{"product_id":"when-coins-were-king-the-coins-power-struggles-and-personalities-that-defined-a-nation-9780794851002","title":"When Coins Were King: The Coins, Power Struggles, and Personalities That Defined a Nation","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen Coins Were King: The Coins, Power Struggles, and Personalities That Defined a Nation\u003c\/em\u003e by Michael F. Moran is a scholarly and captivating exploration of America's rich monetary history, brought to life with hundreds of vivid images and a compelling narrative. Moran masterfully unveils the untold stories behind the nation's coinage in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a time when the coins that jingled in American pockets had real value in silver and gold. The story starts with the great Comstock Lode--a discovery of gold and silver that outshined the California Gold Rush--and fueled a rebound in our nation's shaky paper-driven economy after the Civil War. It gives the inside story of the outsized personalities that fought life-and-death struggles for economic control and political power at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgainst this backdrop, Moran details the political shenanigans, widespread corruption at the San Francisco Mint, and an unlikely cast of characters: the young, idealistic President Theodore Roosevelt...the nation's most-famous sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens...the energetic, populist leader William Jennings Bryan...the sage Senator John Sherman...and many others who influenced our nation's coinage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull of rich storytelling and free from overwhelming statistics that tend to obscure the human element of defining moments, \u003cem\u003eWhen Coins Were King\u003c\/em\u003e offers a fresh perspective on the economic and political struggles that still echo today. A must-read for history buffs, numismatists, and anyone fascinated by the power of money.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRelated titles: \u003cem\u003e1849: The Philadelphia Mint Strikes Gold\u003c\/em\u003e by Michael Moran and Jeff Garrett, and \u003cem\u003eStriking Change\u003c\/em\u003e by Michael Moran.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Whitman Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780794851002\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.60h x 5.90w x 1.20d","brand":"Michael F. Moran","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52197299552437,"sku":"9780794851002","price":29.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_1b047b9b-cf2a-4ff7-a7cd-2d10c7defe28.jpg?v=1769623057","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/when-coins-were-king-the-coins-power-struggles-and-personalities-that-defined-a-nation-9780794851002","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}