A dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, half dime, and cent were found in the West Point time capsule, and a commemorative Erie Canal medal. The coins and medal were issued between 1794 and 1828.
On August 15, 2023, a time capsule was discovered in the base of a monument at West Point Military Academy. The capsule was opened less than two weeks later on August 28. When it was opened, it was full of silt. As researchers sifted through the sediment, they found six silver coins and a medal.
Coins Found Inside the West Point Time Capsule
The coins in the time capsule ranged from the late 1700s to the early-mid 1800s, which would have been the present day for those selecting the coins and other contents of the time capsule.
Coins Inside the West Point Time Capsule
| Type | Year |
| Flowing Hair Half Dime | 1794 |
| Draped Bust Dollar (Heraldic Eagle Reverse) | 1800 |
| Capped Bust Quarter Dollar | 1818 |
| Erie Canal Commemorative Medal | 1826 |
| Matron Head Large Cent | 1827 |
| Capped Bust Dime | 1827 |
| Capped Bust Half Dollar | 1828 |
Nothing else inside the box was identified. While more items may have been added to the time capsule, the lead box exhibited signs of decay around the bottom, which allowed water to inundate the box’s contents. Water, being the universal solvent, potentially had 190 years to ravage the remaining contents of the box, leaving a pile of silt.
The West Point Time Capsule
The time capsule is believed to have been placed inside the brick base of a monument in 1828 or 1829 and was discovered after an inspection identified damage to the statue. Cracks were found in the column and base of the statue in 2021 that required intensive repairs. After the base was removed, a one square foot time capsule was found hiding amid the bricks that supported the statue.
Excitement around opening the capsule was palpable on the West Point campus. Since the box was made of lead, x-ray imaging was only able to discern that things were in the box, but no one was able to make a guess what would be found. There were no records of the time capsule being left in the statue’s base.
How Long had the Time Capsule Been in the Monument?
The time capsule was found in the base of a monument honoring Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Kosciuszko was an engineer and statesperson who gained notoriety for leading a Polish uprising before emigrating to the United States. In the United States, he served as an engineer in the Continental Army.
The brick base and column that supported his statue were designed by John H.B. Latrobe from the West Point class of 1822. They were paid for by cadets and the statue was mounted on the column in 1913 after it was donated by the Polish Clergy and Laity of the United States.
The Oldest Known U.S. Time Capsule
The oldest known time capsule in the United Stated is the Samuel Adams and Paul Reverse Time Capsule, also known as the Massachusetts State House Time Capsule. It is believed to have been buried in the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House in 1794 by the two men during Adams term as Governor of the state.
Among other items, it held an even older coin, a pine tree shilling, which was issued before the American Revolution. In 2015, a Mint Proof Set, along with several Presidential dollar coins were added to the Samuel Adams and Paul Reverse Time Capsule before it was resealed into the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House for the next generation to discover.
