The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-10-27

And washing all souls white. Q Dawn. for thee!
Boston Transcript.
Curious Facts About American Coins.
>''There is really no end" said an anna
teur coin collector, ''to the lists of arti-
clss collected in cabinets. collect only
American silver coins, and know that
there is whole world of absolutely un-
suspected details about this branch of
collecting. There, for instance, is the
mystery about the coinage of 1904. A
small number of dollars was struck, and
of these coins not one has ever been
found. There are two specimens in ex-
istence of the 1904 dollar, but there is
every reason to believe that these were
restrikes made in 1928 by some one in
the mint at Philadelphia in surrepti-
tious and unlawful way for some col
lector who had influence. What can
have become of those dollars that have
disappeared SO completely? From time
to time at auction sales one of the re-
strikes appears, and at each sale fetches
a greater sum. AS high as $1,000 has
been paid for one of. them. But what
shall be said of the half dollar of 1904
Of these no less than 156. $40 specimens
were coined, yet none has ever been dis
covered. A certain number of half dol.
lars bearing the date of 1905 will, if ex-
amined closely discover that the i've has
been struck over four. This only shows
that certain number of the 1904 half
dollars was never issued from
the mint, and was converted
into 1906 pieces, but it
does not explain the total vanishing of
those that were issued. There can be
no doubt that something happened of
mysterious character, which caused the
dollars and half dollars to disappear, for
the quarters of that year are not par
ticularly scarce; a fine specimen costs
only 80, and q fair specimen can be had
for 81. Yet there was only 673S pieces
of that denomination struck in that An
nus Mirabilis for us collectors, and of
dollars there were 9,570. There were
only 321 dollars struck the next year,
and these were, in all probability, for
the cabinets of collectors, for no dol
lar was issued in 1905. Then the coin
age of silver dollars ceased. and did not
begin again until 1886. It would be
easy to frame the hypothesis that the
larger American silver coins were over
weight, and that merchants bought them
up and sold them for melting. But a.
though the facts in relation to the dol
lars bear out this theory, yet the annals
of the mint about the half dollars are
opposed to it, for in 1906 there was a
very large issue of this piece, and SO on
| every year until 1916, when there was
comparatively a small issue. In 1916
thar0 NJ OF oil nf hoIf dbl
| lars. Coins of this denomination for
| specimen is worth from $40 to 500, &C.
cording to it's appearance.
1T is well to know that before the
mint was organized there was coined
somewhere small supply of the dis.
mes and half dismes mentioned by
Washington in his fourth annual ad
| dress. The want of small coins was
kesnly felt and the first president was sc
evidently at one with the popular feel
ing in the matter that legend is ex
out of his silver plate. But in wha
mint they were coined is question tina
has been asked but not answered. Some
persons believe that they were coined
in England, but patriotism repels sucf
a thought. Nor is it necessary to frame
such conjecture, because there wer'
two localities in the land where ampl,
preparations had been made for coinint
silver, but had been arrested by the for
nation of the federal Union, which tool
from the states the right of coinage. Th
two point where the 'dismes' and half
dismes could have been coined wer
Annapolis, in Maryland, and Dedhan
in Massachusetts,. The work was in al
probability done at the latter place, TO
there has alway been a strong tradition
that the first coins of the Union wer
struck here. The dime of 1892, or til
Washington dime, as collectors call il
has ON the diverse of young man
head, with flowing hair. facing to th
left. The date 1892 touches the lowe
part of the bust. Around is the lie
gend. Liberty, Parent of Scienc
and industry On the reverse is sma
eagle flying to the left, with the Legend
'Upited States of America Beneath tn
eagle is the word 'Disme.' The fir
regular issue from the Philadelphia mil
of dimes was in 1896, whereas dollar
and half-dollars and half dimes vel
coined in 1894. In 1894 and the su
ceeding year the head of liberty on I'll
coins has the hair flowing without ar
!. restl aint, but in 1896, when the quarte
: and dimes begin, this had been change,
, and all the coins have the hair confine
? with fllet. This lasted until 1SO
i when in the latter part of the year WI
r issued the head of liberty with the Ii
J. erty cap. This is considered with reasc
!, the most beautiful of American coin
2 and continued without change down
! 1887 for dimes aad to 1888 for quarter
It and TO 1889 for half dollars and 1S
i 1910 for dollars, when the beautif
n head of liberty was displaced for figu
: of liberty seated. The dollars struck
:. 1886 and succeeding years until 18
! were tentative efforts only, the first lar
0 issue being in 1910. You can understal
that it is very easy to recognize dime