Henry Richard Linderman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Linderman

Henry Richard Linderman (December 26, 1825 Lehman, Pennsylvania – January 27, 1879 Washington, D.C.) was an American financier.

Biography

Medical practice

Linderman was born at Lehman, Pennsylvania. He studied medicine under his father, and completed his course in New York City. Subsequently he practiced medicine in Pike County, and elsewhere in Pennsylvania, until 1853 when he moved to Philadelphia where he also practiced medicine for a short time.

Early career with the mint

He was active in politics as a Democrat. In 1855-64 he was chief clerk of the US Mint in Philadelphia. Linderman resigned this office during 1864, and entered business as a stockbroker.

He was director of the mint 1866-69. On account of his great experience and thorough knowledge of such subjects, he was appointed by the secretary of the treasury to examine the mint in San Francisco, and to adjust some intricate bullion questions. In 1871 he was sent by the U. S. government to London, Paris, and Berlin to collect information concerning the mints in those places, and in 1872 he made an elaborate report on the condition of the market for silver. In order to find an outlet for the great amount of silver in the United States, he proposed the trade dollar.

Superintendent of the mint

With Knox, he drew up the Coinage Act of 1873. On the enactment of this law in April 1873, he was appointed superintendent of the mint and organized the bureau, and from that time had the general supervision of all the mints and assay offices in the United States. During his administration he gathered a choice collection of specimen coins, which were to be sold by auction in New York in 1887, but the U. S. government claimed them. As superintendent of the Mint, he wrote annual reports, of which that of 1877, arguing for the gold standard, is best known and most important. He also published Money and Legal Tender in the United States (New York, 1877).