From John Hinckley Mitchell to John Adams, 13 October 1795

From John Hinckley Mitchell

Charleston 13 October 1795

Dear Sir

The great politeness and many Civilities I Received from You in London, during your Embassy there, has induced me to take the liberty of addressing this Letter to you— Requesting Your Countenance and Support to succeed Mr. William Henry Dessausune in the direction of the Mint of the United States—who I understand either has or is about to resign—1

In the Year 1790. I made Some proposals for supplying the United States with a Copper coinage—which were thought inadmissible as the work was to be carried on in a Foreign Country— in May 1791. when the President was in Charleston I applied to him personally, to be employed in the Direction of the Mint—who informed he had referred the whole business to Mr. Jefferson the then Secretary of State—and my application to him was too late, and Mr. Rittenhouse was appointed before he received my Communications—2 shoud I be successful in this application I can in a very short time furnish a Machine on an entire new Construction, worked by fire and much more regularly than can be done by hand, which strikes both faces of the Coin, with the letters on the Edge at the same blow—and which works with great expedition, and will Save the United States a great expence it being worked with only 2 or 3 hands—

In fine I can Venture to affirm that the Coin will be superior to any yet issued by any Country—

You will Confer a very great obligation on me—if you will be so good as to second this my application, and shoud it be necessary will immediately Set out for Philadelphia— I shall be extremely obliged if you will honor me with Your Sentiments on this subject—and hope You’ll excuse the liberty I have taken in addressing this Letter to You— with my most Respectful compliments to Mrs: Adams / I Remain Your much obliged Huml Servt.

John H Mitchell

RC (Adams Papers).

1. Irish-born John Hinckley Mitchell (1741–1816) was a Philadelphia merchant who made an unsuccessful application to supply the U.S. Mint with copper coins from his machine in 1790. George Washington named Philadelphia lawyer Henry William DeSaussure (1763–1839), of Pocotaligo, S.C., as director of the U.S. Mint on 9 July 1795. DeSaussure resigned on 7 Sept. but remained at his post until 28 October. Mitchell did not earn a federal post. On 10 Dec. the president nominated New Jersey lawyer Elias Boudinot (1740–1821) originally from Philadelphia, and the Senate confirmed him five days later. Boudinot served from 1795 to 1805 (Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, James P. McClure, and others, Princeton, N.J., 1950– . description ends , 16:335–341, 344–349; Washington, Papers, Revolutionary War Series description begins The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series, ed. Philander D. Chase, Frank E. Grizzard Jr., Edward G. Lengel, David R. Hoth, Jennifer Stertzer, and others, Charlottesville, Va., 1985– . description ends , 17:246; same, Papers, Presidential Series description begins The Papers of George Washington: Presidential Series, ed. W. W. Abbot, Dorothy Twohig, Jack D. Warren, Mark A. Mastromarino, Robert F. Haggard, Christine S. Patrick, John C. Pinheiro, David R. Hoth, Jennifer Stertzer and others, Charlottesville, Va., 1987– . description ends , 18:297, 644; 19:239, 241; Walter B. Edgar, ed., The South Carolina Encyclopedia, Columbia, S.C., 2006, p. 260; Biog. Dir. Cong. description begins Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–2005, Washington, D.C., 2005; rev. edn., bioguide.congress.gov. description ends ).

2. David Rittenhouse served as first director of the U.S. Mint (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 9:258).

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: From John Hinckley Mitchell to John Adams, 13 October 1795
Author: Mitchell, John Hinckley
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 13 October 1795

Reference

Cite as: “From John Hinckley Mitchell to John Adams, 13 October 1795,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-21-02-0302. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 21, March 1791–January 1797, ed. Sara Georgini, Sara Martin, R. M. Barlow, Gwen Fries, Amanda M. Norton, and Hobson Woodward. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2022, pp. 417–418.]