The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-11
Some Of the Curious Facts Developed
'~'sr-vesze n Nunismatiee,

y
THERE are q number of gentlemen i
Baltimore who have fine cabinets q
old coins, both American and foreign
ancient and modern, as well as medals
seals and engraved gems, which ar
now generally included in numismatics
By collectors of coins and medals auto
graph letters are also regarded with nj
fectionate favor, and q number Of fin
collections my be found in Baltimore
The most Of the other large cities hav,
societies similar to this one, that Of Bos
ton being the oldest and most important
and it was felt that there was ample
room for one in Baltimore. The science
is very fascinating, and has . great dea
more in it than would at first strike .
casual observer. The artistic and his
torical study OF American coins is most
interesting in itself.
lake,. for instance, the early coinage
Of Maryland, about which, perhaps, les;
is known than that of any other State
The principal production of Maryland
as we'll as Virginia for long period af
ter its first settlement was tobacco,
which served as the principal article Of
currency. Cattle and corn, and even
powder and shot, also served as the
medium Of meeting almost any pecuni.
ary obligations. The first coins struck
off were shillings and sixpences and
creates, made from dies received from
England in 1859. The dies were made
after designs Of Lord Baltimore, who
was then in England on business, and
one result of the issue Of the coin was
that Gov. Findall and Others started ~
incipient revolution in the hope of Sc
curing Slaryland's independence from
kingly rule. .
An act was passed making it a death
penalty to clip, scale or counterfeit any
Of the coin, which, it was defined,
"should be equal in fineness OF silver to
England's sterling, being Of the same
standard, but of somewhat less weight,
and hath on one side his Lordship's
coat-of-arms, stamped with his motto,
'Crescite and Multiplicsmini,' and on
the other side his Lordship's etligie. cir
cumcribed thus: 'C:ccilius Dominus
Teria.Marie,'" etc. Specimens Of
these coins are in the possession Of the
Maryland Historical Society, into whose
custody they were given BY the late
George Peabody, who was one Of its
honorary members. The device upon
the reverse Of the early shillings is q
lozen2ed shield, surmounted by crown
and dividing the numerals MI. The
mint mark IS cross.patee. Some fine
specimens are preserved in the British
Museum. A coinage OF copper seems
also to have been intended by Lord Bal.
timorA although so little was put out
that specimens are now worth hundreds
Of dollars. J. j. Mickey, Esq, of Phil
adelphis, bought a specimen recently
for which he paid 1925 in England.
y Aside from the numerous Washington
paoses, considering HE head and struck
in the eighteenth century for specula.
tive purposes, or as curiosities, there are
in the possession Of members Of the new
society some Of the most valuable sets
extant Of the early patterns Of the
United States mint. It may not be gen.
orally known that the first silver pieces
were half-dimes made out OF Washing
toms own family plate in 1902. 1t was
not until y year later that the regular
coinage of both silver and copper was
commenced. The half.dimes on the
diverse had = head with flowing hair
facing the left, the legend "Liberty.
Parent Of Science and Industry, and
as device on the reverse small eagle
flying toward the left. In the first large
pattern cent the device on the reverse Is
. wreath formed of two laurel branches
tied by ribbon below, inclosins plain
circle, within which are the words s'one
cent" Under the bow on the ribbon il
the fraction LOO. There are three
specimens of edges, one being plain,
one reading ''to the esteemed, be use.
fal, while the third is marked by two
EMAIL leaves. . The name OF s'Bircb,"
in very small letters, is in every instance
oh the shoulder Of the bust. It is said
that the head upon this pattern. . we'll
~ th6se upon the dimes and hall.dimes,
was intended for , likeness of Martha
Washington, although it looks As much
fte,a y Indian chief as any thing .-Bal-