The Brookhaven leader., 1886-03-25
THE KENTUCKY CENT.
Description Of Coin Which VIII Interest
All Americans.


cerning the Kentucky cent, which, in
deed, is not coin in the genuine sense
of the term, but token or medallet. II
has been spoken of as if struck in Ken
tucky, and for purposes of currency,
and so rare as to De held at great prices.
etc. The truth concerning this speci-
men is very simple. 1t is termed THE
Kentucky Token or "Ketucky Trian-
ANGLE" because of the letter "K'' at the
apex of star, representing the word
"kentuckv." 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
shous for use in America. They also
bear the names Pyramid Token" and
"Myddeton Token" They are quoted
anywhere from 7j cents to Sl.7j, 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, a woeful deficiency of specie,
|
a serious obstacle to business. 1t threw
the people upon the oldest fashion, viz. {:
| barter, which is the most iniquitous OF
all methods. Connecticut issued cop
per coins in eight type Cor pattcrns) in
| 1875 to 1873. Massachusetts, followed
with eight type. cents and half-cents, at
| about the same period. New Jersey did
the same, stamping 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. presented in proper
quantities. In 1888 a 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-
thorizcd an issue stamped Nora ConSte'-
| ldtiO, and i'll 1884 our present decimal
system (thc 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
I0tnl1ute CoiqnijidS, 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 wears later we find the Kentucky
| piece. The diverse (front side) shows
Il hand grasping a sword. with the in
scriplions; Our Cause is just and
"Unanimity is the Strength OF Society
The reverse side has triangular pyra-
mid formed of fifteen shining stars united
| by rings; the initials of a State inscribed
| on each star. The one ut the top has
"K. for Kentucky. The legend is az
| Pluriba> Unum." The borders are hand
Somclv milled. The size is IL to 20
| 1--WE reckon in siXtecnths of an inch),
and the weight l55 to 1872 grains. Not
| all the edges are milled; some
| are plain; some are lettered PAY
able in Lancaster. London, or Bris-
toll" Payable at Bedworth.n 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 vudr
| Ciberty statfO. Before her is an olive
branch and wreath. and 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-
tratng 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
| Her left arm is supported by
a large shield bearing English crosses.
The legend is Payable by ?. P. p.
| MNuuetOn. ne DOFucr Is mlllcu, lIFI
edges plain, the size is Is; weight 32j
grains. viz: of siver, 173; copper, 177.
The first coinage made by authority
of the United States was of copper.
They are called Fugios by dealers, and
bear the date of 1897. They are very
numerous, few collectors but that have
one more. They are sold from ID to 5C
cents. OF this money 345 tons were
struck under one contract with Jqme:
Jarvis. Jarvis coined them successful,
at New Haven, Conn, New York, Ru
pert, VT, and other places where cop
per could be had on the best terms
There are q varieties.
On the diverse side are IS rings linked
in uniform order, and making circular
chain. Around the center (within the
rings) is Limited States; We Are One. '
The reverse side is a sun-dial, above
which is the radiant sun. On the left j!
"Fugio" (.I fiy'O. on the right "l7S7. y
Below is ''Mind Your Business. The
border is milled; the edge plain; size Il
to Is; weight 126 to 178 grains.-Dr
Robert Norris, IN Louisville Courier
Journal.
"a Colonel who gave his nam'
as Nelson has been doing numbers o
ruralists in parts of the South out o
five or ten dollars each, by representing
himself as agent of the American ant
European Seeret-Service Association.