Silverware, estate jewelry and fine china and vases are some of the most common items to be passed down through generations. Though beautiful pieces, their seedy history is not always known at first. Some owners are quick to find out, but only when it is too late. In the spirit of Halloween and all…

Concealed in darkness for a fraction of the year, quite possibly the most dangerous terrain and bearer of the most vicious elements, Antarctica has long been the viewed as a land unknown. Explorers have been seeking understanding and knowledge well before Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen either died trying to stake claim or succeeding…

April 13th marks 272 years since the birth of Thomas Jefferson. Since then Jefferson has become an almost mythical figure. His contributions to U.S. history keep his memory alive today. Specifically, Jefferson lives on in the coins and currency that honor him. Here are three enduring pieces of U.S. currency honoring the third U.S. President….

George Washington’s birthday is on Sunday, and, while most people recognize our first president on the dollar bill, many don’t know how the first U.S. dollar bill came to be. Before the note we know today, the bill went through many incarnations—two of which included the only portrait of a woman ever found on U.S….

Franklin D. Roosevelt has a sweeping legacy that still impacts lives today. Whether it’s Social Security benefits or the Hoover Dam, the effects of Roosevelt’s accomplishments can be felt all over the U.S. Perhaps the best tribute to FDR is the Roosevelt dime. But what many don’t know is that the Roosevelt dime wasn’t created…

When most people think about Benjamin Franklin and currency, they think of, well, the Benjamin. The U.S. $100 bill is literally synonymous with Benjamin Franklin. But that is by no means his only tie to U.S. currency. Benjamin Franklin was integral in the printing of some of the U.S.’s very first paper currency. As the…

This is the second article in a series on United States Mints. During the 1830s the U.S. was in the midst of a swift expansion. As explorers and settlers pushed further South and West, infrastructure was needed. Amongst the missing amenities in these new regions, was a facility to produce currency. Even though the Philadelphia…