•  Abigail Smith Adams - A gifted letter writer, she had a great influence on her era. Her correspondence eloquently urged others to continue the fight for American independence.
• Hannah White Arnett - With her eloquent and moving appeal in defense of independence, she convinced her fellow colonists to continue resisting British oppression.
• Penelope Pagett Barker - She led the first known political protest by women against the British oppression in the colonies. Her patriotic action inspired women in the fight for independence.
• Meliscent Barrett - Although she was only 15, she supervised a group of women and young girls who made all the cartridges used by patriots at the Battle of Concord.
• Margaret Catherine Moore Barry - She became the heroine of the Battle of Cowpens by volunteering as a scout for the patriots of South Carolina.  Her mission assured an important Amertican victory.
• Hannah Ogden Caldwell - A martyr to American liberty, she was killed in her home by a British soldier. Her tragic death aroused patriotic fervor among the colonists.
• Margaret Cochran Corbin - She was the first woman known to be wounded in action as a soldier in the Revolution. Her bravery earned "Captain Molly" her country's gratitude and admiration.
• Lydia Barrington Darragh - Though she was opposed to war, this gentle Quakeress was an ardent patriot.  She risked her life to warn Washington of secret British plans for a surprise attack.
• Mary Aldis Draper - She prepared food, made uniforms and molded bullets from pewter for patriot soldiers on their way to battle. Her generosity aided the cause of freedom. 
• Susannah Smith Elliott - The handsome military banners which she presented to the Second South Carolina Regiment were carried proudly throughout most of the War of Independence.
• Emily Geiger - This young girl volunteered to deliver a vital military message through territory patrolled by the British. Her mission led to a significant patriot victory.
• Catherine Littlefield Green - Wife of a great patriot general, she opened her home as a hospital to treat victims of smallpox.  Her spirit inspired others during the war's darkest days.
• Nancy Hanson - While the enemy occupied her town, she helped her  patriot brothers-in-law escape. Her daring action under fire saved their lives.
• Nancy Morgan Hart - This Georgia frontierswoman courageously fought and captued a band of pillaging Tories. Her legendary act earned her the nickname "War Woman."
• Mary Ludwig Hays - Known as "Molly Pitcher," she was the legendary heroine who contributed to the American victory at Monmouth by firing her wounded husband's caannon.
• Hannah Hunter Hendee - When her son and eight other children were captured by Indians led by the British, she demanded their release, risking her life to rescue them.
• Mary Worrell Knight - She made her way many times through the British lines with food, clothing and medicine to relieve the suffering of the patriot troops at Valley Forge.
• Dicey Langston - In a southern frontier region surrounded by Tories, she acted as a spy for the patriots. Her courage thwarted an attempt to raid a patriot settlement.
• Elizabeth Annesley Lewis - Wife of a New York signer of the Declaration, she was a target of British retaliation. After her home was plundered, she was imprisoned for three months.
• Sybil Ludington - She volunteered to ride alone through the New York countryside to muster her father's regiment. Her mission was crucial to the patriot victory at Danbury.
• Rebecca Brewton Motte - After the British seized her South Carolina plantation home for use as a garrison, she willingly set fire to the mansion to help the patriots rout the enemy.
• Mary Lindley Murray - After the British had captured Manhattan Island, she delayed the enemy officers at her home. Her clever diversion permitted American troops to escape.
• Eliza Lucas Pinckney - She cultivated new crops and supervised seven plantations in South Carolina.  Later, her two sons served with great distinction during the Revolution.
• Deborah Sampson - Resolved to take an active part in the fight for independence, she became the first woman to enlist as a soldier, serving in the army for over a year with honor.
• Catharine Van Renseselaer Schuyler - To prevent her harvest from falling into enemy hands, she burned her extensive wheat fields. Her example was an inspiration to other patriots.
• Elizabeth Page Stark - During the British evacuation of Boston, she was a sentry while patriot troops, unsure that the British had evacuated the city, made a final reconnaissance.
• Elizabeth Maxwell Steele - Sacrificing her savings, she gave a generous sum to General Nathaniel Greene. Her noble gesture bolstered the patriots' campaign in the South.
• Caroline Close Stuart - Following the brief but furious Battle of Guilford Courthouse, she worked tirelessly, nursing the scores of wounded patriots with home-made bandages and herbs.
• Faith Robinson Trumbull - A prominent woman of colonial Connecticut, she aided suffering patriot troops with generous contributions and inspired other women to join the war effort.
• Mary Videau - After being held as a rebel spy aboard a British prison ship in Charleston harbor, she planned and executed a daring escape along with several other patriots.
• Mercy Otis Warren - A remarkable woman of powerful intellect, her patriotic writings inspired revolutionary leaders. She was probably the most influential woman of her era.
• Martha Custis Washington - Wife of the Commander-in-Chief, she accompanied her husband whenever possible. She helped care for the troops throughout the grim winter at Valley Forge.
• Mary Ball Washington - On the way to his inauguration, George Washington paid a special visit to his mother, whose virtue and courage had been a lifelong inspiration to him.
• Mary Clap Wooster - During the raid on New Haven in 1779, she was a target of British hostility.  Nevertheless,she refused to leave her home and gallantly faced the enemy troops.
• Elizabeth Zane - During an attack on her frontier settlement, she braved Indian gunfire and dashed to the fort with desperately needed powder in a tablecloth tied at her waist.

        Not a day goes by at the coin shop without at least one phone call from an excited caller who has just inherited/unearthed/discovered in their attic a very rare and desirable _____ made in _____ (insert coin of your choice here)

       Well, the first words of advice we give is usually: Whatever you do, Don't clean it. Many times the voice on the other end will say "Yeah, I know better than to CLEAN it, but maybe just a little polishing so it's nice and shiny. We repeat our appeal with increased emphasis, DON'T DO IT!! Sometimes the warning finds traction with our caller and other times it does not, but the message bears repeating here.

       A long-time dealer years back once said that holding a coin in his hand magically transported him back to that time and place. A cleaned coin, he opined, fails to have this ability.

       As if a loss in desirability to collectors and thus some monetary loss weren't enough, there is the tale of coin dealer J. Sanford Saltus:

       J. Sanford Saltus, an international figure in the numismatic world, died suddenly at the Hotel Metropole, in London, on June 24, 1922......His body was discovered lying on the floor, fully dressed, by one of the hotel maids.......

       A verdict of "death by misadventure" was rendered by the coroner's jury. The evidence at the inquest disclosed the fact that on the day before his death he had purchased a small quantity of potassium cyanide for the purpose of cleaning some recent purchases of silver coins, and retired to his room. Shortly afterward he ordered a bottle of ginger ale.

       A glass containing the poison and a glass containing the ginger ale were found side by side on the dressing table, and it is believed that while interested in cleaning the coins he took a drink of the poison in mistake for the ginger ale. Potassium cyanide, although one of the most deadly poisons, was commonly used by early 20^th century dealers to clean coins. This practice is frowned upon today.

       In closing, our company has handled coins from every recognized country in the world and we remain strong buyers of the same. Please offer what you have for sale, but for heaven's sake: Don't Clean Them!

       These medals are from the series of zodiac proof silver medals issued by the Franklin Mint in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Each medal was minted from .887 ounces of Sterling Silver and comes in a hard plastic capsule.