Portland Penny

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The Portland Penny is the name subsequently given to a specific coin, a U.S. copper one-cent piece, used to decide the name of Portland, Oregon, United States. Two immigrants, Francis Pettygrove from Portland, Maine and Asa Lovejoy from Boston, Massachusetts both wanted to name the fledgling site—then known as The Clearing—after their respective home towns.

The coin toss was decided in 1845[1] with two out of three tosses which Pettygrove won.[2] Portland was incorporated in 1849.[3]

The coin, minted in 1835, is now on display in the headquarters of the Oregon Historical Society.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Historic Portland. Pdx History. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  2. ^ Portland History—The Town that was Almost Boston. Travel Portland. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  3. ^ Welcome to PdxHistory.com. Pdx History. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.


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