1To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 8 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
About two Months ago I received your very valuable present of Books, mentioned in the last letter I had the pleasure to receive from you, for which I am greatly obliged to you. M. Cassini has sent me a Copy of the Observations made at the Royal Observatory at Paris in the Year 1786. I am at a loss to direct to him, will it be convenient for you to return my sincere thanks to him for this...
2To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 3 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I was unwilling to ask a further Sum of money on account of the Mint until the Treasurer had obtained a Settlement of his Accounts at the Comptrollers Office, which is now done, to the 1st. of April last. This has obliged me to advance considerably for the Expenditures of the Mint, and I must request you to apply to the President for his Warrant for 5000 Dollars, in favour of the Mint. In...
3Enclosure: David Rittenhouse to Edmund Randolph, 22 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
An opportunity now offers of purchasing for the Mint about one Ton of wrought Copper, at the moderate price of 16 pence, Pennsylvania money. It is said to be of good quality and sufficient thickness, so that it need not be melted, but only cut & rolled down to the Cent size. Though we have still a considerable quantity of Copper at the Mint, yet as the above price is much lower than it can be...
4To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 27 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
The money granted by his Excellency the Presidents Warrant in July last being appropriated for paying for the House and Lot for the Mint and for purchasing Copper, except 900 Dollars, And Considerable Expences having since arisen for Additional Buildings, Furnaces Horse-Mill and Machines of various kinds I find it necessary to apply for another warrant for the Sum of Five Thousand Dollars,...
5To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, [10 April 1793] (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Misho called on me Yesterday, he wishes to know whether he is to prepare for his journey, and that instructions be prepared for him if he goes. This I hope you will do. Will it be proper to call a meeting of the Society , or shall we have a meeting of a few individuals who are interested in this business? He says 3 or 4 Hundred dollars put into his hands at present will be sufficient....
6To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 25 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I am again obliged to request you to make application to the President for a further Sum of money to defray the Expences of the Mint (5000 Dolls. if he shall think proper) and have enclosed a concise Statement of the expenditure of sums heretofore granted, which you will be pleased to communicate to him. The accounts, as preparing by the Treasurer of the Mint for settlement to the end of this...
7To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 28 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
By Act of Congress the Copper Coinage is limited to 150 Tons. This, counting the Ton to be 20 Hundreds, neat Weight, will produce near 8 Millions of Cents, making no allowance for waste in Coining; and supposing the number of families in the United States to be 400,000 will be near 20 Cents to a family. This appears to me to be too great a proportion by more than one half, especially if we...
8To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 28 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
That I have so long delayed acknowledging your favours has been owing to my absence from home. Two Summers past I have been employed in determining the Boundary of Pennsylvania. In 1784. Observations were continued for near 3 months on the Eclipses of Jupiters Satellites, on the Banks of the Delaware and near the Ohio. The result gave 53,225 Miles to a degree of Longitude in Latitude 39.° 43.’...
9To Thomas Jefferson from David Rittenhouse, 29 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I have inclosed four copies of a bill drawn by the Treasurer of the U.S. on Messrs. W. and J. Willink and Nicho. and Jac. Van Staphorst & Hubbard of Amsterdam for 24,750 current guilders equal to 10,000 Dollars, which you will please to transmit to Mr. Pinckney at London for the purpose of obtaining copper for the mint of the U.S. either from Sweden or elsewhere. The copper to be in sheets not...
10To James Madison from David Rittenhouse, 10 July 1789 (Madison Papers)
Engaged as you are in business of the greatest importance as well as difficulty, and harrass’d by a thousand importunate applications, I am fully sensible of the impropriety of troubling any of my friends in Your situation, even with a letter, unless I had either some useful information or matter of amusement to communicate. Permit me nevertheless, by this method, to recommend to your notice...