Ashland

Each month, the curator will select an artifact from the collection to highlight.  This will provide a unique window into the many fascinating stories hidden in Ashland’s many artifacts.

Mexican Gold Coin

1825 Mexican gold coin

1825 Mexican gold coin

Though only one and a half inches across and probably weighing no more than a few ounces, this artifact’s true magnitude lies in the gravitas of its story.  The coin, believed to be an 8 Escudos piece,  was made in Mexico in 1825. In December 1846 it found its way into the hands of Lt. Colonel Henry Clay Jr., then serving in the American army engaged in the Mexican War.  Henry Jr. sent it home to Kentucky as a Christmas present for his 6 year old son Tommy. Henry Jr. said in the letter accompanying the coin (now in the HCMF Henry Clay Family Papers at the University of Kentucky) that he “would like to see him (Thomas) laugh when he receives it.” Unfortunately Henry Jr. never got that chance because Christmas 1846 would be his last. On February 23, 1847, Henry clay Jr. was killed by Mexican forces at the Battle of Buena Vista.  Tommy, who likely received his Christmas present about the same time his father was killed, would sadly meet a similar fate.  He died of Typhoid acquired in a Union prison camp in 1863. The coin is currently on display at Ashland.