30. John Hull’s Daughter, Hannah, Needed Her Weight
John Hull is known as the originator of the first Massachusetts mint. Because he created the mint, the colony put him in charge of the money, and he developed the first silver pine tree shilling. Coins meant everything to Hull, so when his daughter married, any amount of money he gave became a fantastic dowry.
Upon negotiating a dowry, the father and future husband, Samuel Sewall, decided John would give a dowry that matched Hannah’s weight. However, he couldn’t weigh her until the morning of her wedding date. When the day came, John needed to give a dowry that equaled 100 pounds of silver.