Litchfield enquirer., 1861-01-10
SOMETHING ABOUT COINS.

The recent extensive sale of coins in Phila- delphia has created 8 good deal of excitement, not only among collectors, but, owing to the high prices established, has attracted the atter- ton of the public generally.
 Perhaps it would interest some of your read CTS to state few facts with regard to the sub ject. Hardly anything connected with history is more important than the coinage of different nations. The use of metal as a circulating me- lium is first traced to the Greeks. The metal lie records of Alexander and Ftolemy furnished unquestioned testimony to the truth of the writ ten accounts of those times. The recent success that has attended the researches of eminent nu- msmatists has brought to light events, of which no historian has left any record restoring to the world lost history connected with portion of Asia, and it is not impossible may be the means of decyphering lost language Nowhere do we find a more interesting account of coins than
 in those dialogues written with the classic pea of an Addison. We'll did Pope pronounce the Roman coinage sort of " state gazette" on which all the truly great events of the empire were published. Lord Byron's remark is em- nently true, that the customs and manners of a country are indelibly traced upon the current coins of the country. In complete cabinet of the English series of monarchs. the fortunate col lector has perfect miniature history, in which the gradual advance of Art in all its various branches is clearly defined. Many of the events connected with each reign are brought forcibly to the mind as trace the features. The vic. tories and defeats, and all the striking scenes connected with their day of life'' are before us. Petrarch's collection was the first on record about the fifteenth century. He presented it entire, with his famous letter, to the Emperor of Ger many. Alphonso, King of Naples, collected an- cient coins from all parts of Italy, and so enthu siastically was he devoted to the subject that he carried them about with him in a richly carved casket of ivory. The magnificent Fiorentine collection was established by the great Cosmo De Medici, and to Francis the First of France "a name ever to be held in esteem by the pat rons of Art-is given the credit of laying the foundation of the splendid French collection, now the finest in Europe.
 Time would fail me to allude more than brief ly to the very fine English cabinet, and the lene array of names who have contributed to bring the collection so near perfection.
 | There are immense numbers of very fine pri- vate collections all over Europe.
 | And now with regard to our own country.- We, too, can boast of some magnificent collac tions. In no country is there as large a variety of specimens connected with all the stirring leyents of colonial times. Connecticut can boast of as early record as 1139 in numisnlatics.- John Higley, a humble blacksmith but master workman, with nothing but few blunt tools, l gives us a coin indicative of an independent mind and individual genius. He did not confine himself to one variety, but issued three types of copper about the size of the American cent. which we have every reason to believe was more cheerfully adopted at that early date than the commo currency of King George IT.
 l Massachusetts adopted the Pine Tree Money