National Republican., 1883-04-11
AN OLD RED CENT.
The First Penny Coined In America I'm
tho Possession OF n Chicagoan.


Chicago Netps.
Rufus Cobb, of 11s Aberdeen street, dis
played to reporter an old copper penny that
he prizes every bit as highly as did that thrifty
fellow Of the scriptures his one talent, which
he wrapped up SO carefully in napkin and
hid away until fabulous interest should ac-
crue at compound rates. Mr.. Cobb had re-
Gently received the penny of relative in
Boston, in whose possession 1t had been for
some eight or nine years. and who appreciated
to no small degree its value. It is an honest
penny, fairly we'll preserved, and was once,
with its brazen fellows, tho pioneer in United
States coinage. But its old fashioned mates
of colonial days have departed-scattered no
one knows whither-and to what degree de-
stroped, as to their particular identity, no
one can, with any certainty, tell. But Of one
specimen of its issue extant-and the pennies
of this issue were distinctively the first cents
of the United States--there is still authentic
record. In the Cheshire Republican, of Keene,
VT, March l, 1879, there appeared the follow
ing:
Tho history of the red cents, In such common
use before the war, is attracting much attention
at this time. The honor of the invention of this
species OF coin is given TO Mr.. Robert Morris-the
great hnancier OF the revolution; These coins
1892, and they are now very rare. Since the
dawning of the centennial year one or two Of them
have made their appearance, and recently i was
the fortune Of the writer 10 see one. The particu-
lar coin in question is the private properly of Mr.
s. d. sholes, ofthe Allegheny council.
The writer then proceeded to describe the
coin. His description is a picture of the
penny in Mr.. Cobb's possession, the type of
which is described by DR.. Montreville Wilson
Dickson in his American Numismatic
Manual" DR.. Dickson characterizing it as
"the first United States cent" thus describes
the quaint old coin;
DeyicsA I,S dial With the hours expressed upon
the right meridian sun above tho dial, and be-
low the legend "Mind Your Business" Reverse
thirteen circles linked together. forming a large
in ar hS a Se
1--WE Are One"
Then DIR. Dickson continues, and what he
says still further enhance the historical inter-
est that clings with the rust to Mr.. Cobb'S old
piece and to all others of the issue. Says the
author Of manual "An ordinance for es-
tablishing a mint of the United States, and
for regulating the value and alloy of the coin
thereof, was passed by Congress October 16,
1856, On July 6, 1857, the government or
deTed that its copper coinage, for the mint of
which it had already entered into contract,
should bear the device, &C., rs above described
This cent, being the first legally authorized
coin of the government Of the United States
of America possesses more than ordinary in
terest; il is q very creditable relic of the con-
federated government, and the devices were
very appropriate. As n work Of tastein in
terest 1t throws into the shade the very unin-
teresting emissions of the same denomination
which succeed it and which constitute in
part the present currency. ThisI cent has
borne the name with some Of the Franklin
Penny, an appellation TO which II has no claim,
it being but q fanciful application, because
the legend was one of those sententous ut
terances imputed TO Franklin, for which he
was justly distinguished. There are two
types and eight varieties of this cent, viz;
No. /, thirteen circles with plain field, seven
varieties Zone reading States United); No. 2,
thirteen circles, each containing the name of
one of the states, The latter variety has
also blaze radiating from the circlesp
Such was the first cent with its saucy in
junction TO tyrannieal Georges monarchies
and things in general to mind their business :
with its symbol of the flying hours and
motto, IL Flee . with its thirteen inter-
locked circles that declared to the world the
nrture of the irrefragable union of the trl-
umphant and indepen dent commonwealth of
America.
So Mr.. Cobb naturally prizes the old coin,
which he refused an offer Of $50, made by
gentleman the other day in Boston.