, 1886-01-17
COLONIAL COINAGE.
FREE AND EASY OLD TIME MINTs
OF OUR COUNTRY.
The Earliest Coin Struck for America
A srversmith's shillings and Six
penees-Massaohusetts' Mint-Mr.
Jenerson's Representation.

The very earliest coin struck for
America WINS a brass shilling, for the Ber-
mudh or Summer islands, in 1912. On the
diverse sid was a bow and the legend,
"Summer Island" with the vnlua,
XII. On the reverse was a ship,
under sail firing a gun. In 1852,
Massachusetts coined the Pine Tree
shilling. John Hull WINS mini master and
the mint stood on his land in Boston The
pieces struck were mere planchets, stamped
on one side N. e, and on the other with the
value, Kid, VId, lid. October 10, 1852,
just 2S3 years ago, the Pine Tree money was
coined. On the diverse was a pine tree, in
closed by a double ring with the legend,
"Massachuseets I'M" and on the reverse a
double ring and New England, An. Dom"
with the date in figures and the denomina-
ton occupying the field within the inner
circle. Ten years later a twopenny piece
was added TO the list The coinage was dis
continued in 1886, but strangely it all bears
the date 1859 on the shillings, sixpences,
and threepences, while all the twopennies are
dated 1862.
Virginia in IT'S had a well-executed cop
per coinage.
In the reign Of George l n coinage was
issued for America by Great Britain. The
pieces were known as Rosa Americana
and were Of mixed metal resembling brass.
In 1888 a silversmith in Annapolis, Md,
began the manufacture Of shillings, six
pences and threepences. The shilling had on
the diverse two clasped hands and the
legend, 81. Chalmers, Annapolis" The field
on the reverse has in one part a serpent and
In another two birds holding a branch in
their beaks.
During the period of the confederation,
1T7S-17S7, the power TO coin money was
vested not only in the federal congress, but
in the several states. Many Of them took
advantage OF it to issue copper coins. In
June, 17S5, Vermont gave to Reuben Har-
mon the right to make copper money for
that state for two years. He started a mint
at Rupert and made cents that bore an all
seeing eye and the legend, "Vcrmont ensium
Repubica.n
In 1876 Connecticut granted TO Hopkins,
Hillhouse & Goodrich the right 10 coin e10,-
900 of copper cents and on this appeared a
female figure, with a staff and olive branch,
which, modified, appeared on later silver
coins after the adoption OF the constitution.
New Jersey granted the right to coin to
Mould, Goodsby & Cox. The firm quarreled,
and two of them started another mint, so
that two were run, and between them pro
duced 10000 in copper cents, These coins
bore n horses head and n pillow.
Oct. II, 17s6, Massachusetts, ordered the
establishment OF a mint to coin gold, silver
and copper, and Joshua Witheral was
authorized to provide the necessary facilities.
No gold or silver was issued, however. The
copper cents and half cents produced bore
the first image Of tho eagle grasping a bunch
of arrows.
In 1854 Mr.. Jefferson made a report to the
ConUraaa uvbfcb Awal tho Aa,tp,o1 gr-efar, onI
provided for the issue by the federal govern
ment of four coins-viz; a gold piece Of $40
value, a silver dollar, a dime, or tenth of a
dollar, silver, and a hundredth OF a dollar in
copper. The contract for copper coinage
was let to Mr.. Jarvis, TO make 800 tons of
the same. This copper cent bore the words,
mind Your Business" which gave it tho
name Of the Franklin cent These words
were not authorized by law.
The first deposit Of gold bullion for coinage
at the United States mint was on Feb. 12,
1885. 1t was made by Moses Brown, a Bos-
ton merchant, and amounted to $2,276.2 %.
The first gold coins made were IA half
eagles, July 81, 1T95. The first delivery of
eagles Of 400 pieces, on the 22d Of the follow
ing September. The first coinage of quarter
eagles was delivered In 1876.
The first deposit OF silver bullion was July
10, lfSii male Dy the BANK OF Maryland and
consisted Of French coins, amounting to $780,
715.05. The first silver coins were delivered
Oct. 10 of that year, consisting of l ,75s dol
lars. There was a small coinage of half
dimes. In 1876 the dime and quarter dollar
were added to the silver coinage. The half
dollar appeared in 1907.
The coinage Of the silver dollar was sus-
pended till 1904 and was not resumed until
1886. In 1851, the 3 cent piece wns added
TO the coinage. This, with the various nickel
coins, completes the list OF coins issued by
the federal mints. The shilling and 81 cent
pieces were never coined by the United
States. A great many experimental pieces
have been issued that were not Of the au-
thorized coinage Tho shillings and six
pences coined by the states were long in cir
c~ulation, but we have not seen one current
for more than thirty years--San Francisco
Alta.