Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-12
SOMETHING ABOUT NuM1sMAT1cs.

Not nearly so much general attention is
given to numismatics now as 4 few years
ago. About the time of the outbreak of
the rebellion "coin collecting was a craze,
and rare varieties were eagerly sought and
highly priced. Numerous numismatical
journals appeared, and coin catalogues
were more numerous still. Though the
craze had its day, the genuine collectors
have not tagged in their enthusiasm in
this branch of historic research The
coin collections of the world have steadily
increased in number, and the more notable
ones of the first half of the century have
been augmented, and are enhancing
greatly in value At this time there is a
decided revival on the subject Newspapers
are frequently applied to for information
as to coin values and the address Of buying
collectors. There is not what can be
termed a regular market for old coins.
They bring prices measured by the special
and immediate desire Of those who wish to
complete their cabinets While the de-
mand for an article and the supply create
the market price usually, it is not alto
gether true in the case of rare coins.
In Boston, New York, Chicago, Phila-
delphia and San Francisco there are regu-
lar dealers, who buy, not as collectors, but
as spectators These never pay such
prices as collectors accord, for the latter
are never spectators. Usually they are
men and women of means, willing to spend
money to crafty the taste for the posses
sion of rare and curious coins and medals,
because of the antiquity and historic
interest that attaches to many of them.
The real values, let us say, in answer to
several inquirers writing to this Office in
recent weeks, are fixed at auction sales.
Thus, in New York, recently, the Balmanno
collection was put under the hammer, as
also was the Athole collection, and, of
course, drew together all the prominent
coin-collectors of the East. At the first
named sale a Massachusetts, pine-tree
shilling of 1852 brought So rs, while
United States eagle cent of 1856 brought
S. 10. A proof set of 1857, from one cent
to one dollar, brought $40, but uncirculated
half dollars, even of earlier date, brought
only face value. A copper British war
medal of Germantown, 1777, sold for SIS 25,
and provisional dollar of Mexico, 1911,
brought the same price. A Cork shilling,
1747, went for $40; gold half Unicorn of
james Ill, 1886, 50; gold Lion of Mary,
1888, Sl1; Anglo-Saxon penny, $50,
81 Is; penny of Cruet the Little, s72,
SO 25; penny of Ethelstan, 925, $13 10 !;
pound piece of Charles l., 1912, S46 !;
Blondeau's pattern half-crown, Common
wealth, 164S, $40 30, and a Portcullis
crown of Elizabeth, $146 %. At this sale
the highest price paid was for
a crown of Charles l., 1914 which was
knocked down to an enthusiast for S205
Numismatic books are many, numbered
by the thousand, and will be found in
greater or less variety in all good Libraries.
Upon English coinage William H. Hen
frey's Guide, 1870; Rulings Annals, 1910;
J. Henry's Guide of Silver Coins, 1877 !;
NJ. S. Leake's Historical Account, 1745,
are valuable, as are J. D. Robertson's
Handbook to the Coinage of Scotland,
Lindsay's Coinage of Scotland, L. S. Sothe-
by's Catalogue of English Coin Sales, 1S43,
and Lindsay's Coinage of Ireland, 1889.
On ancient coins the works of Ezekiel,
9 volumes, 1928; Mionnet, 6 volumes,
1868, are standard, while in America
Dickeson's American Numismatical Manu-
al, 1859, is high authority to that date.
1t will be seen by what has been stated
that it Is not dateage alone that gives value
to CONDUIT rather its scarcity and the
cabinet demands of collectors. Those who
are especially DESTROYS of authentic infor-
nation concerning the dealing in numis-
MATES will probably receive reliable adj
vice from the Museum Magazine, Philadel-
phia; the Coin Journal, Lancaster, Pa; the
American Journal of Numismdtics Boston,
or the american antiquarian, Chicago.
The Athole collection, already referred
to, was very valuable one. 1t was sold