PERKINS, Jacob (1766-1849) Colonial American diesinker,
banknote engraver, inventor.
Born Newburyport, Massachusetts, 9 July 1766.
Made molds for Army cast pewter eagle buttons, ca 1785.
Manufactured dies for striking copper coins 1787-95.
Invented nail making machine, established factory for printing
banknotes, received contract to print first American postage stamps.
Created print of George Washington and may have made
a plaster bust of him. (Exhibited in London as "Plaster
Saint"–Dick Doty.)
Removed to London England, 1819, and may have engraved a
bookplate there 1830 (signed J. Perkins).
Died there 11 July 1849.
C O I N S
1787 Massachusetts Cents and Half Cents . . . . Breen 959-973
n.d. (1792-95) Success Tokens . . . . . . . . Breen 1282-1293
M E D A L S
1800 Washington Funeral Skull and Crossbones Medal
(designed by Dudley Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait,
engraved by Perkins) . . . . . . . . Baker 165
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 57:221
Illustrated: P2 The Numismatist 33:5 (May 1920) page 193
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . Norton (72), Baker 166
Auctions:. . . . . . . J&J 27:948; PCA 44:46, PCA 45:21,
PCA 52:149, PCA 57:222
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1950.136.9
Illustrated: M57 {2007} Jaeger-Bowers, 100 Greatest #11
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 168
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 81:210
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 169
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 46:151, PCA 48:302
R E P L I C A S & R E I S S U E S
1796 Washington Dollar (also called Perkins Dollar; made
from same Washington device punch from Perkin's
Funeral Medal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 33
C O L L E C T I O N S
C10 {1972} Norton (72), p 30-31.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
101 {1884-95} Sellers, chapter 2, Jacob Perkins in Philadelphia, pp 12-25, portrait p 13.
BL {1906} A.L.A. Portrait Index, p 1140.
E5 {1907} Stauffer.
D6 {1926} Fielding, p 279-280, 504.
Px {1926} New-York Historical Society 10:3 (Oct 1926).
BE {1943} Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p 1167.
E8 {1951} Kenney, p 19.
D10 {1957} Groce and Wallace, p 499-500.
BH {1963} Who Was Who, p 396 (date of death July 30).
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 715.
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 3:2575.
D3a {2006} Benezit.Dictionary of Artists, p 10:1177 (four lines).
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
E3 {1902-30} Forrer 4:452.
P2 {1920} Anon. Jacob Perkins, Die-Cutter, Engraver. The Numismatist 33:5 (May 1920) p 188-196; portrait p 189.
Px {1962} Weaver (Ralph R.) Jacob Perkins, 1766-1849: Precious Metalsmith, Pioneer Inventor, Engraver and Die-maker. The Essay-Proof Journal (run serially Spring 1962 thru April 1963).
E17 {1983} Pessolano-Filos, p 95.
S48 {1985} Rulau and Fuld (Baker) 165, 166, p 113-114; 33 47.
R3 {1986} McGuinn and Bazelon, p 79.
O12 {1988} Breen 959-973, p 87-89; 139; 1282-1293 144.
R10 {1990} Bazelon and McGuinn, p 130.
N26 {1998} Bowers, p 106, 127, 291.
P3 {2000} Freidus (Dan) A Relative Unknown Die Engraver Contributes Heavily to Numismatics, Coin World
41:2120 (27 November 2000) p 92.
M57 {2007} Jaeger (Katherine) and Bowers (Q. David) 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens. 1799
Washington Funeral Medal listed as #11, p 22.
banknote engraver, inventor.
Born Newburyport, Massachusetts, 9 July 1766.
Made molds for Army cast pewter eagle buttons, ca 1785.
Manufactured dies for striking copper coins 1787-95.
Invented nail making machine, established factory for printing
banknotes, received contract to print first American postage stamps.
Created print of George Washington and may have made
a plaster bust of him. (Exhibited in London as "Plaster
Saint"–Dick Doty.)
Removed to London England, 1819, and may have engraved a
bookplate there 1830 (signed J. Perkins).
Died there 11 July 1849.
C O I N S
1787 Massachusetts Cents and Half Cents . . . . Breen 959-973
n.d. (1792-95) Success Tokens . . . . . . . . Breen 1282-1293
M E D A L S
1800 Washington Funeral Skull and Crossbones Medal
(designed by Dudley Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait,
engraved by Perkins) . . . . . . . . Baker 165
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 57:221
Illustrated: P2 The Numismatist 33:5 (May 1920) page 193
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . Norton (72), Baker 166
Auctions:. . . . . . . J&J 27:948; PCA 44:46, PCA 45:21,
PCA 52:149, PCA 57:222
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1950.136.9
Illustrated: M57 {2007} Jaeger-Bowers, 100 Greatest #11
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 168
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 81:210
1800 Washington Funeral Urn Medal (designed by Dudley
Tyne after Joseph Wright's portrait, engraved
by Perkins). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 169
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 46:151, PCA 48:302
R E P L I C A S & R E I S S U E S
1796 Washington Dollar (also called Perkins Dollar; made
from same Washington device punch from Perkin's
Funeral Medal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baker 33
C O L L E C T I O N S
C10 {1972} Norton (72), p 30-31.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
101 {1884-95} Sellers, chapter 2, Jacob Perkins in Philadelphia, pp 12-25, portrait p 13.
BL {1906} A.L.A. Portrait Index, p 1140.
E5 {1907} Stauffer.
D6 {1926} Fielding, p 279-280, 504.
Px {1926} New-York Historical Society 10:3 (Oct 1926).
BE {1943} Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p 1167.
E8 {1951} Kenney, p 19.
D10 {1957} Groce and Wallace, p 499-500.
BH {1963} Who Was Who, p 396 (date of death July 30).
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 715.
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 3:2575.
D3a {2006} Benezit.Dictionary of Artists, p 10:1177 (four lines).
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
E3 {1902-30} Forrer 4:452.
P2 {1920} Anon. Jacob Perkins, Die-Cutter, Engraver. The Numismatist 33:5 (May 1920) p 188-196; portrait p 189.
Px {1962} Weaver (Ralph R.) Jacob Perkins, 1766-1849: Precious Metalsmith, Pioneer Inventor, Engraver and Die-maker. The Essay-Proof Journal (run serially Spring 1962 thru April 1963).
E17 {1983} Pessolano-Filos, p 95.
S48 {1985} Rulau and Fuld (Baker) 165, 166, p 113-114; 33 47.
R3 {1986} McGuinn and Bazelon, p 79.
O12 {1988} Breen 959-973, p 87-89; 139; 1282-1293 144.
R10 {1990} Bazelon and McGuinn, p 130.
N26 {1998} Bowers, p 106, 127, 291.
P3 {2000} Freidus (Dan) A Relative Unknown Die Engraver Contributes Heavily to Numismatics, Coin World
41:2120 (27 November 2000) p 92.
M57 {2007} Jaeger (Katherine) and Bowers (Q. David) 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens. 1799
Washington Funeral Medal listed as #11, p 22.