[Dixielandjazz] A historical question --Money Moulder

[Bill Haesler]

Norman Vickers asked, following a query he has received:
> In a Mississippi John Hurt song there is a reference to a money  
> moulder.
> Any help from you scholars out there? As of now, no evidence that  
> there was
> ever a mint in Pensacola.

Norman's questioner then said [in part]:
> I wondered if it could be that it was a mould that would be used to  
> make
> money - in which case it would be a very fine gift!
> In this connection, I wondered if there was ever a money making  
> factory in
> Pensacola?

Dear Norman,
The specific verse [below] is from Mississippi John Hurt's "Nobody's  
Dirty Business"
issued on Okeh 8560 and recorded in New York on 14 Feb 1928.
(I have this on LP and the words he sings are quite clearly "money  
moulder'.)

"Some of these mornin's gonna wake up boozy
Gonna grab my gun, gonna kill old Suzie
Ain't nobody's business but mine
Goin' back to Pensacola, goin' to buy my babe a money moulder
Nobody's business but my own."

The 'money moulder' reference has indeed intrigued blues scholars and  
it has been suggested that it
relates to Southern plantation money from the slave days.
Refer to
   http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=4932.msg37716	
for more information and pics of plantation money moulders.
Kind regards,
Bill.