The sun., 1872-02-26

o.
S'rIrad oun cs II. re than tho rocp,d Of tho
w. t..,.t, the settlement was made and
,c ro..t was about thc soiuc NJ. when the
t-,.f, ,,ti-L.ue Took l'Hr'. several davs after
..t. j.uru. vt. '1'l !. s''nr VI the i.ADit
al", r.u. .tnli. number OF pieces Of l~N.
,'t.'I I.-, ..rethcl with some large nickel
PH.' ,i,cd considerable comment, a. coins
rcIrif .r date than 1853 could not have i'ut
,src 20, any regular or legt,uate means. S"lnc
,, during the month of MAY the Chief Coincr
N' informed 10, ono of the mon that there were
lns + mixed dates in the vault. aud that Il
,'.ra.t 1c.suc generally known " would look
'Tbc informant suggested that the count
ua'boI l.tInr hc Instructed to assoit the coins.
',ti fb, Cuiuorrcplicd that the counters were
tn.rand the thing could be Strengthened out by
t"irS fir coins rumclted,
accordingly on the 9th OF May about eight
,tnusand ounces the contents of the vault
,e remcl,od. This was a transaction unprc-
".dent,d In the history Of the Mint. In some
ocu.V"".c. when pieces impcrfcctly coined have
me me INF, the hands II the Chief Coner II has
tcn customary to have them rcmeitedi but
mSR RR a whocsal, job ms this Is not ,, on record:
",,ip forever mystery 80 deep that even an
sV,.ti..itine committee cannot sound II.
qbi. iu,ttrr requires no comment, but it may
,ir"r,a,ked here that the gentlemen to whom
,IcCbicf Diner applied test for overa ycara
mon whose integrity hai never nten lucsunneh
~ nosiions In the Mint would scarcely seem to
,aIlC,rtbe APPLICATION Of such an eNtiaordnary
,csi conducted a. II was without the knowledge
trany ntIsr Government official the Director
n oi a"I aylnr no knowledge Of IT, Besides, the
~ st as A.. lied would not show any positive re-
sVit Lcr tuse base coins usually Ovcrrun In
,sirht between settlements, for the reason that
,nr same precision l. not observed In coming
,Id ei.ling nickcls as Is In the gold and silver
f'''rn rnr nysrrniEs or THE Press ROOM.
During the IN Il lsi' a portion " machine
a., milling medals was sent hv the Chitf Cuincr
inin the machine shop TO be altered, To have
',,oyr. cut In the bars. About the same time.
sithr Cli,f Coiuors order, three punches were
. q 4, ,taI.st afNfu afy ftFr rNft tnf IL
ine with ANY piece % coin then regularly struck
in the Mint This was noticed by some OF the
men who made comparison and 10 M that
ihe.e punches were uf q Size that would cut
panrhc.s to match the dime, hail dollar and
Tb.se pUn yhSs we're not delivered to the
chef Coucr. tut Disappeared my teriously from
the machine shop one day and about two
he,rb In The machine shop III cy then bore the
Hrcarance of having been used
About this time an emrloyc" IN the machine
shnp was called upon by chief Coiucr after work
lnr hours to pick the lock Of desN in which
another employee kept the keys Of the cabinet
Containing old eud rare coins Of every desctip-
lion The only reason given 10y the Chief Coner
for this singular act was that he wanted to get
the key of the cabinet; but he did not state why
he wanted it. Soon after this transaction II was
fumored among the employees Of the Mint that
the Chief COincr and two other men had been
seen working a press IN the medal Departments
after nj .ht. Recent Investigations prove that
the rumurs were well founded that the Chief
Coincr and two oompanions Who were never
known to work press during Mint hours were
tcD on different occasions, with their conts on,
secretly working the press in the medal depart
mrut after night. ON such occasions gas was
M burned hut the work, whatever 1t may have
been, was performed by the light OF lamp,
which was instantly eAtinguished on one oCca-
sion when one OF the night men attempted 70
peer through a glass door and inNes tE'to the
mysterious proceedlngs go,nE on q, ,' ,,n,r um
vls rclit, and the labors If the trio Preceded
What was done In thai urcss room during the
a.
brought to light by a thorough examination OF
sl thc Mint employees and certain coin dealers
and collectors, who possibly may hold the KEY
10 tho enigma Whatever the object Of such
unusual proceedings, they did not tend 70 in
And respect they would naturally he expected
10 entertain for the Chief Coiner or the man
holding the most responsible position IN the
Mint A short time PRIOR to the Investigation 81
August last. for som1 unexplained reason he
Voluntarily told q man that after he became
Cnief C1iner he digcovered in his vault lot ~
I'D dies slightly rustcd that he Informed the
Director ttt that time DIR. l.indcrmanl, who pro,
nised that three pieces he struck from ont Of
he dies that he the Chief Coinerl then caused
uamts 10 be prepared, the dies retOuchcd t"d
plnchets cut cut, but afterward concluded NOT
some rare p eces among the dies. and II lac had
felt inclined he could. without Vi Hlatiug any
Gw, have made $2u,ocO by striking up some Of
AuAuE pir-r .r,r TO NEw YORK.
One ~ the men who worked IN the press room
nislt in company with the, Chi C9iner 9t-
tended Rtndail's coin sale In New York on the
i,hof NoVcmher. 1859, and exhibited a silver
dollar ~ lN4 He did not offer the coin for sale,
but took considerable interest IN showing the
coin and explaining to collectors and dealers
bow he came into possession of IL. The piece
was CT tically examined by experts, who said the
edge was lmpcrfectly miled and the centre bore
the appearance of having been raised. The story
related by the exhibitor Of the cola was put
down as "cock and bull story" IL has been
hn',d that the coin was a rc-strike, but no tes-
timuny has been adduccd To- prove II. II The coin
was one of the few struck in lSN Us Wdtl 4
..l f.o llfF lrfI Di
Has, according TO the state OF prc-cNati 'u ID
sin.
DIPS HtMovUp From THE MINT.
Just previous to the rcil.fp,. meat 9th. pres
ent Director, IN the spring oi !G9, the thiei
CIn.r directed an old gentleman from the
welghers' department t. carry package to his
rhc Coircr'sI house. The package was heavy
and excited the curiosity OF the bearer, who
although he did not break the paper was en-
and their weight and by feeling, to decide that
he package contained hubs and dies. lie
hourh' II was exceedingly strange that he
should he selected to run errands, and what ap
pcsred still more MYSTERIOUS 70 him was ne
motive that induced he Chief Coincr' on N,
hubs and dies from the bllnt. On one OcrasioI
since the first examination the Chief Culner ha'
Ahenyytrunk and n walnut box taken away from
the Mint In an express wagon, he accompanying
he driver. There Is no allegation that Their
va. rpytlinc wrpny In such proceeding bu' 4
eI i'fd considerable comment at The time, be
cause ~ o. being unusual
SALE OF PUooT sr.s OF CO.'S.
Irregularities In the manufacture and -.l- o
tl-Uhrwi-e ALLEGED that rarC half pennies a
di'c- between 1872 and lS41 have h'cn r'strucl
dni -"ll. The Chief Coiner often sold proc
se's ava received tho money theit 4lr. Ia SOM
cases when the cash was not paid for such scs
le pnt his memoranda IN the vault instead
h.N. - pr9"i OF nnttIern plc,r- ,n"''I
n" United states Suh-Trensurcr; hut rules Ar.
STAT Mint for II is w,ll known that II has Otter