The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-02-22
MISCELLANEOUS
The Pine Tree shilling.
A PLEASANT SKETCH.
ny N. HAWTHORNE.

BY n. HAWTHORNE.
Captain John Hull was the mint master OF
Massac husetts, aud coined al the money that
va, made there. He was 10 new line Of
business, for, 10 the early days Of the colony,
The currsu, coinage consisted Of the god and
silver money Of Eogland, Portugal and Spain
These coins being scarce. the people we're OF
ten forced TO barter their commodities instead
of selling them.
For instance, If man wanted to buy coat
he perhaps exchanged bear skin for It. u
no wished barrel Of molasses, he might pu''
chase il with q pile Of pine boards. Mu.ke'
bullets were used instead Of far,hinss Th.
Indians had q sort OF money called wampun,
which was made of ella IN shells, and this strange
sor, Of specie vas Likewise taken IN payment
Of debts by the English settlers. Bank bills
had never been heard Of. There was not e.
nough Of any kind, in many part. OF the coun-
Try, TO pay their mins'eis-so that 'hey mao
sometimes 10 tuke quin,als OF FISH, bushels o.
corn. or cords Of wood, instead Of silver aud
gold.
Az the people grew more numerous, ana
,hei, trade with one another increased, the
wan, OF currcn. money was still more aens''
bIy felt. To supply the demand. the general
coutt passed = law for establishing coinage
of shillngs, sixpences and ,hreepences. Cap
s,n John Hull was appointed to manufacture
he money, and was 10 have one shilling out
tf every twenty, TO pay him for hs trouble
,f making them.
Horeopon, all the old silver in the COLONY
was handed over 10 Captain John Hah The
battered SILVER cans and tank3tds, suppose,
and silver buckles, aud broken spoons, SILVER
buttons Of WORKOUT coats, aud silver hits OF
swords that had figured a, couri-s!i such Gu
rous old articles were doubtless thrown into
the pc, together But by far the greatest
par, Of the silver consisted Of bullion from the
mines Of South America, which the Eogsh
buccaneers (sho were little better than pr
rstes,) had taken from the SPania'ds and
brought to Massachusetts.
All this old and new silver being melted
down and coined, the result vas an immense
I, noun, of splendid shil'ings, nxpences and
tbrcepepces. Each had the date Of 1882 OF
one side, and the figure Of pine tree on ths
other side. Hence they we're called The pine
tree shilling. And for every twenty sbill'ns
ths, he coined, you will remember, Captain
Hull was entitled 10 put one into his osr
pocket.
The magistrates som began to suspec, tina
the mint master v ould have the bee, Of tn,
bargain. They offered him a large sum o
money, il he would give up tina. ooh shilling
which no was continually dropping into b,
own pocket; Capt. Hull declared he was per
lec,ly satisfied with the shilling. And vel
he might be- for SO diligently did he labor
tina, in a few years his pockets. his mono.
bags and his strong box, were owe. nowin,
with pine.,ree shillings. THIS was probab
the case when he came into possession Of hi
grandfaiher's chair to res, himself on.
When the min, master had grown very rich
young mao, Samuel Sewsl by nname, can
counting bis only daughter; his daueh,e
Whose name do no. know. bu. we will ca
Bsisy) vas 6ue, hearty dsmsel, BY no mean
slender a. some young ladies' Of our own day
On the contrary, having always fed boar,
y on pumpkin pies, doughnu,s, Indian put
,tinss, snd other puritan da,u,ie.. she vi
teund and plump as a pudding. With tn
round, rosy Miss Betsy did, Samuel Sewel ia
in love. As he was young man Of goe
character, industrious 10 business, and msu