Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-04-24
THE RAREST OF ALL COINS.

Here is the true story of the rarest of
coins, and how precious medal came to
he tine great numismatic triumph of the
French collection. One evening in july,
| 1867. French gentleman, an expert Of
the British Museum, was dining ia Lon.
don with General Fox, the son of Lord
Holland. In the midst of the dinner
liable talk, the numismatic enthusiast was
addressed as follows by a gentlemen
present: II am sorry you were not in
town to-day, for should have sent YOU
queer kind of fellow, who says he came
from Bokhara, and who pretends that he
has rare CON-"
The numismatist was all attention.
1T was gold coin, so he said, of some
ancient king of India, and would weigh
as much as 20 sovoreigns, and was huge
as big as the palm of my hand"
The numismatist's heart was IN his
mouth.
"Sorry you seem so excited about it. It
is my belief that the whole thing is a
forgery. Just think of it! The shabby
looking fellow who was hawking the coin
around bad the impertinence to ask
$4,000 for itl'
The numismatist thought over it, and,
as an expert, reasoned in this way over
the story: "Forger be may be. Still,
there may be some thing in it. Issuers
| of spurious old coin never have brains
enough to invent new forms; they always
vamp up representations of certain we'll
known coins. Anyhow, it may be worth
while for me to look it up as numismat-
ical monstrosity."
"The fellow" continued the informant,
seemed very much down on his luck.
| He told me that wherever he had been
to show or sell his coin, the experts had
kicked him out, declaring that his piece
of money was a forgery"
A hope sprang up in the coin collect
or's heart-an inkling that some great
find was near at hand. Instinctively he
rose from the dinner-table, determined to
set out at once in search of the coin.
General Fox, the host, being himself the
most enthusiastic of collectors, under
standing what it is to have fit of nu-
mismatia, excused him, and he posted as
quick as. cab could take him to Isling-
ton, for at Ellington he knew an Oriental
whe kept up communication with those
curious waits from the East, who onlv
turn up in the greatest city OF the world.
A trail was discovered in Islington itself
and soon the miserable lodgings of the
man from Bokhara were found. The
landlord of the house said. The man
you wish to see is just going to bed. I
know he has been trying to find YOU
Shall call him down2'
Eyes, at once," cried the expert.
In 9 few minutes down came the man
who had been kicked out by every COIN
collector in London. With the~help of
the Oriental, who acted as an Interpreter.
the Bokhara man was told to show his
coin. Then the Bokharan individual
took off his ~queerly-cut coat, next his
embroidered waistcoat then bis waist
band, next his shirt, until there was
nothing On him above the waist but his
undershirt, and from under his arm pit
he drew out with great deliberation' q
dirty sweat begrimed Leaf her case, which
I he laid slowly on table Presently the
case was opened, and in an instant the
eyes of the expert were dazzled with that
peculiar soft, yellow sheen which only
antique gold gives fcrth. It was, indeed.
q prize. One glance alone was sufficient
to show that it was grand medallion "a
unique coin, the chiefest, the rares. In
the world. It has taken years of study
on the part Of the numismstic, trans