Copper Coinage Act of 1792

Copper Coinage Act of 1792 is a United States statute authorizing copper coinage to be engraved and issued by the United States Mint. The Act of Congress confirmed the procurement of copper not to exceed a weight of 150 ST. The United States Mint procured a shipment of copper at a weight of 15 ST as endorsed by the first director of the mint David Rittenhouse.

In 1792, the United States Mint petitioned Henry Voigt as the Chief Coiner providing craftsmanship as an artwork engraver for the United States copper coinage and early American currency. Mr. Rittenhouse commissioned the artisan talents of Robert Scot and Joseph Wright to assist the skillful engraving efforts of Henry Voigt as the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.

Declaration of the Act
Copper Coinage Act of 1792 was penned as two sections providing authorizations and rulings for the issuance of authentic copper currency by the United States Mint.


 * U.S. Mint Director, appointed and endorsed by the Coinage Act of 1792, was authorized to contract and purchase a quantity of a group 11 element being pure or unalloyed copper. The coinage metal was to be defined as a federal standard having a consistency in uniformity and weight.
 * Copper purchase quantity not to exceed a weight of 150 ST
 * Copper to be coined into cents as authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792
 * U.S. Mint Director to publish when a monetary sum has been paid into the United States Treasury
 * Forfeiture of copper planchets offered as milled coinage holding incredulous purchasing power which was not issued from the new foundry of the United States Mint

Copper Coin Contract of 1787
James Jarvis was a coin minter utilizing artistic repoussé and chasing techniques in Colonial America. In 1785, Abel Buell and James Jarvis established a currency mint in New Haven, Connecticut sustaining operations of milled coinage until 1788.

On April 21, 1787, the Continental Congress endorsed a contract for 300 ST of copper coin being of federal standard from James Jarvis. The copper coinage was milled as the first standardized coin of Colonial America known as the Fugio cent.

Correspondence affirming a narrative concerning the Copper Coin Contract of 1787 with James Jarvis: