This week I pulled out a 145-year-old book to hold in my hands rather than read it on theNewman Numismatic Portal. Sorry Len! I was interested to find the source of a story about the1804 Dollar that was quoted in several newspaper accounts.

As a service for those who don't want to bother pulling out the book, I will quote It here. This istaken from a book by Ivan C. Michels published in 1880, The Current Gold and Silver Coins ofAll Nations... The full title runs 19 lines in the front of the book. My 1884 copy is noted as thefifth edition.

Another version of this story is used to explain the disappearance of half eagles of 1801.

I thought to check on the reliability of Michels by seeing what he had to say about the 1792 halfdisme.

It is obvious that the book required a lot of research and access to Mint records. There is nobibliography or list of sources. Perhaps comparison to previous sources will turn up matches.

Thus the Michels book should not be considered a reliable source of information but rather anamusing time capsule of the state of numismatic knowledge in 1880.

Ivan C. Michels was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1829, and graduated from the Universityat St. Petersburg at age twenty-one. His father was also Ivan Charles Michels of French ancestry.His mother was Anna Damidoff of Russian ancestry.

Ivan came to America in 1856 as a correspondent for publications in Russian, French andGerman. He was a specialist in economics and statistics.

Michels published United States Druggists Directory first for 1859-1860. His address was 274South Third Street in Philadelphia.

In 1863, he published Philadelphia Coal Oil Circular. An ad stated that he "has travelled overevery continent on the globe and is master of seven languages."

Michels lived in New York during 1869-1875 and worked as an editor while living at 49 Cedar.

In April 1870, he was sued for libel by the publisher of another German language newspaper.

In 1870, while living at 49 Cedar Street, Michels was the publisher of Druggist's Price Current.He was also proprietor of a small German language Sunday paper, Die Laterne von New York.

In September 1870, Michels was elected president of the German Legal Aid Society of NewYork.

On Monday, October 10, 1870, four large men entered his office and attacked him with a club.They were scared off by his pistol shot. They were upset about the newspaper coverage of theirinsurance company.

In July 1875, Michels filed a suit against the Postmaster over an increase in postal rates. He lostthe case.

For years prior to 1875, Michels collected translations of The Lord's Prayer into the variouslanguages of the world. He had a goal of a thousand languages but by 1875, he had only acquired814 languages. In 1876 he exhibited a manuscript that had 500 translations. For this he wasawarded a medal at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition.

In 1878 (The year the first Morgan Dollars were struck) he went to India to study the effects ofAmerican silver purchases. He returned after a year in India and China.

In 1883, he ran an ad in Frossard's Numisma, from P. O. Box 1636 in Philadelphia. He waslooking to buy numismatic publications.

In 1885 he was elected secretary for the National Bi-Metallic Association executive committeeand provided statistics to support the free-silver movement. He later changed his mind andworked against the movement.

Michels produced an 1887 pamphlet on The "True Cause of the Decline in the Prices forWheat and a Remedy". This supported a proposal or the free coinage of silver.

In 1888 he was official statistician of the United States senate committee of mines and mining.He was frequently quoted on production figures for gold and silver.

Ivan married Elisabeth Sahler (1844-1929) in Manhattan on October 17, 1888.

A contemporary was an actress, Madame Ivan C. Michels, a/k/a Mary Ann Tyrrel (1812-1894).

Michels died at home at 109 E Street Northeast, Washington, D.C., after a lingering illness onMarch 16, 1906. He was cremated.

I searched the newspapers.com site with the keywords of "1804 Dollar" and Tripoli. There weremany times the story was repeated after 1880 but none before. I am not aware of any source priorto 1880. The Philadelphia Press had a reaction to the story. "However, it is in print in Mr.Michels' book, and ought to be true."