Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-11
THE KENTUCKY CENT.
Description of Coin which VIII Interest
All Americans

THE KENTUCKY GENT.
Description of Coin which VIII Interest
All Americans.
A very common error prevails con-
corning the Kentucky cent, which, in
deed, is not a coin in the genuine sense
OF sae term, but a token or medallet. 1t
has been spoken of as if struck in Ken
lucky, and for purposes of currency,
and so rare as to be held at great prices.
etc. The truth concerning this speci-
men is very simple. 1t is termed s'The
Kentucky Token,'' or ''KetucSy TRAN
angle" because of the letter tx" at the
apex OF star, representing the word
Kentucky" There are three sets of
them. struck both in copper and silver,
and they form, it Is admitted, one of
most beautiful series of the great variety
of tokens produced in English work
| shops for use in America. They also
bear the names pyramid Token and
''Myddeton Token They are quoted
anywhere from Is cents to S1.75, and
there are doubtless tens of thousands of
them extant in Great Britain and Amer
| lea.
At the close of the Revolutionary war,
when trade and commerce began to
| revive, woeful deficiency of specie,
and especially of small change, formed
| a serious obstacle to business. 1t threw
the people upon the Oldest fashion, viz. !:
barter, which is the most Ubiquitous of
all methods. Connecticut issued cop
per coins in eight type Cor patterns) in
| 1875 to 1888. Massachusetts followed
with eight type, cents and half-cents, at
about the same period. New Jersey did
the same, stamping a horse-head upon
her money. Vermont struck many cop
per pieces.
But these were money, current as such
and redeemable by the respective States
in gold and silver, if presented in proper
| quantities. In 1888 goldsmith at
| Annapolis, Md, gave utterance to a
mass of tokens in silver, which were
eagerly seized upon in the absence of
| genuine coins. In 1888 Congress au-
thorized an issue stamped Nova Constel-
latio, and in 1884 our present decimal
] system (the simplest in the world) was
| authorized.
| The English mechanics were not slow
! to take advantage of the crying demand
for small currency, and. in 1885, one
Thomas Wyon, of Birmingham, sent
| over large numbers of what dealers style
Immune Coiunebias, one side bearing
| thirteen stars. Tokens of the same class
| were struck for New York, New Jersey,
etc.; and this brings us more directly to
| the Kentucky cent. Kentucky came into
| the Union in 1892 as the fifteenth State.
| Four years later we find the Kentucky
| piece. The diverse (front side) shows
| hand grasping a sword. with the in
| scriptions: ''Our Cause is just and
| "Unanimity is the Strength of Society,""
! The reverse side has a triangular pyra-
mid formed of fifteen shining stars united
| by rings; the initials of State inscribed
on each star. The one at the top has
''K,'' for Kentucky. The legend is 'E
| Pluribus Unumn The borders are hand
somely milled. The size is Is to 90
| 1--WE reckon in sixteenths of an inch),
all the edges are milled; some
are plain; some are lettered Pay
| able in Lancaster. London, or Bris-
| tol," payable at Bedworth' etc. In
those days such things passed for money
in the scarcity of coins. So have we
seen at the time of the great panic
in 1886 to 1910, and again at the break
ing out of the civil war, an almost IN
Vulnerable emission of copper tokens
from business houses, bar-rooms, bar
Der shops, etc., etc.
One of the '.Myddeton takens' of 1896
is in silver. On the diverse is Hope,
with her anchor, presenting two chill
| dren to another female, who accepts
the charge by holding out her right
hand toward them. In her left hand is
the Phrygian cap resting on the vudri
liberty staff. Before her is an olive
branch and wreath. and a cornucopia is
in the rear. The legend is British
Settlement, Kentucky In the exergue,
or at the bottom, is 1896.
The reverse side presents Britannia
seated disconsolate facing to the left.
Her head is bowed. In her right hand
is an inverted spear, the head pene-
trating the ground in front as she
bears heavily upon it. On her right,
on the ground, is the fasces or Roman
bundle of rods, and near it the liberty
cap. The scales of justice are under
her left foot. The sword of Justice
lies there with its blade broken.
Her left arm is supported by
large shield bearing English crosses.
The legend is Payable by P. P. P.
Middleton" The border is milled, the
edges plain, the size is 10; weight 1926
grains. viz: OF silver, 10; copper, III.
The first coinage made by authority
of the United States was of copper.
They are called Fugios by dealers, and
bear the date of 1887. They are very
numerous, few collectors but that have
one more. They are sold from Is to so
cents. Of this money $40 tons were
struck under one contract with James
Jarvis. Jarvis coined them successfully
at New Haven, Conn, New York, Ru-
pert, Vt, and other places where cop
per could be had on the best terms.
There are p varieties.
On the diverse side are Is rings linked
in uniform order, and making a circular
chain. Around the center (within the
rings) is Omitted States; We Are One
The reverse side is a sun-dial, above
which is t . radiant sun. On the left is
'.Fugio" ca fly, on the right '17S7.'
Below is ''Mind Your Business" The
border is milled; the edge plain; size II
to Is; weight 126 to 178 grains.
Robert Morris, in LOUISVILLE Courier
Journal.