The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-23

ly o ounces, or ~ staterS. ana Its value In
gold about $l1O. On one side was the
portrait Of Eucratides, King Of Bactria,
who lived 1876 B. G. The bust of the
monarch was crowned with helmet,
ornamented with the horn and
ear OF the bull q peculiar attribute of the
kings Of Bactria. On the reverse were
the Dioscures, Chastor and Pollux,
galloping on horseback, with the legend
in Greek, Bases2eus Metannoy, EJacgG-
tidoy, (the Great King Eucrutides). There
was o defect, something like line run
ming across the field Of the piece. This
defect was the glory Of the coin. This
showed the number Of blows which were
required to strike such big piece. The
die with which that coin had been
stamped must have been broken after
this piece was made. The numismatist
was wild with JOY, for certainly this piece
was unique. 1t was the first, may be the
last, of its kind, and there never would
turn up in this world another piece of
gold like it.
"Ask him what he wants for it, in,
CURED the expert, with concealed ind1ff-
erence. sit IS worth something, of course,
its weight, say, in gold" The Bokhara
mans eyes twinkled-they were black,
snaky eyes. II will take e5, 900 for ii,
my lord, and nothing else,:' said the man,
cody, as he picked up the coin, slipped it
into the bag, and was about putting it
under his arm ......
Now come the moment of trial. The
expert lighted cigarette and smoked to
calm his nerves. Then, blowing the
smoke from his lips, ne said, II tell you
what will do. I will give you, right
now, my check for 1000 for the piece.
1t the coin is not mine in twenty minutes,
/ shall offer you $500 for it, and so on
until l get to $500. If you don't close
with me tonight, tomorrow I will not
take it at any price,"
"Twenty minutes passed." said the ex-
pert, "like an instant. The Bokhara man
seemed immersed in deep thought. Then
ne turned Oh me suddenly" continued
the expert, ''pierced me through with his
black eyes, and put the much-coveted
coin in my hand, while his long bird-like
fingers were bent like talons to take the
check. The coin was mine l slept,n
said the expert, 'Swith that coin under
my pillow; that is, I tried to sleep, but
50 excited was that never closed nv
eyes that night.''
The numlsmatist took the earliest con-
veyance across the English Channel.
This medal was not for common collec-
tons. It was a piece for the French
museum. The Emperor Louis Napoleon
heard of it, as did the Minister of Instruc-
ton. M. Feuardent considered an offer
of 10000 francs for the medal as an i'm
perative command that tho coin should
remain in France. So stay it did, though
$4,000 francs, just double what it cost,
We're offered for it. This coin Of the
Bactrian Eucratides is now the greatly
priced ornament OF the Cabinet DIES
Medailles. To-day it lies in a. glass case
all by itself. There is a little handle
coming out Of the box, which permits the
public to turn the coin so that both sides
Of it can be seen.
This" said the expert to the writer.
sis the rarest coin i'll the world, and the
one for which the highest price has been
paid. Since it cost the lives of five men,
I do not think any thing more was really
paid for it than it was worth. 1t ought
to have been saved tor the delectation of
numismatic amatuers in all times to come.
even had fifty or one hundred lives been
sacrificed"