Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-06-06
THE PINE TREE SHILLING
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

Captain John Hull was the mint master Of
and coined all the money that
vas made there He was in new line of busi.
ness, for in the early days of the colony, the
current coinage consisted of the gold and silver
money of England, Portugal and Spain. These
coins being scarce, the people were often fore
ed to barter their commodities instead of selling
them.
For instance if a man wanted to buy coat,
he perhaps exchanged a bear skin for it. If he
wished barrel of molasses, he might purchase
it with pile of pine boards Nluskot bullets
were used instead of farhngs. The indians
had sort Of money culled wampum, which was
made of clam shells, and this strange sort of
specie was likewise taken in payment for debts
by the English settlers. Bank bills had never
been heard Of There was not enough Of any
Kind, in many parts of the country, to pay their
rninisters--so that they had sometimes to take
quintala Of fish, bushels of corn, or cords of
wood insteado of silver or cold.
! AS the people grew more numerous, and their
trade with one another increased, the want Of
current money was still more sensibly felt. 70
supply the demand, the general court passed
Jaw for establishing a coinage Of shilings, six
pences and threepences, Captain John Hull
was appointed to manufacture the money! and
was to have abont one shilling out of every
twenty, to pay him for his trouble of making
them.
Hereupoa all the old silver in the colony
was handed over to Captain John Hull. The
battered silver cans and tankards, suppose,
and silver buckles, and broken spoons, and sill.
yer buttons of worn-out coats, and silver hits
of swords that had figured at court-all such
curious old articles were doubtless thrown into
the pot together. But by far the greatest part
of the silver consisted Of bullion from the mines
of South America, which the English buccaneers
(who were little better than pira cs,) had taken
from the Spanards and brought to Massacbu-
sets.
All this old and new silver being melted down
and coined, the result was an immense amount
Of splendid shlings, sixpences and threepences,
Each had the date Of l65? on one side, and the
figure of pine tree on the other side. Hence
they were called pine,tree shillings. And for
every twenty shillings that he coined, you will
remember, Capt. Hull was entitled to put one in
to his owne pocket.
The magistrates began to suspect that the
mint master would have the best of the bargain.
They offered him large sum of money if he
would give up the Goth shilling, which he was
continually dropping into his own pocket Capt,
Hull declared that he was perfectly satisfied
with the shilling. And well he might be; for
so diligently did he labor, that in few years
his pockets, his money bags, and hi strong box
were overhowing with pine. tree shillings. This
was probably the case when he came into Poss'
ession Of his grandather's chair to rest himself
on.
When the mint master had grown very rich
Young man, Samuel Sewel by name, came a
counting his only daughter; his daughter Whose
name do not know, but we will call her Bet.
sey was fine, hearty damsel, by 10 means
slender as some young ladies of our own days.
On the contrary, having always fed heartily
on pumpkin pies, doughnuts, Indian puddings
and other Puritan dainties she was round and
plump as pudding With this round, rosy
Miss Betsey did Samuel fall in love- As he
was young man of good character, industron;
in business, and member of the church, the
mint master very readily gave his consent.
"Yes, you may take her." said he in his rougf
! way "and you will find her heavy burden e
nough."
On the wedding day, as we may suppose
honest Hull dressed himself in plain coloret
. coat, all the buttons of which were made o
pine-tree shilIings. The buttons of his waist
, coat were made of threepences. Thus attired
, he sat with great dignity in his grandfather
chair; and being a portly old gentleman, ht
. completely filled it from elbow to elbow. Oh
} the other side of the room, between the brides
, maids sat Miss Betsey. She was blushlng witt
/ all her might, and looked like full blown peo
4 ny, a great red apple, or any other round AM
t scarlet object.
j.. There, too, was the bridegroom, dressed in
;. fine purple coat, and gold lace wOistcoat, will