Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-11-08
TIE I.ERsETI. OF COE.y.sGB.

Though the whole world may be said
thus far TO have been Gold-worshippers,
there are very few, who have not attempt
ed the collection of coins, that know the
great vIriety of form and appearance which
these little objects of mems idolatry have
taken. In shape, coins have generally
been round and thin, both for convenience
of making and handling. The exceptions
to this were more frequent in ancient than
in modern times; yet there are now one or
two square coins struck, both in Europe
and in Asia. There are paraIlelograms in
Japan, and eight-sided pieces in Assam.
We have, also, few octagonal gold-peces
Of American coinage. In striking the cir
cular coin it is necessary that it should be
held in ring or collar, in order TO preserve
its form. For want of some such precau-
ton as this, as also, perhaps, because they
were not accurately cut, the more ancient
coins are rarely true circles, though this
was evidently the form intended.
of course no attempt could be made with
in our limits to speak of the different de-
in our own, first and last, there has been
much greater variety than most persons
would suppose. 1t is not an uncommon
impression that our laws prohibit the coin
ing of money by private individuals; yet
they do not, provided the coin is not made
"in resemblance or similitude' OF the gold
and silver coins issued from the Mint. The
constitution prohibtsthe States from coin
ing money, and vests the power in Con-
gress but under this provision no law has
ever forbidden the citizen to do it, except
in imitation of the national coins. So far
as the copper coin is concerned, however,
there is what is equivalent -tothis prohibit
ton in the law, which forbids the offering,
or even the receiving of any other coin
than the cent and halfcent. In some parts
of the country private gold coins have been
struck and circulated. These instances
have occurred especially in The gold reg
ions OF North Carolina and Georgia. Some
fifteen or more private mints, also, aresaid
to have sent forth their coinages in Califor-
mia.
Our National Mint has four branches:
one at Charlotte, in North Carolina; one at
Dahlonega, Georgia; one at New Orleans,
and one in San Francisco. The coins at
these several branches exactly! resemble
those of the principal Minta at Philadelphia,
except they have upon them the letters
&c" "D., " co." and IS" respectively,
TO distinguish them, while the coins of the
Philadelphia mint have no initial letter.
Before the formation Of the Federal Con-
stitulion, each Colony claimed the right to
coin money, and many of them had their
issues. The earliest Colonial coin is said
to have been.made for the Virginia Com
pany, 1912. 1t was of brass and on the
diverse, or principal side, the account Of
that day tell us, was "a hogge," in memo
ry of the abundance of "hogges'' found by
the colonists on their landing. On the re-
verse side was n ship under full SAIL firing
gun. Probably not a very large number
of these brass coins were made. AT any
Iate, neither they nor the currency obtain
ed from other sources sufliced for the
wants of the colonisis, and they were COM
PEELED to resort to some other medium of
exchange, and they chose-Tobacco.
More than thirty gears later Qol,
Assembly of Virginia profaced the
which provided for a now copper coinoge
with the declaration that they had "mature-
ly weighed and considered how advantag-
eous quoine current would be to their
Colony, and the great wants and mseries
which do daily happen unto it by the sole
dependency upon tobacco" The law pass
ed, but was never carried into effect aud
the cOlonlsts were compelled TO use tobac-
co as money, and 10 submit to the "misor-
ies'' resulting from it..
The first coins actually struck in the
country were made in Massachusetts, in
accordance with a law passed in 1862, ostab-
lisbng mint howse" in Boston. The
law provided that the coinage should be
"tw elvepence, siXpence, and threepenco
pieces, which shall be for forme datt, and
stamped on the one side with n. T.,
and on the other side with XII.d., VI.d.,
aud lid, according to the value of each
pence" These coins were soon in clrcula-
ton, but before the expiration of the year
a now die was ordered, because, on account
of the extreme simplicity of the design,
these were so easily tampered with by
washing and chpplng. ltwas ordered that,
-"IIenceiorth both shillings aud smaller
pieces shall have double ling on either
side, with this inscription (Massachusetts),
and tree in the centre on one side, and
New England and the date of the year on
the other side" These pieces are now
known as the "Pine-tree" coinage. All
have the date either Of 1862 or 1862. They
probably had but two sets of dies, though
the mint was in existence for lhirty-iour
years. subsequently this mint was given
up, and coins were struck in England for
the New England colonies as well as the
Carolnas.
In 1862 an act was passed in Maryland |
"for the setting up of a mint within the
province" though the law was never car
ried into operation. Lord Baltimore, how