
James Curtis Booth was an early American chemist who served as Melter and Refiner at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia from 1849 to 1887. In that role he invented new methods for refining gold and oversaw the production of the country’s first silver and copper coins. This collection consists of three distinct parts related to Booth and his family. The first and largest section, concerns James Curtis Booth as a student in Germany as well as his long career at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. The second series of records contains personal letters to and from Booth’s wife and daughters, while the final part contains writings by other members of Booth's family, including his father, George Booth, who published under the pen-name "Amyntor."
Digitized content consists of select papers pertaining to Booth's employment at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. Such papers discuss the properties of pure silver, the fineness of copper, silver containing selenium, the consistency of nickel cents, the settlement of gold since 1860, bullion, coin silver, cleaning currency along with the operating procedures, annual settlement and wastage of the Melting and Refining office of the United States Mint. Additional digitized content includes stock owned by Booth.

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3 items
Letter from A. Moore to James Curtis Booth
Box 8, Folder 1- 1804-Apr-17
Reflections of A. Moore on religious themes written to James Curtis Booth (1810-1888).
- Author Moore, A.
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Religious life
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2 items
Dr. William Davis in Account with George Booth, Deceased
Box 8, Folder 3- 1819-Jan-26
A list of charges and accounts between George Booth, father of James Curtis Booth (1810-1888), and William Morris Davis (1815-1891), a member of the United States House of Representatives.
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3 items
Letter to James Curtis Booth from his mother, Ann Booth
Box 1, Folder 1- 1824-Jul-30
A letter exhorting James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) to piety and discussing a theological controversy between Mssrs. Kneeland and McCalla on the subject of eternal salvation.
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Booth, Ann, 1772-1855
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Religious life, Faith, Booth, Ann, 1772-1855
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3 items
Letter to James Curtis Booth from his mother, Ann Booth
Box 1, Folder 2- 1824-Dec-29
A description of the funeral service for Lewis XVIII of France (1755-1824), held at Old St. Augustine’s Church in Philadelphia and some criticism of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Booth, Ann, 1772-1855
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Booth, Ann, 1772-1855, Religious life
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2 items
Letter from Professor Gustav Magnus to James Curtis Booth, October 1825
Box 1, Folder 2- 1825-Oct
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Magnus, Gustav, 1802-1870
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Magnus, Gustav, 1802-1870
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6 items
Pages of an account book showing expenses of Ann Booth
Box 8, Folder 4- 1827
List of clothing expenses.
- Creator Of Work Booth, Ann, 1772-1855
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Accounting, Booth, Ann, 1772-1855
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3 items
Bill of Receipt from James Hogan to Ann Booth
Box 8, Folder 5- 1831-Oct-19
James Hogan, Administrator to D. Hogan's Estate, writes to Ann Booth (1772-1855), mother of James Curtis Booth (1810-1888), regarding her husband George Booth's debts.
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2 items
Letter from Lewis H. Gause to James Curtis Booth
Box 1, Folder 2- 1832-Feb-27
Lewis H. Gause, a student, explains to his professor, James Curtis Booth (1810-1888), that he is financially constrained from continuing his studies in chemistry with Booth.
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Gause, Lewis H.
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Chemistry--Study and teaching, Chemistry teachers, Chemistry
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3 items
Letter from James Curtis Booth to his brother-in-law, Conrad William Faber
Box 1, Folder 2- 1833-May-12
Mentions translating portions of Jöns Jacob Berzelius' 1779-1848 Chemistry.
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3 items
Letter to James Curtis Booth from his minister, William H. Van Vleck
Box 1, Folder 2- 1834-Jan-24
An encomium to Germany, where James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) was studying, as "the cradle of the Reformation and the nurse of science and literature" and a caution to diligence.
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2 items
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2 items
Letter from Professor Gustav Magnus to James Curtis Booth, April 1835
Box 1, Folder 2- 1835-Apr-17
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Magnus, Gustav, 1802-1870
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Magnus, Gustav, 1802-1870
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3 items
Letter from Friedrich Wöhler to James Curtis Booth, June 3, 1835
Box 1, Folder 4- 1835-Jun-03
Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) was the mentor of James Curtis Booth (1810-1888). Booth studied with Wöhler for two years in his private laboratory in the German state of Hesse-Kassel.
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2 items
Letter from Professor Hoffmann to James Curtis Booth
Box 1, Folder 2- 1835-Jul-08
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Author Hoffmann, Professor
- Subject Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
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2 items
Letter from Friedrich Wöhler to James Curtis Booth, July 18, 1835
Box 1, Folder 4- 1835-Jul-18
Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) was the mentor of James Curtis Booth (1810-1888). Booth studied with Wöhler for two years in his private laboratory in the German state of Hesse-Kassel.
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2 items
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2 items
Letter from Michael Faraday to James Curtis Booth, August 17, 1835
Box 1, Folder 3- 1835-Aug-17
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) solicits help from James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) in securing permission for Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) to tour a Manchester factory.
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2 items
Letter from Professor Phillips to Mr. Heacock
Box 1, Folder 2- 1835-Aug-20
- Addressee Heacock, Mr.
- Author Phillips, Professor
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2 items
Letter from Michael Faraday to James Curtis Booth, August 22, 1835
Box 1, Folder 3- 1835-Aug-22
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) solicits help from James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) in securing permission for Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) to tour a Manchester factory.
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2 items
Letter from Michael Faraday to James Curtis Booth, August 22, 1835
Box 1, Folder 3- 1835-Aug-22
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) solicits help from James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) in securing permission for Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) to tour a Manchester factory.
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2 items
Honorary Member Card to the City of London Club
Box 1, Folder 3- 1835-Aug-25 – 1846-Aug-07
Honorary membership card to the City of London Club. Established in 1832 it is one of the oldest extant gentlemen's clubs based in the City of London.
- Creator Of Work City of London Club
- Author Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867
- Addressee Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888
- Subject Men--Societies and clubs, Private clubs, Booth, James Curtis, 1810-1888, Societies
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Letter from Michael Faraday to James Curtis Booth, August 25, 1835
Box 1, Folder 3- 1835-Aug-25
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) solicits help from James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) in securing permission for Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) to tour a Manchester factory.
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2 items
Letter from Friedrich Wöhler to J. Thompson Esq., September 6, 1835
Box 1, Folder 4- 1835-Sep-06
Mentions Wöhler's connection with Michael Faraday (1791-1867) and identify Booth as Wöhler's traveling companion.
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2 items
Letter from Friedrich Wöhler to James Curtis Booth, September 6th, 1835
Box 1, Folder 4- 1835-Sep-06
Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) was the mentor of James Curtis Booth (1810-1888). Booth studied with Wöhler for two years in his private laboratory in the German state of Hesse-Kassel.
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2 items
Letter from Henry D. Rogers to James Curtis Booth, April 20, 1836
Box 1, Folder 2- 1836-Apr-20
James Curtis Booth (1810-1888) is appointed as Henry Darwin Rogers' (1808-1866) assistant.