years. Disputes often arose during transactions over the value of the gold dust, generally rife with impurities.
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trade tokens, the $ 5 and $ 10 Beaver Coins weighed 130 and 260 grains respectively. An estimated 8,850 coins of either denomination were produced until the closure of the mint.
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The formal U.S. Government's reaction to the coins was to buy them up at a premium rate in exchange for U.S. currency. The coins were called up by the
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arrived in Oregon. Machinery used to create the coins was created by Rector and made of "old wagon tires and such scraps..." Designed after the
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Replica Beaver Coin and other medallions used as window decorations at Oregon State Library (fourth photo down).
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depicted on the obverse of the coins. The currency contained 8% more gold than contemporary coins from the
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since the late 1830s, lacked a stable currency. A variety of items were held valid by the
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U.S. currency available, playing a part in the demise of the "Beaver Coins".
57: 17: 250: 128: 104: 61: 319:" The Washington Historical Quarterly 15, No. 4 (1924), pp. 276-284 40: 246: 132: 60:
minted in Oregon in 1849. Their name comes from the prominent
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Brown's Political History of Oregon: Provisional Government.
243:"Rare minted-in-Oregon 'beaver coin' sells for $ 125,000" 232:
Portland: Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. 1922. p. 407
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Oregon Historical Quarterly 33, No. 1 (1932), pp. 25-30
358: 135:, beaver skins and wheat. After the beginning of the 335:History page with article about the Beaver Coins. 115:The primarily American settler population of the 83:in September 1849. (Article I, Section 8 of the 68:. Today these coins are quite rare and valuable. 303:Portland, OR: Wiley B. Allen. 1892. pp. 454-457 87:declares the mintage of coins to be one of the 8: 45:Sketch of Beaver Coins in both denominations 333:Union County, Oregon Genealogy and History 311: 309: 29: 27:Former currency in Oregon, United States 430:1849 establishments in Oregon Territory 365: 293: 291: 289: 287: 285: 283: 269: 267: 222: 220: 218: 214: 162:The mint was open on 10 March 1849 in 7: 249:. January 24, 2006. Archived from 25: 425:Provisional Government of Oregon 392: 380: 368: 339:Oregon State Library Photographs 125:Provisional Government of Oregon 103:made a large supply of gold and 52:, also known in pioneer days as 71:After the establishment of the 193:and taken out of circulation. 1: 275:"Pioneer Gold Money, 1849." 446: 85:United States Constitution 101:San Francisco, California 420:United States gold coins 127:, including specie from 66:United States of America 166:, eight days after the 149:Provisional Legislature 143:Oregon Exchange Company 95:.) The opening of the 37:$ 5 gold "beaver coin". 46: 38: 181:Legality of the coins 44: 33: 315:Strevey, T. Elmer. " 168:Territorial Governor 137:California Gold Rush 79:ruled the operation 164:Oregon City, Oregon 73:Territory of Oregon 229:History of Oregon. 226:Carey, Charles H. 191:San Francisco Mint 175:North West Company 97:United States Mint 47: 39: 273:Scott, Leslie M. 121:Willamette Valley 89:enumerated powers 16:(Redirected from 437: 415:Oregon Territory 397: 396: 395: 385: 384: 383: 373: 372: 371: 364: 355: 320: 317:The Oregon Mint. 313: 304: 297:Brown, Henry J. 295: 278: 271: 262: 261: 259: 258: 239: 233: 224: 203:Territorial gold 153:George Abernethy 81:unconstitutional 35:Oregon Territory 21: 445: 444: 440: 439: 438: 436: 435: 434: 405: 404: 403: 393: 391: 381: 379: 369: 367: 359: 344: 329: 324: 323: 314: 307: 296: 281: 272: 265: 256: 254: 241: 240: 236: 225: 216: 211: 199: 183: 145: 119:, based in the 113: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 443: 441: 433: 432: 427: 422: 417: 407: 406: 402: 401: 389: 377: 357: 356: 342: 336: 328: 327:External links 325: 322: 321: 305: 279: 263: 234: 213: 212: 210: 207: 206: 205: 198: 195: 182: 179: 144: 141: 117:Oregon Country 112: 109: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 442: 431: 428: 426: 423: 421: 418: 416: 413: 412: 410: 400: 399:United States 390: 388: 378: 376: 366: 362: 353: 352: 347: 346:"Oregon Gold" 343: 340: 337: 334: 331: 330: 326: 318: 312: 310: 306: 302: 301: 294: 292: 290: 288: 286: 284: 280: 276: 270: 268: 264: 253:on 2007-10-10 252: 248: 244: 238: 235: 231: 230: 223: 221: 219: 215: 208: 204: 201: 200: 196: 194: 192: 187: 180: 178: 176: 172: 169: 165: 160: 158: 154: 150: 142: 140: 138: 134: 130: 126: 122: 118: 110: 108: 106: 102: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 69: 67: 63: 59: 55: 51: 43: 36: 32: 19: 349: 316: 299: 274: 255:. Retrieved 251:the original 237: 228: 188: 184: 161: 146: 114: 70: 54:Beaver Money 53: 50:Beaver Coins 49: 48: 18:Beaver Coins 387:Numismatics 171:Joseph Lane 77:Joseph Lane 409:Categories 257:2007-07-05 209:References 157:Cayuse War 111:Background 99:branch in 58:gold coins 197:See also 93:Congress 361:Portals 91:of the 56:, were 129:Mexico 105:silver 62:beaver 375:Money 351:PCGS 247:KATU 147:The 133:Peru 131:and 411:: 348:. 308:^ 282:^ 266:^ 245:. 217:^ 159:. 363:: 354:. 260:. 20:)

Index

Beaver Coins

Oregon Territory

gold coins
beaver
United States of America
Territory of Oregon
Joseph Lane
unconstitutional
United States Constitution
enumerated powers
Congress
United States Mint
San Francisco, California
silver
Oregon Country
Willamette Valley
Provisional Government of Oregon
Mexico
Peru
California Gold Rush
Provisional Legislature
George Abernethy
Cayuse War
Oregon City, Oregon
Territorial Governor
Joseph Lane
North West Company
San Francisco Mint

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