{"data":{"description":"Legislation of the first copper penny, from which descends our present one cent piece — in all its various permutations over the course of over 200 years.","title":"The Creation of the First Copper Penny - 'An Act to Provide For a Copper Coinage'","post_type":"page","content":"\u003ch2 style=\"color: #ad8431;\"\u003eAppearing in the Columbian Centinel of June 20, 1792.\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\"That the director of the mint...be authorized to contract for and purchase a quantity of copper, not exceeding one hundred and fifty tons...to be coined at the mint into cents and half-cents...and be paid into the treasury of the United States, thence to issue into circulation.\"\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\"The Act also stipulates that \"no copper coins or pieces whatsoever except the said cents and half-cents, shall pass current as money, or shall be paid, or offered to be paid or received in payment for any debt, demand, claims, matter or thing whatsoever.\"\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/firsts/creation-first-copper-penny-2/\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-5272 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/ccjune20.jpg\" alt=\"This legislation resulted in the birth of the first copper penny.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Columbian Centinel\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eThe Act is signed in script type by G. Washington on May 8, 1792. The Act warns that all other copper coins used in payment will be forfeited, and those involved fined ten dollars.\u003c/p\u003e\r\nThis legislation resulted in the birth of the copper penny, from which descends our present one cent piece — in all its various and sundry permutations over the course of 200 years.","menu":[{"path":"lives-early-america","title":"Famous Lives","submenu":[{"path":"lives-early-america/autobiography-benjamin-franklin","title":"Autobiography of Ben Franklin"},{"path":"lives-early-america/ramsays-life-washington","title":"Ramsay's The Life of Washington"},{"path":"lives-early-america/adventures-col-daniel-boone","title":"The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boone"},{"path":"lives-early-america/true-story-paul-revere","title":"The True Story of Paul Revere"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"portrait","title":"Portraits"},{"path":"rare-images/last-men-revolution","title":"The Last Men of the Revolution"}]},{"path":"freedom-documents","title":"Freedom Documents","submenu":[{"path":"freedom-documents/bill-rights","title":"Bill of Rights"},{"path":"freedom-documents/declaration-independence","title":"Declaration of Independence"},{"path":"freedom-documents/u-s-constitution","title":"The U.S. Constitution"}]},{"path":"world-early-america","title":"World of Early America","submenu":[{"path":"bookmarks","title":"Early American Bookmarks"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"firsts","title":"Firsts!"},{"path":"rare-images/maps","title":"Maps"},{"path":"rare-images","title":"Rare Images"},{"path":"music1","title":"Music"},{"path":"writings","title":"The Writings of Early America"}]},{"path":"boston-massacre","title":"Boston Massacre"},{"path":"milestone-events","title":"Milestones"},{"path":"early-america-review","title":"The Review"},{"path":"home/teachers-students","title":"Teachers"},{"path":"sitemap","title":"Sitemap"}]},"success":true}