Born in Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Graduate of Princeton in 1831. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1833. Appointed district attorney for Northumberland County in 1835. Married Sarah Ann Hepburn in 1837. They had tree sons and five daughters.

Elected to the House of Representatives and served April 5, 1844, to March 4, 1850. Elected Governor of Pennsylvania and served 1854 to 1858.

Appointed Director of the mint by President Lincoln and served May 1861 to September 1866. This was a period of severe shortages of small coins. The mint was unable to provide for the demand. This resulted in the creations of substitutes for Federal coinage such as encased postage, fractional currency and Civil War tokens.

Pollock suggested that “In God We Trust” be added as a motto on U.S. coins.

He was appointed Director of the Mint again by President Grant. This time he served May 1869 to March 1873. The Coinage Act of 1873 was passed February 12, just prior to the end of his term in office. Pollock then took the position as first Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint. He served in that position 1873 to 1979. He died in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Pollock is honored with a mint medal (Julian MT-4) with dies by William Barber. The mint has produced modern copies (USM 304).

bio: ApCAB; BDC; DAB; Drake; Failor; NCAB 2; TCBDA; WWWA-H