The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-01-14
..ARLY COINS OF AMERICA.

Ca" we make the following extracts:
In l74s, Sir Alex. Cumming presented a
memorial to Parliament, in which lie pro.
posed, that in order to preserve tho depen.
dency Of the British plantations in America
on Great Britain, the current specie of Great
Britain should be made the curreut lawful
money Of the said plantations, and that
t200, 1000 sterling be coined in the Tower for
that purpose, which sum was to be made the
foundation of provincial bank for the
British plantations in Amcricn in order to
abolish the paper currency Of New England
and Carolina. The proposition was not
adopted.
A coin which it is believed was never in
circulation, and of whicl, copies in white
metal are occasionally found, was issued in
l778. Description i: An inch and half in
diameter. ObVerse: rising sun, shining
on dial, and the motto, mind your bust
ness" beneath. In a ring near the edge
Continental Currency, 1776-and in anoth-
er ring within this, the word "Fugio." Re
rerse :-thirteen small rings, with the names
of the States; on ring within these
"Amcrican Congress" and in the centre,
ave are one"
During the Confederation, from 177s to
1881, the law intrustel the right of coming
money to the individual States as to the
General Government. The right was exer-
cisod to u considerable extent by the States,
and a variety of coins was the result. New
York, New JerSy, Connecticut, Vermont
anu Massachusetts issued coins. Most OF
them were of the cent denomination. A
Doubloon (gold) was coined in New York
in 1887, which is of great rarity-only one
copy, think, il: existence, and that in the
United States Mint. l have impressions of
this coin in wax and plaster, kindly given
me by the late George Newton. The coins
of Massachusetts, and Vermont bore a variety
of devices. The Nova ConsteIlato" Of 1a
stars, and another piece with the same num-
Der OF rings, were coined in Massachusetts.
Probably many of the cents bearing the
bust of Washington and the date of 1888,
as well as those of the same device, but with
out date, were put forth at the time
Another coinage was made during this
period. II consisted of the shilling, sixpcnce
and threepence of"J. Chalmers, Annapolis"
1888. They are now rare.
The Constitution of 1887 put an end to
all these State issues and lie authorities set
about to devise national coinage, While
they were deiberating, Mr.. John Harper, of
Philadelphia, caused dies to be engraved.
These dies are said to have been executed
by German, except the lettering, which
Mr.. II. probably performed himself. Judge
DeSaussure, Of South Carolina, is claimed
to have suggested the head of Washington
as device. I have seen an extract of Il let.
ter from l.. Vanuxen to DR.. Lewis G. Beck,
dated Sept. %, 1876, in which he says
"Judge DeSaussure, of S. c., told me he was
the first director of the mint, and had the
head Of Washington put upon the first cents
that we're coined" From these dies all the
Washington cents were struck; and were
manufactured in the cellar of Mr.. Harper's
house, in Chestnut-street Philadelphia
Those of 1902 were struck on a press in all
old coach house in the same street.
The following is description of this
cent Obverse-A bust of Washington,
with the circular inscription, Washington
President, and below 1871: on the reverse
is the American Eagle, with arrows in ono
claw, leafy branch in the other and a scroll
i''''eing from his mouth, and supported on
the shoulders with the inscription, "Unum
E Pluribus"-"United States of America"
on the edge, and tone cent on the reverse.
This is likeness of one Of the Designs
There are three varieties which were un-
questicnably coined at the period indicated
by their dates, and hence one and two year.
previous to the issue Of the first adopted COP.
per coinage.
The second issue Of has the samo ob-
verse; except Tie date Is wanting. On the
reverse the model of the eagle is changed
Stars are substituted for the motto-a scroll
and the year, which, in tho first specimen,
is placed below ths bust, is transferred to
the opposite side.
The Cent of 1892 is distinguished by its
increased diameter. Tile bust is enlarged
and under it 1892. The inscription is, G.
Washington, President I. The eagle on
the reverse is much larger but OF a similar
model. The words " One Cent do not ap-
pear on this specimen. A few Of these
were struck in silver and are known as the
Washington Half Dollar More than two
hundred copies Of these three issues were
stamped. The dies were disapproyed of and