The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-15
THE CRAZE FOR COINS.
One Cent Worth One Thousand DOL
lars.
English Folk Offering Fabulous Prices
For Complete Collections of
American Coins.
philadelphia Record.l

Pn1ladelphia Recort.I
Perhaps the leading numismatist of Amer
lea is the occupant of comfortable residence
on North Tenth street, in this city. His
name is Mason, and he has been in the pro-
fession for a score OF years. Every summer
he goes to England for couple of months,
and disposes OF the stock of old American
coins which he had collected during the
previous ten months. In England his name
Is well known, both as seller of old coins
and writer on numIsmatic subjects. Dur
ing his summer visit he puts in an appear
ance in all the principal towns, where he is
always fortunate in finding men OF wealth
who are willing and anxious to add to their
store of old money.
There is perfect craze in England for
old American coins" remarked Mr.. Mason,
yesterday; ''but the English are great COL
lectors anyhow. Why, IN Wardner street,
in London, there nearly one hundred
old coin stores next door to one another /
collect complete sets of American COINS from
the time of the revolution, and always find
plenty of customers in England, principally
in Liverpool, London, Sheffield and Man
chester. sell both to private parties and to
dealers. Here is set of old colonial coins l
am now making up" and the speaker point
ed to table strewn with large copper COINS.
These" he continued, "were issued by the
States after the revolution, when they were
called colonies
Then he handed the coins up for inspec-
ton. All were in good state of preserya-
ton. A New Jersey cent, dated 1887, about
fboo ;z of q RI "A at1a cd noI
with a bear and pillow. One coined in Yer
mont in 17S6 had the head of George Ill on
one side and Brittanla on the other. A
Massach usetts cent, dated 1887, had for arms
an Indian carrying bow and arrow while
one of Connecticut, of 17S6. had head of
| George Ill, but qualified on the other side
| by the inscription, Liberty, independence"
| in Latin.
Old American coins are getting very scarce
on this side of the water. Among those
greatly in demand are the cents of 1898,
which belong to the first series OF United
| States copper coinage and were coined in
| this city at the old mint, which was then
located at Seventh and Hilbert streets. An
other scarce coin is the 1857 cent, which was
designed by Benjamin Franklin and coined
in Hartford. The 1898 half cents are very
rare. So also are the silver dollars made in
the old Philadelphia mint in 1874. One of
these, which is safely locked up in the Brit
ish Museum, cost that institution 81 600
Silver quarter-dollars coined IN 1873 p are
worth 500 each. Silver half-dimes, issued
from the mint IN 1902, are also at premi-
um, and all efforts to obtain any of them to
complete sets, even at the figure of 800,
proved futile.
Silver dollars of 1904 are extremely scarce,
only FIVE, SO far as known, being in exist
ence. Three of these are owned in England,
and are valued at 81 900 each. Half dollars
of 1885 and 1877 coinage are worth $50 and
the same figure is offered for 1893 cent or a
half-cent of 1876. Notwithstanding these
high prices collectors say that in selling
again abroad they average 100 per cent.
profit. They also say that the fictitious val
ne of coins has Increased hooper cent. during
the last five years, while the tendency is
still upward. Experimental coins are also
greatly in demand, and the goloid dollars,
which were recently coined as a sample for
the Government, are worth $25 to the col.
| lectors
Mr.. Mason has a piece of paper money
which he values very highly, as 1t may be
termed the corner stone of our greenback
system. Its size is about three inches by
two. The paper is stiff although brown
with age. One side reads as follows: