The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-11-29
The Pine-Tree Shilling.

for in the earlier part 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 forced to barter
their commodities instead of selling
them.
For instance, if man wanted to buy
a coat, he perhaps exchanged bear skin
for it. If he wished for barrel of mo-
lasses, he might purchase it with pile
of pine boards. Musket bullets we're
used instead of farthings.
The Indians had sort of money called
wampum, which was made of shells: and
this strange sort of specie was likewise
taken in payment of debts by the Eng
lish settlers. Bank-bills had in those
days never been heard of. There was
not money enough of any kind, in many
parts OF the country, to pay their minis
ters, so that they had sometimes to take
quintals Of fish, bushels of corn, or cords
of wood, instead of silver or gold. As the
people grew more numerous and their
trade increased the want of current
money was still more sensibly felt. To
supply the demand the general court
passed law for establishing a coinage
OF shillings, six-pences and three pences
Captain John Hull was appointed to
manufacture this money, and was to have
about one shilling out of every twenty,
to pay him for his labor. Hereupon ali
the old silver in the colony was handed
over to the Captain. The battered silver
cans and tankards, 1 suppose, and silver
buckles and broken spoons, old buttons
from worn out coats, silver hilts from old
swords that had figured at court, were
doubtless thrown into the melting pot.
But by far the greater part of the silver
consisted of Bullion from the mines of
South America, which the English buc-
GAMERS (who were little better than pi-
rates) had taken from the Spaniards and
brought to Massachusetts,. All this
old and new silver being turned into coin
the result was an immense amount of
splendid shillings, &C., bearing the date
of 1862 on the one side, and on the other
figure of pine tree-hence they were
called pine tree shilling. Captain Hull
coined a very large amount, and the
Judges of the Court began to suspect
that the mint master would have the best
of the bargain. They therefore offered
him large sum if he would resign his
claim to the 10th shilling-this he de-
clined by saying that he was perfectly
satisfied with his perquisites, and well
he might be; for so diligently did he la
Dor that in a few years his pockets, money
bags and strong box were all filled with
pine tree shillings.
While he was still mint master young
man by the name of Samuel Sewall was
counting Hulls daughter Betsy" She
was fine girl, but by no means so slen-
der as some young ladies of the present
day, in fact she was as round and as
plump as a pudding. Young Sewall was
man of good character, industrious in
business, and a member of the church,
and when he asked the mint master for
his daughter in marriage he readily gave
his consent. eyes, you may take her."
he said, in his rough way, q and you will
find her heavy burden enough
On the wedding day we may suppose
that honest Hull dressed himself in a
plain colored cloak, all the buttons of
which were pine tree shillings, the but
tons of his waistcoat We're sixpences, and
the knees Of his small clothes were but
toned with silver three pences. Thus at
tired he sat with great dignity in his
grandfather's chair; on the opposite side
of the room, between her bridemaids,
sat Miss Betsy. There, too was the bride
groom, dressed in fine purple coat and
gold lace waistcoat, and as much other
finery as Puritan laws would allow him
to wear. His hair was cropped close to
his head, because the Governor had for
bid any young man to get married while
his hair touched the tips of his ears
The mint master was pleased with his SON
in-law, especially as he had said nothing
about Betseys marriage portion.
When the marriage ceremony was over
Capt. Hull whispered word or two to
two OF his men servants, who Immediate
ly retired, but soon returned, dragging O
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