French Arms Tavern, Trenton, New Jersey -- November 1, 1784 to December 24, 1784 -- Eight Capitols of the United Colonies and States of America

Richard Henry Lee Medallion
$25 per .999 Fine Silver Half Ounce (15.55 gram) Medallion

Shipping is $7.00 Priority Mail for One to Twenty Medallions - Free for orders over Twenty

Medallion Obverse: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was elected President of the United States, in Congress Assembled November 30, 1784 serving until November 22, 1785. Richard Henry Lee was born in Stratford, Westmoreland County, Virginia on January 20th, 1732 and died in Chantilly, Virginia on June 19th, 1794. Lee and fellow radical Samuel Adams became close friends in the struggle for Independence forming the core of the Adams-Lee Faction. For more than a year Lee openly advocated a Declaration of Independence. It was his leadership the swayed the Virginia Convention to instruct its Continental Congress delegates to formally propose independence from Great Britain. On June 7th, 1776 Lee took the lead and moved; ``Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.'' John Adams seconded the motion. Congress deferred action for three weeks, in order that more definite instructions might be received from the middle colonies. In an uncanny twist of fate Mr. Lee was called home by the illness of his wife. It was at this time that Thomas Jefferson was appointed in his place as chairman of the committee for preparing a draft of the proposed Declaration of Independence. John Adams was successful in defending Mr. Lee's motion, and on July 2, 1776, the United Colonies of America officially became the United States of America. It was July 2, 1776 that John Adams thought would be celebrated by future generations of Americans. "The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." -- John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776." Thomas Jefferson went on to author the formal Declaration of Independence, which was passed by Congress on July 4, 1776, immortalizing the young delegate forever. During the negotiations of the subsequent Treaty of Paris Lee remained very active in the Virginia assembly. He successfully led the effort to establishing sound methods of funding Virginia's public debt and providing for the revival of public credit. These accomplishments did not go unnoticed by his colleagues in the Unites States, in Congress Assembled. The Definitive Treaty of Peace with Great Britain exacted a heavy monetary measure from the United States restoring Tory land holdings and repaying British merchants for goods used and seized during the Revolutionary War. The citizens and government of the United States were dire financial circumstances as the debt was staggering and the Continental Currency had collapsed. In the hopes that Mr. Lee could duplicate his financial success managing Virginia's debt at a national level, the Delegates elected him President of the United States, in Congress Assembled on November 30, 1784. The Liberal Adams-Lee faction had finally come into power and even the most staunch conservatives looks towards Richard Henry Lee to lead the country onto a path of prosperity. Lee summed up his philosophy to Samuel Adams in a March 14, 1785 letter two years earlier stating: I think sir that the first maxim of a man who loves liberty should be, never to grant to Rulers an atom of power that is not most clearly and indispensable necessary for the safety and well being of Society. President Lee firmly believed borrowing more foreign money was no longer prudent and he abhorred the movement to establish new federal taxes. It was the sale of these vast federal lands, he deduced, was the nation's only hope to pay off the war debt and adequately fund federal government. Lee wrote to his friend and colleague Samuel Adams on May 20th: " I hope we shall shortly finish our plan for disposing of the western Lands to discharge the oppressive public debt created by the war & I think that if this source of revenue be rightly managed, that these republics may soon be discharged from that state of oppression and distress that an indebted people must invariably feel." The Western Land Ordinance was enacted in May. In June Lee's Congress turned their attentions to other matters and appointed a new federal court to decide on a South Carolina-Georgia boundary dispute. Most of the June dealt with the appointment of Indian commissioners in a effort to negotiate Native American Treaties to settle the territory and discharged the only garrison capable of enforcing the land ordinance with squatters at Fort Pitt. Congress ordered inquiries into the expanding offices of the former Superintendent of Finance and the treasury administration. As the government departments grew in New York the undefined office of President of the United States steadily lost power. Early July brought the celebration of Independence and the establishment of the Dollar as the money unit of the United States on the 6th with these resolutions: "Resolved, That the money unit of the United States of America be one dollar. Resolved, That the smallest Medallion be of copper, of which 200 shall pass for one dollar. Resolved, That the several pieces shall increase in a decimal ratio." In July began debates on granting the federal government intrastate and foreign commerce power to raise revenue and settle state disputes. That month they abolished the commissary of military stores and the entire quartermaster department as they continued to debate the requisition bill from the states. Cutting costs was the only option left to the Delegates in this era of debt. In 1785 New York City was a bustling city whose post-war growth was unprecedented in America during the 18th Century.

The relocation of the Federal Government to Manhattan, in what is now known as the Wall Street district, attracted tidal waves packed with diplomats, politicians and enterprising businessmen seeking housing, office and retail space close to the United States in Congress Assembled. In late July, Congress, at the request of Richard Henry Lee, passed an resolution to closed off the street "that has been prompted by the daily interruption given to their discussions by the almost unceasing noise of passing Carriages." As summer percolated into a steamy New York City August meaningful work in Congress slowed to a trickle despite the chained off area as the city teamed with the new country's business. Richard Henry Lee decided to leave the Capitol due to an undisclosed illness and in his absence Congress granted Secretary John Jay, on the 25th, greater latitude in negotiating with Don Diego de Gardoqui, the Spanish minister to the United States to end the tide of Mississippi tariffs that plagued the southern territories and States. This attempt to negotiate a commercial treaty with Gardoqui resulted in no agreements At the end of September the eastern boundary dispute between New York and Massachusetts was still not settled so they authorized a commission complete the matter. October saw the return of the President to New York from Philadelphia. In October Lee's Congrees on the 5th orders postmaster general to extend system of posts; on the 7th debates threat of western separatism; On the 12th Authorizes troops to attend western Indian negotiations; exhorts states to meet fiscal quotas; on the 20th debates John Jay's report on naval threat of Barbary states. Congress on, October 21-22 and on the 25t they fail to achieve quorums On October 27th they Rejects proposal to create consular establishment but on the 28th they confers consular powers on ministers abroad. On November 4th Congressional session expires and President Lee terms comes to an end. Lee returned to Virginia and remained active in state politics until 1787 when he was re-elected to the Confederation Congress as a delegate. Lee voted to revise the Articles of Confederation resulting in the convening of the 2nd Constitutional Convention.. The convention was chaired by George Washington who agreed with Madison and other key founders to discard the 1st U.S. Constitution completely and form a entirely new plan for the federal government. Richard Henry Lee, the man who wrote the resolution for Independence, distrusted the central government and in 1788 fought against the ratification of the new US Constitution seeking to preserve the old confederation government. In an October 1787 letter to George Mason, Lee warned that the new Federal government would "… produce a coalition of monarchy of men, military men, aristocrats and drones, whose noise, impudence and zeal exceeds all belief".

Born in a Tavern and ending in a Tavern The United States Founding governments
occupied 11 different capitol buildings experienced 15 years of challenges that included war,
hyper-inflation, a failed constitution, judicial corruption, armed citizen and U.S. Army rebellion.

Medallion Reverse: The reverse of each Forgotten Founder .999 Fine Silver Half-Ounce Medallion features Ben Franklin's famous quote and warning to a reporter inquiring about the type of government created for the new united States: "A Republic, If You Can Keep It". 200 years after these brave men risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish the greatest political experiment in the history of the world, future generations are compelled to evaluate if, to any extent, we were able to hold on to our Constitutional Republic. In an effort to help restore many of the basic principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation, the Forgotten Founders Presidential Medallions are minted in partnership with the American Open Currency Standard. These AOCS Approved Medallions can be saved as a timeless collectible or circulated in the nation-wide Private Voluntary Barter Network at a value of twenty-five per Medallion. Visit the OpenCurrency.com website for additional information and the Merchant MarketPlace. Please note: these medallions are minted privately and are not to be considered "legal tender", "current money" or "coin".

Size: 30 mm - 50 cents size Types of Issue: Gold - Silver - Merlin Gold Bronze - Copper

© Stanley L. Klos has a worldwide copyright on the artwork in these Medallions not legal tender.
The artwork is not to be copied by anyone by any means
without first receiving permission from Stanley L. Klos.

Richard Henry Lee and French Arms Tavern Buttons
2 .25 inch Campaign Buttons $2.00 with the Purchase of Any Coin

Peyton Randolph	September 5, 1774	October 22, 1774
Henry Middleton	October 22, 1774	October 26, 1774
Peyton Randolph	May 20, 1775	May 24, 1775
John Hancock	May 25, 1775	October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens	November 1, 1777	December 9, 1778
John Jay	December 10, 1778	September 28, 1779

Samuel Huntington*	September 28, 1779	July 6, 1781
Thomas McKean	July 10, 1781	November 4, 1781
John Hanson	November 5, 1781	November 3, 1782
Elias Boudinot	November 4, 1782	November 2, 1783
Thomas Mifflin	November 3, 1783	November 2, 1784**
Richard Henry Lee	November 30, 1784	November 22, 1785
John Hancock	November 23, 1785	June 5, 1786
Nathaniel Gorham	June 6, 1786	November 13, 1786
Arthur St. Clair	February 2, 1787	October 29, 1787
Cyrus Griffin	January 22, 1788	January 21, 1789

Philadelphia	September 5, 1774 to October 24, 1774	City Tavern on September 4^th and then Carpenters Hall
Philadelphia	May 10, 1775 to December 12, 1776	Pennsylvania State House
Baltimore	December 20, 1776 to February 27, 1777	Henry Fite House, Maryland
Philadelphia	March 12, 1777 to September 18, 1777	Pennsylvania State House
Lancaster	September 27, 1777	Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Court House
York	September 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778:	York, Pennsylvania, Court House
Philadelphia	July 2, 1778 to June 21, 1783	College Hall, then Pennsylvania State House
Princeton,	June 30, 1783 to November 4, 1783	Prospect House and then Nassau Hall, New Jersey
Annapolis	November 26, 1783 to August 19, 1784	Maryland State House
Trenton	November 1, 1784 to December 24, 1784	French Arms Tavern, New Jersey
New York City	January 11, 1785 to November 13, 1788	New York City Hall
New York City	November 1788 - March 1789	Fraunces Tavern