Mint Director Patterson Left Lasting Legacy on U.S. Coinage
One of the most interesting periods of numismatic history in the United States came during the years from 1835 to 1851 when Dr. Robert M. Patterson was director of the Mint. In many ways, he was to put his mark on our coinage. And much of this legacy is still with us.
Patterson’s father, also named Robert, was an immigrant from Ireland who did well in his adopted land. As the personal choice of President Thomas Jefferson, the father became director of the Mint in July 1805 but, outside of having the coinage redesigned by John Reich in 1807, was not an innovative person. He was generally content to serve the nation without making changes in the Mint routine but his son would have an entirely different perspective.
The younger Patterson was born at Philadelphia in March 1787 and was something of a child prodigy. By 1804 he was so advanced in his schooling that he earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Not long afterwards, he completed further university courses and obtained a coveted degree in medicine. In 1809, at the age of 22, he set sail for Paris to continue his studies.
