Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-29

the collection noticed one of the cele-
brated pine tree shillings. It is very
common specimen of the art.
Specimen coins of all nations in the
world will here be found. In one case
there are about two hundred and sixty.
coins of Austria, Portugal and Spain.
These coins are of different sizes and cast
in numerous metals and stamps. In the
coins of the Netherlands and Belgium
may be seen denominations of centime,
CULVER, stivers, crown, forms, kreuizer,
kiksdaler, etc. One centime in this col
lection bears the inscription 'Over Yssel
1907" There is large silver coin in the
collection called 'Lein d argent, =" the de-
vice upon which is the face of lion,
with drawn sword, defending a shield
which bore the inscription 'II Ben Tas.n
There is also large COLLECTION of oriental
coins, embracing those of Turkey, Egypt,
Algiers, Tripoli, Tunls, Persia, Hindu
stan, China and Siam, the Malay Archi-
peligo and British tokens. There was
also fine collection from Mexico, Gem
trail America and Brazil. In the collec-
ton from the West Indies there are many
interesting coins. Among them are
several fragments called ''cut money"
This was fist cut by the authority of the
Spanish government, bat private indi-
viduals taking advantage of the law,
commenced cutting the Spanish dollar
into ''too many quarters" frequently
five pieces would be cut from one dollar
and passed for twenty-five cents each.
In the same case may be seen Trinidad
dollar, large silver coin, with the
centre cut out. This was done to pre-
vent expectation, the present value of
the coin being eighty-three cents. 1t
thus appears that other governments
besides ours take steps to prevent the ex-
portation of its silver. There were also
coins of the British, Danish, French
Sandwich and Ionia Islands, the Sierra
Leone Company and the Republic of Lii
IBERIA. In small case containing coins
from Japan, Mr.. Maurice pointed out
gold coin about the size of mans hand
and quite thin, called an 'aban, and of
the value of SIS. BY the laws of Japan
the penalty for willfully carrying this
coin out of that country is death, and if
by accident the punishment is imprison-
ment for life. In one case may be seen
a collection of the coins of ancient Rome,
extending over period from A. D. 1T
to 1448. There is also case contain
ing coins of the Greek Republic from
three hundred to seven hundred years be-
fore the Christian era. There were also
coins from Prussia Saxony, Sardinia,
Tuscany, and many other countries. At
one end of the room, among collection
of old and rare coins, will be seen the
'widow's mite" Greek or Syrian
bronze coin, the smallest of ancient coins,
and which is mentioned in the New Tes-
tsment-Luke 81, IA 1t apparently
belongs to the age just preceding the
Christian era. An inscription on the case
states that it was "found at Jerusalem,
near the site of the Temple" Another
rare curiosity in this case is one of the
thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas for
betraying the Saviour. What q current
of thought these two old coins would set
in motion
A large and most elegant collection of
sgates, petrifed wood, together with
specimens of gold in its native state, will
be found here. There are fourteen va
rites of ores and rare minerals brought
by Maj. A. r. Calhoun from Arizona
The collection of gold, silver, copper and
other ores from different parts of the
United States and distant mines is large
and interesting.
Among the curiosities in this room may
be seen three golden images from the
Chinqui graves in Central America. They
81 in ha fOrT,, of n raaf;1o Nd
bird, the largest being valued at $34. So.
These rude specimens of antiquity show
the ,tste of art st that remote but
unknown period. The discovery
of these ancient graveyards,
in 1858, occasioned much inter-
est. Near these are some specimens
of the African shell money, and forty of
these pieces will buy a slave. Among
the African collections was variety of
ornaments, consisting of silver rings for the
ankles and wrists, q ring of native of
gold, trinkets, chain, rings and pipe. On
one of the shelves was an old stone, a
fragment of a historical record of ancient
Nineveh, and clay tube with the arrow
head writing. Also, specimens from the
wreck of the San Pedro, in 1915, and
seven of the twelve sacred jewels, nearly
the same as those found in the breast
plate. A curiosity that attracts much at
tention is gold dollar found in the giz-
zard CT chicken by Capt. Henry Little,
of the United States Army.
Over the top of one of the cases is a
cast of the face Of Oliver Cromwell,
taken Immediately after death. 1t pre-
sents that bull dog appearance which the
character of Cromwell suggests.
PLACE TO VISIT.
Altogether the mint is one of the most
interesting places a stranger in Philadel-
phia eau spend al hour Or two. The
visitor will find much in the cabinet es
pecislly that is instructive and entertain
ing. For the pleasure have derived from
stroll through the mint building l am
indebted to Gov. Pollock as a special
favor, and also to Mr.. VIM. II. Maurice,
who conducted me through the several
departments. SEwANEs.