The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-03-27
Confederate Hard Money.

1t has been believed and recorded as
an historical fact that the Southern
Confederacy had no metallic currency.
After lapse of eighteen years. evil
dence now presents itself to show that
four coins were struck off at the New
Orleans Mint while that place was in
the possession of the Confederate Gov
ernment. This discovery has been
brought about by Record item, enti-
tied :. A Craze for Coins" which gave
the fancy prices placed upon rare
pieces.
A few days subsequent to the publi-
cation, Mr.. Mason, the numismatist, of
143 North Tenth street, who was incl
dentally referred to in the article, re-
ceived a communication from b. F.
Taylor, M. D., the Secretary and Treas
urer of the Louisiana State Board of
Health, giving the information that he
had a Confederate coin in his posses
sion. In reply, Mr.. Mason wrote for q
lead pencil rubbing of the piece, at the
same time expressing doubt as to the
existence of any genuine coins of the
Confederate States. The return mail
brought rubbing of the coin.
The diverse represents a Liberty
cap, above the American shield, the
union of the latter containing seven
stars, representing the seven seeding
States, the whole being surrounded
with a wreath of sugar cane and cotton
in bloom and the motto " Confederate
States of America" The reverse has
the Goddess of Liberty, with the thir-
teen stars, representing the States from
which the Confederacy sprang, and the
date, Z" 1861"
The history of the coin may be briefly
recapitulated from Mr.. Taylor's state
ment. When the New Orleans Mint
was tal>on possession of by tho Confed-
crates in April, 1861, the original dies
of the United States were cancelled in
the presence of the officials connected
with the building. The Confederate
Cabinet, which was then sitting at
Montgomery, issued orders for de-
sign for a Confederate currency to Mr..
Taylor, who was then Chief Coiner OF
the Mint. The above design was sub
mitted and approved, and orders were
issued for the striking off of specimen
pieces. Four half-dollars were accord
ingly coined, and these also, following
the design, were approved by the Cab
| met. Then came an obstacle. That
body found that it had not control OF
/ SuiuSiCht OuiiiOu W PhOSOS0 WIN Ah 10
sue of coins, and, consequently, the
matter was deferred, and a temporary
issue of paper money aecided upon.
The subsequent rout of the Confeder-
ates threw the coinage project over
| board.
OF the four coins struck, one is in the
possession of one of the chiefs of the
Confederate Government, the second
was presented to Professor Biddle, OF
the University of Louisiana; the third
to DIR. Ames, of New Orleans. and the
fourth was retained by Chief Coiner
Taylor, by permission of the Cabinet.
1t is a noteworthy fact that all the in.
dividuals who were connected with the
coinage, including the Superintendent
of the Mint, Assayer, Coiner, Engraver,
Die Sinker, down to the man who held
the chisel and used the hammer, in the
cancelling of the old and new dies, are
living at the present time. To MIR.
Mason, in whose hands the coin has
been placed, quite a number of bids
have been made by numismatic and his
torical societies for the purchase of this
rare relic of the rebellion.
A silver-plated electrotype copy is to
be sent to all societies interested in such
matters, but they will all cry for the
original. Philadelphia Record.