Following recent gold discoveries, United States circulation of gold coinage had increased significantly.  In the year ending June 30, 1859, the U.S. Mint had coined six denominations of gold coins, ranging from twenty dollars to one dollar.  The largest number of these issued were the more than 800,000 $20 "Double Eagles" with their distinctive "Liberty Head."  For coins under a dollar, silver still dominated; more than eight million silver half-dollars were minted in 1858-59, for example. (By John Osborne) 

In 1859, below the United States Supreme Court sat nine Judicial Circuits, holding court twice each year for every state within that jurisdiction.  The presiding judge of each circuit was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, connected geographically with the area whenever possible.  For example, in 1859, the 1st Circuit consisted of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island with Justice Nathan Clifford, a Maine native, presiding.  The 3rd Circuit covered New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Justice Robert Grier of Pennsylvania presided. The 9th Circuit covered Arkansas and Mississippi with Virginian Justice Peter V. Daniel on the bench.  Places and times for the visit of the Circuit Court to a particular state were set.  For instance, in the 4th Circuit, Chief Justice Taney would gavel the court into session in Delaware at Wilmington on the third Tuesday in June and October, in Baltimore in Maryland on the first Monday in April and November, and for Virginia at Richmond on the first Monday in May and the fourth Monday in November, with an extra Virginia session at Lewisburg on the first Monday in August. Geography made California a special case in 1859; an undesignated circuit there met in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with local Judge Matthew H. McAllister representing the federal courts. (By John Osborne)  

 According to government figures for the year ending June 30, 1859, the United States imported $338,768,130 worth of foreign goods and exported $33,894,385 worth of American products.  The re-export of foreign goods added another $21 million to the balance and this put the United States trade into a positive balance for the year. The nation's most valuable trading partner by far was the United Kingdom, which sent almost $126 millions in goods and took more than $172 million in American products. When other parts of the British Empire, like Canada, were added into this total the figures swelled even further, to around $156 million and $184 million respectively, and amounted to almost half of all the United States import and export trade. The next most important trading partner, in fact, was France with around $42 million in imports and $44 million in exports, followed by Cuba which sent $34 million in imports but received only around $12 million in exports.  (By John Osborne)

In 1859, it cost an American three cents to mail a letter at one of the nation's more than thirty-seven thousand post offices.  If the destination was more than 3000 miles away, one would pay ten cents for the same letter. Overseas mail prices varied quite depending on destination.  The United Kingdom cost twenty-four cents for an half ounce letter, but Japan cost thirty-three cents and Brazil, via London, forty-five cents. (By John Osborne)