10 Rare Coins That Are Worth a Fortune

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Author Tony Dunnell

September 3, 2026

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Most of us, at some point, have probably seen a scattering of strange coins — perhaps at a yard sale or tucked away in a dusty drawer — and asked ourselves, “I wonder if those are worth anything?” For many of us, that’s about as close as we get to the fascinating world of coin collecting, or, to give it its technical name, numismatics. But there are plenty of proper numismatists out there. According to data from CivicScience, 38% of U.S. adults have collected coins at some point during their lives.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of collecting rare coins. For one, they offer a glimpse into the past. They can also be worth an awful lot of money. In numismatics, a decades-old manufacturing mistake can make you rich and a simple penny might pay off your mortgage. Part of the thrill of coin collecting is knowing that unexpected treasures can be hiding in plain sight, and that once-simple pocket change can become a highly collectible artifact worth thousands — or even millions — of dollars.

Here are 10 facts from the world of numismatics, from the oldest coin ever discovered to the most expensive ever sold.

The Lydian Lion Is the World’s Oldest Coin

The Lydian Lion is widely considered the world’s oldest coin. Minted around 600 BCE in the kingdom of Lydia (modern-day Turkey), these coins were made of electrum, a mixture of gold and silver. The creation of the Lydian Lion marked a truly significant milestone in economic history by establishing the concept of money as we know it today. A Lydian Lion coin is worth an estimated $2.5 million today due to its historical significance and rarity.

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The Chain Cent Was the First Circulating Coin From the U.S. Mint

The chain cent was the first mass-produced, regular-issue coin to be struck at the fledgling U.S. Mint. Named for the interlocking chain design on its reverse, the chain cent was minted from February 27 to March 12, 1793, with only around 36,103 produced in total. Today, likely no more than 1,500 to 2,000 chain cents exist, with maybe only 10 or so in mint condition.

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The First Official Silver Dollar Was Struck in 1794

The first silver dollar is known as the “Flowing Hair” dollar, as one side features a bust of Lady Liberty with noticeably flowing hair. It was produced by the U.S. Mint in 1794, and only 1,758 coins were struck in its first year. Far fewer exist today, making Flowing Hair dollars produced in 1794 rare and highly prized, even in imperfect condition. One of these rare coins went up for auction in 2013 and sold for $10 million — a world record at the time.

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A Rare Gold Coin Proved a “Fake” Roman Emperor Was Real

In 1713, a collection of eight gold coins, of five different design types, was found in Transylvania, Romania. One of the coins featured an image of an unknown Roman emperor with the name Sponsian. For hundreds of years, the coins, and therefore the emperor, were believed to be fake. But in 2022, scientists at University College London proved that the coin had been in circulation 2,000 years ago. In doing so, they proved that Sponsian — whose name and portrait appear on the incredibly rare coin — was indeed a Roman emperor back in the third century.

Pattern Coins Can Fetch a Pretty Penny

A pattern coin is a prototype or proof of concept made to evaluate the design, composition, and technical aspects of a coin before it goes into mass production. They are normally produced in extremely limited quantities, potentially making them highly collectible. A prime example is the 1856 Flying Eagle cent. Only around 1,500 to 2,000 examples were ever minted, primarily to distribute to members of Congress and influential figures to gain support for the new coin design. As such, the rare 1856 Flying Eagle cent is highly collectible. In 2024, one was sold at auction for $312,000.

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A Wartime Mistake Created a Rare Copper Penny

Due to copper shortages during World War II, most 1943 pennies were made from zinc-coated steel. But the U.S. Mint accidentally made a small batch of copper pennies, of which only around 40 are believed to exist today. That, of course, makes these 1943 copper pennies highly valuable, with one selling for $82,500 in 1996. Collector beware, however: There are plenty of fake 1943 copper pennies out there. If you think you’ve found one, first test it with a magnet. Genuine 1943 copper pennies are not magnetic, so if a coin sticks, it is made of steel and thus is not authentic.

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Errors Can Create Rare and Highly Valuable Coins

A coin die is a specialized metal stamp used to create coins by pressing an image into a blank metal disc. A double die coin is produced when the coin die is not manufactured correctly. This error causes parts of the finished coin’s design to be slightly misaligned, with elements doubled in overlapping positions. In the world of numismatics, such errors can increase a coin’s value, and in many cases the more obvious and distinct the error, the more the coin will be worth. In 2023, a rare 1958 double die penny sold for $1.136 million.

Unpopular Initials Turned a Lincoln Cent Into a Collector’s Item

In 1909, the U.S. Mint in San Francisco began production of the Lincoln cent, the first everyday U.S. coin to feature an actual person. Controversy soon arose, however, as people began to object to the coin designer’s inclusion of his own initials, VDB (for Victor David Brenner), on the coin, which was regarded as too prominent and too self-promotional. Three days later, production was stopped and the initials removed. Only 484,000 examples of the 1909 VDB-initialed Lincoln cent were struck, making it quite rare — especially today, more than a century later.

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A Missing “S” Added Half a Million to the Value of a 1975 Dime

In 1975, the San Francisco Mint produced a proof set of more than 2.8 million coins. Three years later, eagle-eyed collectors realized that, due to a manufacturing error, two of these dimes were missing the “S” mark for San Francisco, instantly making them two of the rarest and most sought-after coins in the world. Both coins have since been sold at auction for around half a million dollars.

The World’s Most Expensive Coin Sold for $18.9 Million

In the midst of the Great Depression, the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia produced a $20 gold coin known as the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. But nearly all of the 445,500 Double Eagles struck that year were melted down before they could circulate, thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 6102, which prohibited the private ownership of gold coins. Only 13 of these coins exist today, and they are extremely valuable. In 2021, one 1933 Double Eagle sold at auction for a whopping $18.9 million, making it the world’s most expensive coin.

7 Things You Forgot Happened During the Revolutionary War

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Author Nicole Villeneuve

August 27, 2026

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During the American Revolution, 13 British colonies in North America fought for independence from English rule in what became one of the most defining conflicts in history. Certain moments from the Revolutionary War — which spanned from 1775 to 1783 — have certainly been etched into popular memory. But it was a long, complex conflict, and for every renowned tale such as the Boston Tea Party or Washington crossing the Delaware, there are lesser-known events that don’t always make it into textbooks. Here are some of the most fascinating but often overlooked events that unfolded during America’s fight for independence.

A Woman Disguised Herself as a Man To Fight

Women weren’t permitted to serve in the military during the Revolutionary War, but they were nonetheless instrumental throughout the conflict — whether they were sewing uniforms, tending to the wounded, or even acting as spies. Some, such as Massachusetts weaver and school teacher Deborah Sampson, took an even more direct approach.

In 1782, Sampson disguised herself as a man and joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment under the name Robert Shurtliff. She served in the Continental Army for more than a year, fighting in several battles and even tending to her own wounds — including removing a bullet from her leg. (Another bullet, too difficult to remove, remained in her leg for the rest of her life.)

After serving for a year and a half, she fell ill while in Philadelphia in 1783. She was taken to a hospital, where a high fever caused her to lose consciousness, ultimately leading to the discovery of her true identity. Sampson was honorably discharged in 1783, and, after starting a family, petitioned for back pay and a disability pension for injuries sustained on the battlefield.

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Smallpox Almost Derailed the War

Gunfire and bayonets weren’t the only threats during the Revolutionary War — smallpox also loomed large. The highly contagious disease had been an epidemic in the colonies at several times throughout the 1700s, and at the outset of the Revolutionary War in 1775, a particularly grim outbreak was taking place in Boston.

General George Washington knew the risks well: Having survived a monthlong battle with the virus as a teenager, he warned that smallpox could be “more destructive than the sword,” and in 1777, made the bold decision to order mass inoculations for his Continental Army. The procedure involved making a small incision in the arm and inserting a dose of the virus. Though it was controversial at the time, it paid off, reducing death rates and helping keep Washington’s army in fighting shape.

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An Amateur Spy Ring Helped Win the War

Winning a war against the mighty British military required more than just soldiers — it also took sleuthing and secrets. From 1778 to 1783, the Culper Spy Ring, led by Continental Army Officer Benjamin Tallmadge, relied on informants who were not professional agents but ordinary citizens — shopkeepers, farmers, and merchants — to gather intelligence from British sources in English-occupied New York.

Through code names, cipher messages, invisible ink, and even laundry strategically placed on clotheslines, the Culper Ring provided crucial intelligence to General Washington, including a key report in 1780 that saved French troops in Newport, Rhode Island, from a British attack. Despite the constant danger, none of the Culper Ring’s agents were ever discovered by the British, and their underground work helped win the war not with weapons, but with whispers.

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British Prison Ships Held Unsung Heroes

While the conflict raged on land, thousands of American soldiers and even civilians faced a different kind of horror during the war: British prison ships. Stationed along the Eastern Seaboard, these makeshift jails were overcrowded, disease-ridden, and notoriously brutal, and could be just as deadly as the battles themselves.

The most infamous was the HMS Jersey; it housed as many as 1,000 prisoners at a time, most of whom suffered from starvation and rampant disease. Captured Americans were given a choice: Switch sides and fight for the British or face the harsh reality of imprisonment on the ship. Many refused to switch sides — historians estimate that only about 8% of prisoners joined the Brits — and instead endured unimaginable conditions. It’s estimated that around 11,000 people died on the ships because they chose not to betray the cause.

George Washington’s Security Helped Plot His Assassination

In 1776, as Washington and his troops prepared for battle in New York, a plot on his life by the Loyalists — American colonists who remained loyal to the British crown — was uncovered. The conspiracy involved members of his own Life Guard, an elite security detail, and was allegedly orchestrated by New York’s Loyalist governor, William Tryon. But the plot was exposed before it could happen: One of the conspirators, Washington’s security guard Thomas Hickey, had been jailed for suspected money counterfeiting and leaked the details to fellow inmates while behind bars.

Ironically, Washington himself wasn’t above similar schemes — he later approved a plan to kidnap Prince William, the son of King George III, as leverage for prisoner exchanges. (The prince remained out of reach and the kidnapping plan fell through.) Hickey, though he pleaded innocent, was found guilty for his role in the plot to assassinate Washington and was executed for treason.

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America Hired Pirates

The Continental Navy was no match for Britain’s powerful 18th-century fleet, so the colonies turned to a different maritime strategy during the Revolutionary War: privateering. Privateers were ships owned and manned by private citizens, hired by the government to attack and capture British vessels. It’s estimated that nearly 800 vessels — ranging from whaling boats to schooners and brigantines — were commissioned during the war.

These legal pirates not only disrupted British shipping and supply lines but also took valuable cargo; whatever was seized was usually sold and profits were split with the privateers, while the rest was used to help fund the new nation. Privateers weren’t universally accepted — some colonists saw them as money-hungry opportunists — but they ultimately played a critical role in weakening the Brits. By the war’s end, American privateers had captured or destroyed an estimated 600 British ships.

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The First Submarine Attack Happened

Submarines are a common part of naval fleets around the world today, and the first one ever used in combat debuted during the American Revolution. The Turtle, as it was known, was designed by American inventor David Bushnell. The single-passenger, hand-cranked submersible consisted of two shell-shaped wooden halves that were fastened together with iron bands and covered in a thick waterproof coating. It was built to maneuver under and attach explosives to enemy ships, and on September 6, 1776, the Turtle set out on its first mission.

Deployed to target the British warship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor, the Turtle did successfully make its way under the massive ship, but was ultimately unable to secure the explosive. Though rudimentary by today’s standards and never able to successfully sink an enemy vessel, the Turtle was dubbed “an effort of genius” by Washington and helped lay the groundwork for future naval technology.

What’s the Real Story of Ben Franklin’s Kite Experiment?

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Author Timothy Ott

August 27, 2026

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It’s one of the most well-known moments in American history: Ben Franklin attaching a key to a kite during a thunderstorm to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. Yet, like a centuries-long game of telephone, the details of the celebrated 1752 experiment have been exaggerated or misinterpreted through countless retellings, creating a popular myth that may be more fiction than fact.

Look no further than the oil-on-canvas work “Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity From the Sky,” painted by Benjamin West in the early 19th century. In the painting, a confident Franklin raises his fist to receive a charge from a key suspended by a kite string, hair and cape billowing around him, as a team of cherubs wrestles with the string and another pair engage with some sort of electrical apparatus in the background.

This work of art encapsulates much of the myth surrounding the famous experiment. The dramatic portrayal clearly isn’t meant to be taken as a historically accurate re-creation, and West took several liberties with his depiction of the event. For one thing, Franklin was actually assisted in this endeavor by his young adult son William, not a team of cherubs. The inventor was also a relatively spry 46 at the time, not yet the wizened elder seen in the painting. And he likely undertook his experiment from the shelter of a shed, as opposed to being exposed to the elements of a thunderstorm.

What’s more, the kite and key story, retold to countless schoolchildren over the past two centuries and often repackaged as Franklin’s “discovery” of electricity, may not have taken place at all. While that’s certainly a more extreme interpretation of what happened, it also underscores the scarcity of verified details about the most famous experiment from one of the most famous figures in American history. So what really happened?

Franklin’s Theories on Electricity

As told in Walter Isaacson’s Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, the titular polymath, then best known as a Philadelphia printer, turned his considerable intellectual gifts toward exploring the little-understood properties of electricity in the 1740s. Conducting an array of experiments with a Leyden jar, a simple capacitor fitted with a cork and wire, Franklin formed what became the single-fluid theory of electricity with his observation of a flow between “positive” and “negative” bodies with an excess or absence of the fluid.

Franklin also became intrigued by the similarities between electrical sparks and lightning, and devised ways in which to demonstrate their shared nature. In a 1749 collection of notes, later relayed in a 1750 letter to Franklin’s London business partner Peter Collinson, Franklin described how such a demonstration could be administered: “On the top of some high tower or steeple, place a kind of sentry-box, big enough to contain a man and an electrical stand. From the middle of the stand, let an iron rod rise and pass bending out of the door, and then upright 20 or 30 feet, pointed very sharp at the end. If the electrical stand be kept clean and dry, a man standing on it when such clouds are passing low, might be electrified and afford sparks, the rod drawing fire to him from a cloud.”

The European scientific community began seriously considering Franklin’s work around this time, particularly after a series of his letters and notes were published in the 1751 pamphlet Experiments and Observations on Electricity. In May 1752, French naturalist Thomas-François Dalibard followed Franklin’s proposed instructions for drawing sparks from a storm cloud, his success inspiring colleagues to produce their own demonstrations that proved the American’s theory that lightning is a form of electrical energy.

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The Kite Experiment

Meanwhile, Franklin was impatiently waiting for the steeple of Philadelphia's Christ Church to be completed so he could use its lofty height for his own tests. Apparently unaware of the successes of the "Philadelphia experiments in France, he eventually elected to forgo the steeple and embark on a modified version of his initial plans.

According to contemporary accounts of the event, Franklin and his son William trekked out to a field as a thunderstorm approached in June 1752. They brought a homemade silk kite with a sharp metal wire affixed to the top, a hemp string connected to the bottom, and a metal key attached to the hemp line. Franklin also tied a silk string to the hemp one, surmising that the dry silk would be insulated from the "electric fire" running through the wet hemp line and therefore be safe for holding.

With the kite aloft in the air, Franklin waited for a telltale sign of electrical activity that wasn't apparent until he noticed a few loose threads of the hemp string standing erect. Extending his hand toward the key, he felt the anticipated spark, and held up his trusty Leyden jar to collect more of the charge for later investigations.

Curiously, Franklin provided no immediate documentation of the experience. Even after learning of the French demonstrations sometime that summer, and reprinting a letter about them in a late August 1752 edition of his Pennsylvania Gazette, Franklin neglected to mention that he, too, had proved the electrical properties of lightning.

The first public notice of Franklin's efforts came with a letter he wrote to Collinson that October, which was reprinted in the Pennsylvania Gazette that month and later read before the Royal Society of London. The letter describes how a version of the electrical experiments in France "succeeded in Philadelphia," without mentioning that he was the one who pulled it off, and proceeds to list the steps for following through with his modified plan.

The only other contemporary account of Franklin and his kite came with the 1767 publication of scientist Joseph Priestley's The History and Present State of Electricity. Priestley's retelling, derived from his recent personal introduction to Franklin, provides most of the known plot points of the story: that it took place in June 1752, how the charged threads of the string hovered in the air, and even how the inventor was anxious about being ridiculed and as such told no one besides William of his intentions.

Lingering Questions

Even with the details furnished by Priestley, there remain a few important unresolved questions surrounding this event. For example, we don't know exactly when Franklin sent his kite into the turbulent sky. The date is often cited as June 10, 1752, although other dates in June, and even other months, have been floated. It's also unclear why Franklin himself said so little about the subject, and why his confirmation of the experiment's success failed to place him in the middle of it.

Given the lack of clarity, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would push the theory that it was all a hoax, as suggested by author Tom Tucker with his 2003 book Bolt of Fate. Tucker is in the clear minority in this opinion, however. Other historians have pointed out that Franklin's kite experiment was never disputed at the time, and that he had little reason to lie about his actions after acknowledging that the French beat him to the punch.

Even if the key and kite anecdote can't be proved beyond the existing evidence, there's no arguing that it was Franklin's ideas that opened the pathway to our modern understanding of electricity, and led to the practical — and lifesaving — invention of the lightning rod. In the meantime, the mythical element exemplified by West's painting nicely fills in the holes of a celebrated American origin story, illustrating the ingenuity of one of the cleverest founding fathers.

Why Do We Have Middle Names?

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Author Tony Dunnell

August 27, 2026

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Middle names are a strange concept. They often lie silent and unused, only to emerge when we fill out official forms and documents, providing an extra piece of proof as to who we are, despite our near-total disregard for the name in our daily lives. In the U.S., a majority of people have a middle name, but only around 4% of people are referred to by it. And, according to a poll by The Atlantic, only about 22% of Americans think they know the middle names of at least half of their friends or acquaintances.

A valid question therefore arises: Why do we have middle names? What’s the point, and who got us started with this seemingly superfluous naming process? Here, we take a look back through history to see when and why middle names emerged, and how they became commonplace.

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The Emergence of Middle Names

Though historians don’t know exactly when middle names originated, we do know the ancient Romans used a naming system that, at times, involved what can be considered a middle name. Some Romans, especially members of the aristocracy, used a three-part naming system called tria nomina, consisting of a praenomen (personal name), nomen (family name), and cognomen (additional identifier). But the nomen, while having the same placement as a middle name, had a different function — as a family identifier, similar to modern surnames — so it’s not a clear precursor to the middle names we use today.

Instead, we have to fast-forward to medieval Europe. According to historian Stephen Wilson in The Means of Naming: A Social History, the custom of giving middle names emerged (or possibly reemerged) in Italy around the late 13th century. The naming practice became common among the Italian elite, who saw the middle name as extra real estate for honoring saints, family members, or political allies — offering a perceived spiritual or social boost.

The trend caught on, and by the Renaissance era it was increasingly common for wealthy families across Europe to include middle names during baptisms. From there, it filtered down through the social classes to become commonplace among rich and poor alike. In France, for example, more than half of all boys were given just a first name during the first decade of the 19th century. In the last decade of that century, less than a third had only a first name, while 46% had one middle name and 23% had two. By that time, middle names were common in Europe and had also traveled to the United States, helping cement their position as a standard part of Western naming practices.

The Purpose of Middle Names

As societies became more urbanized and bureaucratic, middle names became more than symbols of faith or prestige: They increasingly became practical necessities. The Industrial Revolution brought about unprecedented population growth in cities, and situations began to arise in which multiple people shared identical first and last names. Middle names therefore provided an additional layer of identification that helped distinguish between people in official records and legal documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and property deeds. This practical importance reinforced the cultural expectation that children should receive a middle name at birth.

But that’s not to say middle names lost their former function. While they certainly help with administrative systems — and likely became commonplace to a certain extent due to this practicality — having a middle name was never so important that it became a legal requirement. To this day, middle names are primarily used for the same reason as back in the 13th century: as a way to honor someone, be it a godparent, relative, best friend, favorite pop star, or any other name that holds a certain significance.

In many other cases, parents choose a middle name for their child just because it sounds nice — and thanks to the middle name’s general anonymity, it presents an opportunity for parents to get creative, choosing a colorful moniker they wouldn’t necessarily be happy with as their child’s first and primary name.

7 Priceless Facts About the U.S. Mint

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Author Timothy Ott

August 27, 2026

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With the ratification of the Constitution in 1788 and the Bill of Rights in 1791, citizens of the fledgling United States of America could count on documentation that guaranteed the separation of federal powers and an array of personal liberties. Of course, what good is freedom without a sound financial system to give people the opportunity to thrive? To address that issue, Congress passed the Banking Bill in 1791 to create the Bank of the United States, and the Coinage Act of 1792 to establish the U.S. Mint and the denominations of coins it would produce.

While that first national bank lasted just 20 years, the Mint is still around and going strong, with 13.1 billion coins sent into circulation in the 2023 fiscal year. Here are seven facts about this treasured institution that has provided Americans with pocket change since the heyday of the Founding Fathers.

The Mint Has Four Main Branches

For the first four decades of its existence, the U.S. Mint operated solely from its Philadelphia headquarters. Additional mints opened in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dahlonega, Georgia; and New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1830s, but those branches all closed after briefly falling into Confederate hands during the Civil War.

Meanwhile, another mint opened in San Francisco in 1854, and later, branches in Denver and West Point, New York — which originated as an assay office in 1863 and a silver bullion depository in 1938, respectively — were conferred full mint status. These three mints, along with the headquarters in Philadelphia, are the four main branches of the U.S. Mint today. The Philadelphia branch still maintains its stature as the “Mother Mint,” as it creates the dies used by all other mints for imprinting coins.

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Most Coins Are Minted From Scratch

Although machinery can vary between mint facilities, coin-making generally follows a standardized method. For all coins besides pennies, which are purchased as blank coins (and may eventually be phased out altogether), the process begins by inserting long metal coils into a machine that straightens the metal and feeds it into a press that punches out coin-shaped pieces.

These blanks are then annealed, which means they're heated at up to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free environment to make the metal more malleable, before being washed and dried. The blanks are then deposited into a mill for the process of upsetting, which pushes up the sides to create a rim. Finally, the metal pieces are delivered to a press for simultaneous striking on both the obverse and reverse sides by working dies, giving each coin its familiar design features.

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Early Coins Were Minted With Horse-Powered Machines

This production process marks the culmination of 200-plus years of experience and technological developments. Early minters didn't have it so easy. In the late 18th century, standard procedure included the use of horses to power metal-flattening rollers. One to three workers operated the presses that carved blanks from the metal and imprinted them with the specified designs. It was a laborious process that produced maybe a couple of dozen coins per minute for each press, which is one reason Congress continued to allow foreign money to circulate among the slowly accumulating American-made currency.

However, the introduction of steam-powered machinery in the 1830s enabled the U.S. Mint to do away with temperamental animals and improve overall efficiency, to the point where one press was churning out 100 coins per minute. Electricity replaced steam power by the 20th century, before the switch to computer-powered machinery gave modern presses the capability to churn out 750 coins per minute.

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The Mint Was One of the First Federal Agencies To Hire Women

As one of the first federal agencies to employ women, the Mint was ahead of the curve when it came to gender equality in the workplace. The earliest female employees were hired as adjusters, a job that entailed weighing blank coins and filing down any that were too heavy. Women eventually began taking on more responsibilities, including working as clerks and in supervisory roles.

Early pioneers include Elvira Cowan, who became the first female supervisor after being tasked with managing a team of adjusters in 1877, and Margaret Kelly, who in 1911 was promoted to examiner, the second-highest position at the Mint. When Nellie Tayloe Ross was tapped as director in 1933, she not only became the first woman to head the Mint, but she also embarked on a 20-year tenure that made her the longest-running director in the agency's history.

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The Mint Makes More Than Just U.S. Coins

Not limiting its metal-striking capacity to U.S. coinage, the Mint has also created medals for various purposes since its early days. This includes the "peace medals" handed out to Indigenous chiefs during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as well as prestigious military hardware such as the Purple Heart and Navy Cross, and today, various commemorative medals. The agency also began minting coins for foreign countries in the 1870s, eventually supplying goods to more than 20 nations during World War II, before abandoning the practice in the 1980s.

The San Francisco Mint Aided Recovery Efforts After the 1906 Earthquake

While the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed 28,000 buildings and caused $400 million in damages, the human toll could have been even worse were it not for the actions of local mint workers. As recalled by former Mint Director Frank A. Leach, a team of 50 employees plus another 10 U.S. military personnel managed to beat back the flames threatening the San Francisco Mint building thanks to its artesian well and fire stations installed throughout the premises.

Afterward, as one of the lone buildings that remained intact in the immediate area, the Mint functioned as a shelter and distribution point for food and water. Finally, with banks and many businesses closed due to property destruction and the loss of electricity, the Mint served as a temporary focal point for financial transactions, overseeing the exchange of $40 million between companies and individuals over the following two weeks.

The Mint Has a Mascot

Sometime around 1830, the Mint began receiving daily visits from a local bald eagle that entered by way of an open window. Employees apparently took this as a good omen, and even bestowed upon their feathered companion the name Eddie. Of course, wildlife and heavy machinery don't always go hand-in-talon, and Eddie sadly met his end after getting a wing caught in a coining press. Employees sought to keep Eddie's memory alive by having the bird preserved; his body provided the model for the eagle featured on the Gobrecht silver dollar in the late 1830s and the Flying Eagle cent two decades later. Contemporary visitors to the Philadelphia Mint can still see Eddie in all his stuffed glory, mounted just inside the entrance.

Who Built the Great Sphinx of Giza?

Author Bess Lovejoy

August 27, 2026

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The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most iconic monuments of the ancient world. With the body of a lion and the head of a man, it has gazed across Egypt’s desert sands for thousands of years. But while millions have marveled at its majesty, one question continues to puzzle experts and enthusiasts alike: Who built it?

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A Monument of Mammoth Proportions

Carved from a single block of limestone, the Great Sphinx stretches an astonishing 240 feet or so in length and towers 66 feet high. Its massive form faces east, greeting the rising sun each day — a position that may have symbolized the connection between the king and the sun god in ancient Egypt.

Though today the Sphinx appears weathered and colorless, traces of red paint on the face, yellow on the headdress, and blue on the beard hint at its once-vibrant appearance. Over the centuries, the desert sands buried the Sphinx almost to its neck, helping to protect it from erosion, though modern threats such as pollution and smog now pose new challenges.

By some estimates, the statue’s construction would have taken 100 workers, using stone hammers and copper chisels, about three years to complete. That’s a remarkable feat of engineering and labor, given the tools available more than 4,000 years ago. But who commissioned this ancient marvel? There are a few theories.

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The Case for Khafre

Most archaeologists believe the Sphinx was built around 4,500 years ago during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, under the reign of King Khafre (also called Chephren). Khafre ruled from about 2558 to 2532 BCE and is credited with building the second of the three pyramids at Giza.

Why do many experts suspect the Sphinx was commissioned by Khafre? For starters, the monument is part of a complex that includes Khafre’s pyramid and temples. And a life-size statue of Khafre, carved from volcanic rock and found in an adjacent temple, bears some resemblance to the face of the Sphinx. A stone ceremonial pathway within the complex also suggests a connection, as it links the temple next to the Sphinx to a mortuary temple next to Khafre’s pyramid.

Additionally, an inscription known as the Dream Stela, placed between the Sphinx’s paws by Pharaoh Thutmose IV more than a thousand years after Khafre’s time, asks the people of Egypt to worship the “resting place or sanctuary of … Khaef,” a name that has been interpreted as Khafre. While not conclusive proof, this has strengthened the Khafre theory in the eyes of many scholars.

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Could Khufu Have Been the Builder?

Yet not everyone agrees that Khafre was the mastermind behind the Sphinx. Some researchers argue that it was actually Khafre’s father, King Khufu — the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza — who commissioned the statue.

This theory draws on geological and archaeological clues. The Sphinx was carved from a limestone outcrop that may have been quarried during Khufu’s construction projects. Also, some archaeologists suggest that Khafre’s causeway and temples appear to be designed around the already-existing Sphinx, indicating the statue predated his reign.

Stylistic comparisons fuel the Khufu hypothesis as well. The broad, square features of the Sphinx’s face don’t match well with Khafre’s statues. Instead, some experts see a closer resemblance to known images of Khufu.

Alternative Theories

Other candidates have been proposed, though with less evidence. Khafre’s brother Djedefre and son Menkaure have both been suggested as possible builders. Djedefre in particular is thought to have commissioned smaller sphinxes at his own pyramid complex.

An even more radical theory proposes that the Sphinx is much older than the Old Kingdom — perhaps dating back to 7000 BCE — based on interpretations of erosion patterns. However, this idea is largely dismissed by mainstream Egyptologists.

Some have also argued that certain features of the Sphinx’s headdress resemble those seen during the reign of Amenemhat II, about six centuries after Khafre. Yet this view remains on the fringes of academic debate.

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A Statue by Any Other Name

Interestingly, the name “Sphinx” comes not from ancient Egypt, but from the ancient Greeks, who visited the site more than 2,000 years after the statue was built. They likely named it for its resemblance to their mythical sphinx — a creature with a woman’s head, a lion’s body, and an eagle’s wings.

The ancient Egyptians, by contrast, may have called the statue Horemakhet, meaning “Horus of the horizon,” linking it to the sky god Horus and reinforcing its role as a symbol of divine kingship and protection.

While the debate over who built the Sphinx continues, the monument’s grandeur and significance are undisputed. Whether the work of Khafre, Khufu, or another long-ago ruler, the Sphinx remains a powerful symbol of ancient Egypt’s ingenuity, artistry, and fascination with the afterlife. We can only hope it will endure for another 4,000 years.

7 Symbols on the $20 Bill — and What They Mean

Pile of $20 bills — Credit: Craig Hastings/ Moment via Getty Images

Author Nicole Villeneuve

August 27, 2026

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United States currency is full of symbolic design choices and cryptic markings. First issued in 1861 as a demand note, the $20 bill is one of the most commonly used denominations. Over the years, the $20 bill has undergone numerous facelifts, from changing portraits and seals to the addition of color-shifting ink and security threads. Today’s version packs in more symbols than most people may realize. If you’ve ever wondered what those little letters, numbers, and emblems really mean, here’s a look at seven of the symbols found on the modern $20 bill.

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The White House

The obverse (front) of the $20 bill features a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, but the reverse also has a prominent nod to the presidency: the White House. The image on the current $20 bill shows the north side of the White House; its main North Portico entrance and classic Ionic columns are a familiar sight to onlookers from Pennsylvania Avenue.

The White House vignette was added to the $20 bill in 1929 (the same year Jackson’s portrait was added). Initially, however, it featured a depiction of the South Portico. In 1929, the U.S. government reduced the size of all bills to save on manufacturing costs, and efforts were made to standardize the front and back designs across all denominations. This included putting portraits on the front and monuments or buildings on the back. In 1998, the $20 was redesigned in an effort to discourage counterfeiting, which introduced the depiction of the South Portico of the White House we see on the banknote today.

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Federal Reserve Seal

Located to the left of Jackson’s portrait, the black seal of the Federal Reserve System represents the nation’s central bank. This version of the Federal Reserve seal has appeared on all U.S. banknotes since 1996. It replaced an earlier system of each note featuring a letter and seal representing one of the 12 individual Federal Reserve banks. Instead, a letter and number below the upper left serial number now identify the issuing Federal Reserve bank. The modern seal is uniform across all denominations and signifies the authority of the Federal Reserve System as a whole, rather than a specific regional bank.

The seal’s design contains a bald eagle perched atop a shield of stripes; below, branches of olive and oak signify peace and strength. These elements also appear in the Federal Reserve Board of Governors seal, designed by architect and industrial designer Paul Cret, who was responsible for the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C.

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Blue Eagle and Green Eagle

The eagle is an emblem that’s deeply woven into American iconography, and on the $20 bill, it appears not just once, not twice — but three times. In addition to the bald eagle that appears in the Federal Reserve seal, two others are included.

To the left of Jackson’s portrait on the front is a blue eagle clutching three arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. These items represent war and peace, respectively, and the eagle’s head turned toward the olive branch signifies that the U.S. remains dedicated to promoting peace. According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, this eagle’s design reflects the artistic style of Jackson’s era. A second, smaller eagle to the right of Jackson’s portrait appears in metallic green ink and more closely resembles the heraldic bald eagle found on contemporary designs. Both were included on the 2003 redesign as intentional symbols of freedom.

EURion Constellation

To the untrained eye, the clusters of tiny yellow numbers sprinkled around the White House on the back of the bill may not mean much. While they certainly add a bit of colorful flair, they’re actually a sneaky security feature that was added to the bill in 2003. This pattern is part of what’s known as the EURion constellation, a subtle arrangement of symbols used on currency and other secure documents to help imaging software detect and block unauthorized copying. German computer scientist Markus Kuhn coined the name in 2002, after noticing patterns of symbols resembling the Orion constellation. Because he first spotted it on a euro note, he dubbed it “EURion.”

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Microprinting

One of the most deceptive features of the $20 bill is hiding in plain sight. Tiny words — so small they resemble lines or borders — are printed in various places using microprinting. This security feature is almost impossible to see and, most importantly, to replicate.

For instance, located to the right of Jackson’s portrait in the blue “Twenty USA” lettering, small text reading “USA 20” appears along the edge of the first three letters. And in the black border below the treasurer’s signature, “The United States of America 20 USA 20” is printed in microtext. There's also a number “20” between the large numbers “2” and “0” under the treasurer’s signature, and “USA” in the center of the “0.” Microprinting was introduced on U.S. currency in 1991.

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Large Green Number “20”

In the lower-right corner on the back of the $20 bill is a large, dark-green number “20” on a plain background. This particular occurence of the numeral 20 stands out from the rest — elsewhere, the denomination numbers are elaborate, often outlined with borders or sitting on top of other design elements. In contrast, this one is more understated. Beginning in 1998, it was included to help individuals with visual impairments more easily identify the denomination.

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Series Year

Several combinations of numbers and letters appear on U.S. bills, from serial numbers to face and back plate numbers. One of the most straightforward numbers printed on each bill is the series year, found on the front of the bill between the portrait of the statesman and the signature of the treasurer (or the secretary of the Treasury, depending on the age of the bill). It might be fair to assume this indicates when the individual note was printed, but it doesn’t: It lets you know when the secretary of the Treasury approved the design of the bill itself, or when the signature of a new secretary or treasurer was added to the bill. A letter after the year, such as “A” or “B,” indicates a major design revision. The series year acts as a time stamp of sorts, tracking the evolution of U.S. currency.

5 Eye-Opening Facts About the Dust Bowl

Dust storm, circa 1930 — Credit: Historical/ Corbis Historical via Getty Images

Author Timothy Ott

August 20, 2026

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Although the Great Depression was a challenging time for most Americans, a special distinction can be made for those who weathered the unique conditions of the Dust Bowl. Generally encompassing a 300,000-square-mile region of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico — although its effects were also felt farther north — the Dust Bowl was marked by the relentless accumulation of dry soil that blackened skies and ruined crops.

In the wake of poor farming practices and unusually low levels of rainfall, topsoil from the Great Plains swirled through towns, piled up on fence posts, and seeped through building cracks. People and livestock alike suffered adverse health effects from inhaling the contaminated air, although the status quo apparently suited the swarms of grasshoppers who devoured what remained of crop rows.

While it sounds like something out of a dystopian novel, the Dust Bowl was very much a real experience for millions of people who had to decide between sticking things out in an inhospitable climate or abandoning their homes for an unknown future. Here are five facts about what it was like to live through those years of uncertainty.

The Catastrophe Was Caused by Poor Farming Practices

The Dust Bowl’s roots can be traced back to the late 19th century: Federal efforts such as the Homestead Act of 1862 lured settlers to the Great Plains, and by the early 1900s, much of the prairie’s native grasslands, which helped retain precious water in the soil, had been dug up. The problem intensified with increased demand for wheat during World War I, which led to a focus on this particular yield at the expense of sustainable crop rotation, while improved farming machinery such as the gasoline-powered tractor lured even more “suitcase farmers” to arid areas with the hope of cashing in on crops.

The ramifications of this overfarming became apparent when the region was stricken by a series of droughts beginning in 1930, leaving wide swaths of overturned earth dry and loose, vulnerable to blowing away in high winds. The disaster impoverished the farmers, who struggled to grow suitable crops and attract customers amid the financial depths of the Depression.

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Enormous Dust Storms Traveled All the Way to the East Coast

Beyond the endless rows of parched farmland, the starkest visual indication of an ecological system gone awry was the series of dust storms that swept across the Great Plains for much of the 1930s. The frequency of storms increased as the decade progressed, going from 14 in 1932 to a peak of 72 in 1937.

While some of these were milder and more localized "sand blows," others were enormous "black blizzards" that wiped out visibility altogether as they ripped across several states. One such tempest, which commenced in the Northern Great Plains on May 11, 1934, carried an estimated 350 million tons of silt all the way to the Eastern Seaboard, with ships a few hundred miles offshore even noting the accumulation of dust on their decks. But the most notorious of the storms was the one that roared south from the Oklahoma Panhandle at winds reaching 60 mph on April 14, 1935. The event came to be known as "Black Sunday" and yielded the first known use of the term "Dust Bowl" in newspapers.

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Migrant “Okies” Faced Discrimination

Unsurprisingly, the unforgiving conditions prompted many residents of the Dust Bowl's hardest-hit regions to uproot their families in search of better pastures farther west. Approximately 2.5 million people moved from their Great Plains homes throughout the 1930s, with the notable share of Oklahomans giving rise to the pejorative nickname of "Okies" for any migrants who departed the desolate Midwest.

The 200,000 or so migrants who journeyed to California found no immediate improvement to living conditions; those who sought to eke out a living picking fruit in the San Joaquin Valley often were forced to live amid unsanitary conditions in tents and shantytowns, while those who ventured south to Los Angeles were for a time turned away by the LAPD's "bum brigade."

Although later research showed that the population decrease of the Dust Bowl states reflected both the continuation of post-World War I migratory trends and the lack of new arrivals to the area, there's no doubt that Dust Bowl migrants marked a distinct subset of Americans who struggled during the Depression era.

FDR Launched an Array of Programs To Aid Farmers

As part of the sweeping legislation passed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the federal government enacted a series of programs geared toward farmers ravaged by the Dust Bowl. The Emergency Farm Mortgage Act and Farm Credit Act in 1933 allowed recipients to refinance their loans and access new lines of credit, while the Farm Security Administration of 1937 offered educational opportunities and health care plans for participants.

Other programs sought to undo some of the environmental issues at play. The Soil Erosion Service, which became the Soil Conservation Service in 1935, provided instruction on sound farming techniques such as crop rotation, and awarded subsidies for farmers to leave certain areas idle to let the land recover. Then there was the massive Shelterbelt Project, which tapped unemployed laborers to plant more than 220 million trees across a 1,300-mile row from Texas to Canada in an attempt to block winds from whipping up the dreaded dust storms.

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The Dust Bowl Produced Some of the Most Enduring Art of the Century

As human suffering can be a catalyst for creativity, it's not surprising that some of the most powerful American art of the 20th century emerged from the Dust Bowl years. Photographer Dorothea Lange showcased the toll of hard living on her subjects, as exemplified by her famed "Migrant Mother" portrait from 1936. Painter Alexandre Hogue supplied his "psychorealistic" view of the era, with works highlighting the desolate landscapes and emaciated cattle of the Great Plains. Author John Steinbeck captured the desperation of the displaced Joad family in his 1939 masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath. And folk singer Woody Guthrie, who endured Black Sunday from his north Texas home and actually lived the life of the migrant "Okie," relayed the heartache of those lean years with his first commercial album, 1940's Dust Bowl Ballads.

What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office

Ronald Reagan at the pool — Credit: John Kobal Foundation/ Moviepix via Getty Images

Author Timothy Ott

August 20, 2026

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A look through the life journeys of all 45 people who have served as U.S. president reveals a general blueprint for ascending to the highest office in the land. Many spent a sizable chunk of their early careers in the military and/or as lawyers, before climbing the political ladder with increasingly prominent roles that garnered the national attention and support needed to make a successful run at the White House.

Of course, there is no one set path that leads to the presidency. Many future commanders in chief navigated unusual first jobs or failed ventures along the way. Here are nine early roles held by people who eventually became known for calling the shots from the Oval Office.

Abraham Lincoln: Tavern Owner

Abraham Lincoln held down an array of jobs during his young adult years in the town of New Salem, Illinois, although the one that often stands out to contemporary eyes is his stint as a tavern owner. To be specific, the venue Lincoln co-owned with his militia colleague William F. Berry was a “grocery,” a store that sold alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the premises. Because a license was needed for such transactions, Lincoln is sometimes described as the only licensed bartender to become president. Unfortunately, Berry supposedly spent too much time indulging in the liquor stockpile, and Lincoln sold his share of the store to his co-owner after less than a year. But the business relationship came back to haunt the future president when Berry died two years later, leaving Honest Abe responsible for the grocery’s debts.

Ulysses S. Grant: Farmer

Although he became Lincoln's most celebrated Civil War general and springboarded from that role to the White House, Ulysses S. Grant largely struggled in most of his other professional endeavors. One such endeavor, as described in Kate Havelin's biography Ulysses S. Grant, was his attempt to farm the 60 acres of land in St. Louis, Missouri, that had been gifted to him by his father-in-law. The appropriately named "Hardscrabble" farm initially failed to produce anything of significant growth beyond its trees, which Grant chopped down and sold as firewood on the streets of St. Louis as his family's main source of income. By the time Hardscrabble finally began yielding quality crops, Grant was unable to capitalize due to an economic downturn and his own health problems, forcing him to sell the farm by the late 1850s.

Calvin Coolidge: Toy Maker

Unlike the previous presidents on this list, a 14-year-old Calvin Coolidge didn't need to support himself or a family while attending Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont. However, his father insisted on the fiscal lessons to be learned from employment, according to Hendrik Booraem's biography The Provincial, and so the elder Coolidge set up his son with a weekend job at the Ludlow Toy Manufacturing Company in 1886. It's unclear what specific duties the 30th president performed, but they likely included tasks such as sawing, gluing, and painting the wares. In his autobiography, Coolidge noted simply that he "came to know how toys and baby wagons were made" during his brief tenure at the factory.

Harry S. Truman: Haberdasher

Upon returning home from World War I, Harry S. Truman teamed up with his Army buddy Eddie Jacobson to open a men's clothing store on the ground floor of the Glennon Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. A popular meeting place for other veterans, the Truman & Jacobson Haberdashery initially enjoyed brisk business, with Truman handling sales and bookkeeping and Jacobson overseeing inventory. However, the good fortune dissipated with the onset of a recession in the early 1920s, resulting in the store's closure in September 1922. Similar to Lincoln, Truman was saddled with the financial burden after his former partner declared bankruptcy, finally settling his debts in 1935.

Richard Nixon: Frozen Orange Juice Executive

After graduating from Duke Law School in 1937, Richard Nixon landed a job with the Wingert and Bewley law firm in his hometown of Whittier, California. However, the legal position apparently didn't quite satisfy his professional ambitions, and Nixon soon added the role of president of a frozen orange juice venture called the Citra-Frost Company to his résumé. According to eyewitness accounts, Nixon spent much of his free time diligently cutting and squeezing oranges in an attempt to make his side business a success. However, he couldn't quite solve the problem of proper packaging in a time before the development of frozen juice concentrate, and Citra-Frost went bankrupt after an attempt at storing plastic juice bags blew up a refrigerated boxcar.

Lyndon B. Johnson: Elevator Operator

As told in Volume 1 of Robert Dallek's Lone Star Rising biographical series, a 17-year-old Lyndon B. Johnson spent part of 1925 aiding his lawyer cousin in San Bernardino, California, with the hope of getting a leg up on a fledgling legal career. When it became apparent that the cousin couldn't provide the professional assistance he sought, Johnson spent about a month working as an elevator operator, before heading back home to Texas. Johnson later returned to San Bernardino during the 1964 presidential campaign and demonstrated that he remembered his vocational training from four decades earlier by taking passengers up and down the same elevator he once oversaw.

Gerald Ford: Football and Boxing Coach

After starring on a pair of national championship-winning football teams at the University of Michigan, Gerald Ford leaped at the chance to become an assistant football coach at Yale in 1935, with an eye toward earning his law degree from the esteemed institution. Things didn't initially go as smoothly as he'd hoped; the Yale administration denied his request to apply to the law school, believing he'd be too busy to juggle classes and professional responsibilities, before grudgingly allowing him to take a reduced course load in 1938. As part of his obligations, Ford also had to serve double duty as the school's boxing coach. As he recalled in Sports Illustrated in 1974, he took a crash course in the sport the summer before joining Yale by venturing "to the YMCA three times a week to get punched around by the Y's boxing coach." He wrote, "I didn't get good, but I got good enough to fool the Yale freshmen."

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Ronald Reagan: Lifeguard

Ronald Reagan, of course, was a Hollywood actor before heading into politics, but even before that he was a celebrity in his hometown of Dixon, Illinois, for his exploits as a lifeguard. According to Anne Edwards' profile Early Reagan: The Rise to Power, the tall, athletic teenager embarked in 1926 on what became a regular summer gig on the banks of the Rock River, a tributary notorious for its strong undertow. Reagan frequently plunged into the water to pull out flailing swimmers, and afterward would carve a notch on a log to mark his success; by the end of seven summers, he had embedded 77 notches into the log. Reagan later referred to the experience in his autobiography as "one the best jobs I ever had," citing the figure of 77 lives saved as "one of the proudest statistics of my life."

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Bill Clinton: Grocery Stock Boy/Comic Book Salesman

As he described to Conan O'Brien in 2017, Bill Clinton landed one of his first jobs at a local Hot Springs, Arkansas, grocery store at age 13. However, the store owner was suspicious of his stock boy's left-handed ways, thinking it a sign of demonic influence, and insisted on right-hand usage until Clinton awkwardly knocked over two glass jars of mayonnaise. The pair eventually smoothed things over, and the owner even let the young assistant sell his used comic books out of the store. But that particular venture didn't work out in the long run for Clinton, who lamented that he never should have parted with the classic comics that surely would fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars from collectors today.

Who Portrayed Abraham Lincoln Most Accurately?

Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln” — Credit: TCD/Prod.DB/ Alamy Stock Photo

Author Michael Nordine

August 20, 2026

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Only one person has been portrayed on-screen more than Abraham Lincoln, and he doesn’t actually exist: Sherlock Holmes. Honest Abe has been inspiring filmmakers since 1908, when Van Dyke Brooke directed The Reprieve: An Episode in the Life of Abraham Lincoln, and has since appeared in more than 300 movies.

An unknown actor played the 16th president in The Reprieve, which concerned Lincoln’s pardon of the “sleeping sentinel” — a Union soldier who fell asleep on duty and was initially sentenced to death for his mistake. Given Lincoln’s status as one of America’s most revered leaders, it’s little surprise that the first movie made about him focused on his mercy and compassion — traits highlighted in just about every other film inspired by Lincoln.

But which of these portrayals was most accurate? Before answering that, it’s worth taking a look at some honorable mentions.

Noteworthy Films About Lincoln

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Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

Before he was president, Lincoln worked as a lawyer. Oscar-winning director John Ford chose to focus on this era of Honest Abe’s life in his excellent biographical drama. Henry Fonda — another screen legend who received an Oscar nomination for his leading role in The Grapes of Wrath and also starred in such classics as The Lady Eve and 12 Angry Men before winning Best Actor for 1981’s On Golden Pond — was perfectly cast as the idealistic attorney defending two brothers who are falsely accused of murder.

Screenwriter and critic Frank Nugent lauded Fonda’s performance as one of those “once-in-a-blue-moon things: a crossroads meeting of nature, art, and a smart casting director. Nature gave Mr. Fonda long legs and arms, a strong and honest face, and a slow smile; the make-up man added a new nose bridge.” You could argue that on a physical level, Fonda captured Lincoln’s essence better than any other actor.

The Tall Target (1951)

Despite being the title character in Anthony Mann’s underseen thriller, Lincoln himself appears for less than a minute of The Tall Target. And yet the film is worth mentioning not only because it’s a good movie but also because it focuses on a lesser-known chapter of the former president’s life: the unsuccessful Baltimore Plot. The assassination attempt occurred just prior to Lincoln’s inauguration and was initiated by Southern sympathizers to prevent him from taking office. Dorothea Dix, a nurse who heard rumors of the conspiracy and alerted authorities, described it simply: “Mr. Lincoln’s inauguration was thus to be prevented, or his life to fall a sacrifice.” Leslie Kimmel played Lincoln during what was essentially a cameo appearance, doing a fine job given his limited screen time.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

This adaptation of the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith deserves a brief mention for the outlandishness of its premise. Though it’s feasible that Lincoln might have spent nights and weekends slaying the undead if they actually existed, they of course do not. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times put it best when she wrote that the title Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is so good that “it’s too bad someone had to spoil things by making a movie to go with it.”

The Most Accurate Portrayal

Lincoln (2012)

On the question of both the best and most accurate portrayal of Lincoln, the consensus is clear: Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Between 2002 and 2017, Day-Lewis appeared in just seven movies. He received Oscar nominations for four of them, and won twice: once for There Will Be Blood and again for Lincoln. The famously unprolific thespian is among the most renowned screen actors of all time, and the many fans who were saddened to hear of his second retirement following Phantom Thread are surely looking forward to his return in 2025’s Anemone, which was directed by his son Ronan.

While there’s no question that Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Honest Abe was amazing — in addition to his third Academy Award, he also won a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award, among others — many viewers were naturally curious as to its historical accuracy.

The actor, whose reputation for being choosy about his roles precedes him, was hesitant to sign on to the project because, he told The New York Times, he felt that Lincoln had “been mythologized almost to the point of dehumanization.” He only accepted the role on the condition that he be given a year to prepare, which he spent reading books about the president as well as Lincoln’s own speeches. Latching on to historical accounts that Lincoln had a somewhat reedy voice, Day-Lewis made this a crucial aspect of his performance — in part because high-pitched voices carry better in crowds, which could have contributed to Lincoln being such a compelling orator.

The result received high marks from historians. In an interview with NPR, A. Lincoln: A Biography author Ronald White praised Day-Lewis for his “delicate balance between the homely Lincoln — the homespun Lincoln — and the high Lincoln of the second inaugural address,” adding that the actor “walks like Lincoln, the way he puts his feet down one at a time. He talks like Lincoln — not the baritone voice of Disneyland, but the high tenor voice. Daniel Day-Lewis studied Lincoln intensely, and what comes out is a very accurate depiction of the spirit of the man.”

Allen Guelzo, a Civil War professor at Gettysburg College, was similarly laudatory. “I remember thinking afterwards that all the time I’d been watching the movie I had never thought that Daniel Day-Lewis was acting,” he said in an interview, “because what he portrayed seemed so close to my own mental image of what Lincoln must have been like.” Given the universal praise and bevy of awards Day-Lewis received for his performance, it’s hard to disagree.

For similar articles, subscribe to our sister brand Movie Brief, brought to you by our resident film critic Michael Nordine. You’ll receive a weekly review and recommendation of a new movie, whether in theaters or available to stream, as well as a list of 25 must-see movies when you first sign up.

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