The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-11-30
Our Q)li0.
The Variety of Coinage.

there are very few, who have not attempted
the collections of coins, that know the va
riety 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 mod
ern times; yet there are now one or two
square coins struck both in Europe aud
Asia. There are porallelograms in Japan,
and cight-sided pieces in Assam. We
have, also, few octagonal gold pieces of
American coinage. In striking the circu-
lar coin it is necessary that it should be
held in ring or collar, in order to pre-
serve its form. For want of some such
precaution as this, as also, perhaps, he
cause they were not accurately cut, the
mere ancient coins arc rarely true circles,
though thi, was evidently the form intend
ed.
OF course no attempt could be made
within our limits to speak of the different
devices on the coins Of other nations.
Even in our own, first and last, there has
been much greater variety than most
persons would suppose. 1t is not au un-
common impression that our laws prohibit
the coming Of money by private indiyidu-
ais yet they do not, provided the coin is
not made Sin resemblance or simiitude"
Of the gold or silver coins issued from the
Mint The constitution prohibits the
States from coming money, and vests the
power in Congress but under this pro-
vision no law has ever forbidden the eiti-
zens to do it, except imitation of the ma
tional coins So far as the copper coin is
concerned, however, there is what is equiv
alent to this prohibition in the law, which
iorbids the offering, or even the rceeipag
Of any other coin than the cent and half
cent In some parts of the country private
gold coins have been struck and circulated.
These instances have occurred especially
in the gold regions of North Carolina and
Georgia. Some fifteen or more private
mints, also, are said to have sent forth
their coinages in California
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 Mint at Philadel-
phia, except that they have upon them the
Letters &C, )" ID" 40" and s. respec-
lively, to distinguish them, while the coins
of the Philadelphia Mint have no initial
letter
Before the formation of the Federal
Constitution, 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 Va.
Company, in 1872 1t was of brass; and
on the diverse, or pricipal side, the ae-
counts of that day tell Us, was "a hogge,
in memory of the abundance of "hogges"
found by the colonists on their landing.
On the reverse side was ship under full
sail, firing a gun. Probably not a large
number of these brass coins were made.
AT any rate, neither they nor the currency
obtained from other sources suiiiced for
the wants of the colonists, and they were
compelled to resort to some other medium
of exchange and they chose--T Tobacco
More than thirty years later 16i5),
the Assembly of Virginh, preiaeed the law
which provided for a new copper coinage
with the declaration that they had ma.
turely weighed and considered how ad-
yantageous a quoinc current would be sto
their Colony, and the great wants and
niseies 'ohieh do duly happen unto il By
he sole dcpeadeacy upon tobacco The
law passed but was never carried into ef
feet and the eolopists were compelled to
use tobacco as money,and to submit to the
"miseries' reulting from it.
The first coins actually struck in the
country were made in Massachusetts,, in
accordance with a law passed in 1852, es-
tablishng mint howscH in Boston The
law provided that the coinage should be
"twelyepenee, sixpcnee, and threepence
peeces, which shall be for forme Aatt, and
stamped on the one side y. f., and ON the
other side with Xll.d., NI.d, and ND,
according to the value Of each peeee.
These coins were soon in circulation, but
before the expiration Of the year new die
was ordered, because, ON account of the
extreme simplicity Of the design, these
were 50 easily tampered with by washing
and clipping. i was ordered that
Henccforth both shillings and smaller
pceccs shall have double ring 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 arc now
known as the @Pine-,ree' coinage. An
have the date either Of 1862 Or 1862.
They probably had but the two sets Of