Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-05-04
Notes by the Way.
PHILAnELPHIA. Anril

PHILADELPHIA, April ~, 1881.
This week we paid our first visit to the
mint-the Oldest one in the United States.
1t is plain looking building, of granite, with
heavy Cornthian pillars, fronting on Chest
nut street On entering. piles of silver bars.
weighing 80 lbs. each, are on either hand,
worth about $1,000 each, we were told. Sew
eral kegs of dollars were near the door, all
marked tor shipment to different parts of the
country We noticed one marked Texas, an
other some Western State. They contained
81 200 each.
We now pass into another ro0m where the
furnace and crucibles are, and see gold bars
melted and run into moulds. These bars are
drawn out between immense rollers, and look
about like hoop iron. These are passed
through machine and the pieces are cut out
the required size, when they are placed under
die that stamps eight per minute. Coppers are
stamped at the rate of l20 per minute. We
now pass up stairs, where, in glass cases. are
found coins from all the countries on the
globe.
The very first piece of money to which
our attention is called is the widows mite"
II was found at Jerusalem, near the site of
the Temple of Janus. 1t seems to be a sort
of bronze, and the smallest piece of money
we saw. The Jewish shekel is silver coin
used li5 years, b. c. The Roman coin is
of bronze. used 500 years b. G.. 1t has the
head of Janus upon it. One of the oldest
Mohammedan coins, has Koran texts upon both
sides. Siamese coins are apparently irregu-
lar junks of brass, the largest not much
larger than bullet, and smaller. Then
a. -. H. IL .-.kl. A..
side, and Aaron's Rod. with Jerusalem the
Holy on the reverse
The Russian coins look neatly. but the
material is cheap, and of course very large
The old Roman coins, from julius Caesar to
Trojan B. G. 497 to HI, are curious looking
specimens. Coins from three to seven cen
turtles b. c.. apparently have no intrinsic
value. They have the government stamp
only. The Japanese coins come the nearest
to ours of any shown.
In 1850 an agent of that country came to
the United States and made the currency his
study and on his return home, with samples.
the Japanese government adopted our system
in toto. Their coins are the same fineness
and value. They made arrangements to
print the fractional currency that we used
duplicated with their language upon it, and it
really looks like ours, even down to the five
cent piece. The coins are far in advance of
their original design.
In case is a coin struck off in the Phila-
delphia mint 1000 years ago; on one side is
the Ahmon, on the reverse Diana-not our
Philadelphia. however, as will be readily
seen. The medals of foreign nations do not
compare with those of this country, and with
one or two exceptions our coins are far hand
somer than any other. I must not forget the
penny of the New Testament. silver, and
about the size of a ten-cent piece. but trifie
thicker: value fifteen cents Edward, the
Confessor, A. ID. l041 to 1906, cut the coins
in pieces to make change.
But it is l2 o'clock and visitors must leave.
and we have been well paid for our hours
visit.
Perhaps sketch of the history of the Unit
ed States Mint might be of interest, and
will give few items The mint was first
established by act of Congress in 1892. Wash
ington appointing the first director the same
year. Thirteen have occupied the directors
chair since. The first coins were copper
cents. These were made the following year
In 1894 silver dollars were made. Gold
eagles were made in 1875. All the machn-
cry and the metals were imported, and it was
not an easy matter to procure copper, which
came from England.
In the accounts for 1923 we notice bills
for ''rum, cider. hay and PASTURE. Later
we see rule that ''workmen and laborers
will find themselves in diet, drink and lodg-
ings." Liquor was mentioned as fatigue
ration" These things are long since discount
tenanced. Very little gold comparatively
was coined until its discovery in California in
lS4s. Previous to that time it came from
Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia Most
Of the gold that reaches the mint at this time,
| r. IN