Medal: The American Gold Prospector; One Troy Ounce

Label

Early forms of metal currency were based on the weight and value of their materials, which allowed their exchange outside of their home regions. Since coins were so portable, however, they also served as a perfect vehicle for statements of power by the rulers who produced them. The Roman aureus and the Byzantine solidi each bear the likeness of the ruler who issued the coins: Titus I, Constans II, and Michael VII. The opposite side of each coin features a symbol to convey how the rulers wanted to present their reign, such as a religious figure or an architectural triumph. The pattern established by ancient coins is still recognizable in contemporary coinage. At the time of its issue, the $10 Golden Eagle was the largest denomination produced in the United States. The size of the coin and the sheen of the gold communicated expense, while the figure of Liberty and the Great Shield of the United States evoked the power of the country. The American Gold Prospector, despite similarities to the coins in this grouping, is not a circulating coin at all. It is a form of bullion, or bulk precious metal that is valued by weight rather than as minted currency. While the weight of the object remains the same, the monetary value of gold itself can shift, taking us back to the origins of the use of gold for currency.

From the 2024 exhibition Gold: Materiality, Morality, and Metaphor, curated by Ashley Offill, Curator of Collections

Course History

ECON 82.01, Macroeconomics, Jim Feyrer, Winter 2023

Economics 82.01, Advanced Topics: Macroeconomics, Jim Feyrer, Winter 2023

Economics 22.01, Macroeconomics, Jim Feyrer, Spring 2023

Economics 22.02, Macroeconomics, Jim Feyrer, Spring 2023

Economics 22.02, Macroeconomics, Jim Feyrer, Spring 2023

Economics 22.01, Macroeconomics, James Feyrer, Spring 2024

Economics 22.02, Macroeconomics, James Feyrer, Spring 2024

Economics 22.02, Macroeconomics, James Feyrer, Spring 2024

Economics 22.01, Macroeconomics, James Feyrer, Spring 2024

Exhibition History

Gold: Materiality, Morality, and Metaphor, Harrington Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, February 14, 2024.

Provenance

Charles Seaman Marx; given to present collection, 1981.

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