When Coins Were King

When Coins Were King: The Coins, Power Struggles, and Personalities That Defined a Nation 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.

Against 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.

Full of rich storytelling and free from overwhelming statistics that tend to obscure the human element of defining moments, When Coins Were King 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.

Related titles: 1849: The Philadelphia Mint Strikes Gold by Michael Moran and Jeff Garrett, and Striking Change by Michael Moran.

Michael F. Moran has been a numismatist since childhood, when his grandfather got him started collecting Indian Head pennies. He fell in love with the art of Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1960, and spent the summer’s lawn-mowing income on one of the artist’s ＄20 gold pieces.

Moran holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s in industrial administration from Purdue University. He has spent a business career in corporate mergers and acquisitions in the energy fields and now serves as a managing partner in several diverse businesses.

Since leaving his corporate life, Moran has embarked on a numismatic writing career. His accolades include the American Numismatic Association’s Heath Literary Award for an article on the San Francisco earthquake, the Professional Numismatists Guild’s Robert Friedberg Award for Striking Change, and the Numismatic Literary Guild Award for best U.S. coin book for 1849: Philadelphia Strikes Gold. Moran is currently serving his fourth term on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee at the United States Mint, reviewing and critiquing the designs for all the Mint’s coins and medals. In addition, he partnered with Tom Uram to spearhead the drive for Congressional authorization to allow the Mint to again strike Morgan and Peace silver dollars in 2021.

Besides his numismatic pursuits, Moran is active in the Congressionally chartered Theodore Roosevelt Association. He presently serves on the executive committee and is the association’s treasurer. He also chairs the investment committee and the development committee.