West Point time capsule contained coins and a medal

Unlike gangster Al Capone’s vault that was entirely empty when opened on live TV by Geraldo Rivera in 1986, the time capsule dating from 1828 that was discovered at West Point contained several items. When first removed, the items looked like lumps of an unidentified substance.

Material as removed from inside of the time capsule.

Extensive laboratory testing determined that the time capsule actually had contained six metal coins dating from as early as 1795 and an Erie Canal commemorative medal dating from 1826. Among the coins were a 5-cent coin from 1795, a Liberty dollar coin from 1800 and a 25-cent coin from 1828.

One of the coins found in the West Point time capsule.

Several hundred cadets, staff and guests had gathered at West Point’s Robinson Auditorium on Aug. 28 for the time capsule opening. The box, made out of lead and about one cubic foot in size, was discovered hidden in the base of a monument to Revolutionary War hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko.

Several hundred gathered at Robinson Auditorium for time capsule opening at West Point.

During an inspection in 2021, the column and base were found to have structural cracks and the statue was removed and placed in storage. The capsule was found in 2023 when the monument’s base was removed from its location at the Military Academy.

Time capsule before opening.

“Opening the box has given us further leads to research the history and meaning of this Revolutionary hero and his monument that stood looking over the Academy and the Hudson River for 194 years,” said U.S. Military Academy Command Historian Jennifer Voightschild. “With the approaching 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the nation, the U.S. Military Academy is looking forward to future opportunities to research, mark the spots, reflect, and be inspired by our early history and its legacy.”