First Mint Genealogy

Edward Barnsley and Eric P. Newman conducted an active correspondence for many years, focused on colonial numismatics and including early paper money and Connecticut coppers. In a letter dated January 8, 1961, Barnsley related that a cousin of his great-grandfather, Isaac Hough, served as chief clerk in the U.S. Mint from 1792 until his death in 1801. Pete Smith accepted our challenge to validate (or refute) Barnsley's claim and provided the following analysis. Barnsley's line is:

Isaac Hough's line is:

Barnsley was close but not quite - his great-grandfather was more precisely a second cousin, not first cousin, of the Mint clerk Isaac Hough. Barnsley added that

Images: 1793 1c, NC-3, ex. Stack's Bowers August 2020 Rarities Night, lot 1006, realized $660,000.

Link to Newman/Barnsley correspondence on NNP:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/561116