The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1888-10-27
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT COINS.
Some That Are Worth Thousand Times
Their Face Value.

One of the most puzzling things to COL
Iectors of coins is the great rarity of
many specimens of the coinage of the
United States, in spite of the fact that
none of these pieces are yet 100 years old.
There are bushels of English coins of
every sovereign from William the Con-
queror down that are more common than
certain American issues of the present
century. Several of the colonial and
state coins which were minted be-
tween 1912 and 1887 are scarce but not so
scarce as numerous later emissions. In
1877 an act was passed empowering one
James Jarvis to mint 300 tons of copper
coin of the federal standard, and no few
er than fifty-one different varieties of his
''Fugios" or 'sun dial cents" as they are
called, are recognized by collectors.
These, however, are comparatively COM
mon. 1t is some of the issues of the
United States mint proper that are now
so eagerly sought after.
The act which established the first
United States mint was passed on March
8, 1871. The corner stone of the building
was laid in a plot of ground in Seventh
street, Philadelphia, in July, 1892, and
work began late in the same year under
David Rittenhouse, whom Washington
had appointed director. 1t is recorded
that the first purchase of metal for coin
age consisted of six pound of old copper.
Only few pattern cents of 1872 are In
existence and these are rarely to be met
with. The first cents struck for circula-
ton bear the date 1888 They ara of six
varieties, and if in good condition,
range in present value from $3.50 to So
%, though English dealers often quote
the least rare of them at S25. Far more
scarce is the cent of 1893. In fine state
it is cheap at $2j. 1t is the rarest of the
cents. The cent of 1904 is worth So, and
the nickel cent of 1856, with flying eagle,
is worth $3.50. OF half cents the rarest
is that of 1876: it is easily salable for S12.-
80. The half-cents of 1881, 1886, 1910 te
1848 inclusive, 1S49 with date in small
figures) and 1852 are each worth about
81, if in good condition.
Of silver coins the scarcest is the dol
lar of 1904. Fortunate is the collector
who can buy it in fine condition for $1,000
A very Indifferent specimen was lately
sold in Chicago for $500. No other dol
lars are worth more than about 81!
apiece, the best being those of 1888, 1889
1851, 1852 and 1853. These vary in price
according to their state, from $40 to S25
The half-dollar that, with one exception
is the rarest, bears sixteen stars and i
dated 1876. 1t is well worth S25 if un
worn. Close behind it comes the fifteen
star half-dollar of the same year. 1t j:
considered cheap at $50, and the SAM
may be said of the ffteen-star dollar o
1897. Next to these in rarity is half
dollar of 1888, with an 80" marked be
meath the head. 1t is worth 1915. Th,
scarcity of some of these silver pieces ii
quite inexplicable. OF the dollar of 180
1850 examples were coined, Yet onl
about eight copies are now known t.
exist. The half dollar of 1904 is ais
rare-so much SO, indeed, that dealer
seldom make any quotation of its marke
price: yet 106,519 specimens were struck
The rarest quarter-dollar-tha of 1928
is worth SIS, or more in very fine condi
ton, and good quarter-dollar of 1872
ter of 1853, 'without the arrows"
its state, and that of l786, with fillet,
is cheap at 1915. None of the 2Oc piece
are very difficult to procure, but severa
of the dimes are seldom met with. Tha
of 1904, if only fairly good, is worth
$3.50, that of 1902 $3.50 and that of 1872
$1.25. Many of the half dimes are fa
more valuable. A fine specimen, date,
1902, has been sold by auction for $40;
very Indifferent example fetches $40
The half-dime of 1884 is worth So, tn
dimes of 1877 with fifteen stars and ais,
with sixteen stars), 1903 and 1905 ar
worth $3.50 each, and those of 1901 anI
1916 are almost equally uncommon. Pat
tern silver coins fetch, of course, fame,
prices. The six pattern coins, for ex
ample, from which the American "tradt
dollar" was finally evolved, are worth n
least $40. The pattern gold double eagl,
of 1849 is very cheap at 800, and thu
half eagle of 1916, of which 365 specimens
only were minted, is worth $50.
The earliest coinage that can be calleC
American was ordered by the Virgini;
company, and was minted in the Bermu-
daS in 1912. But then and for long after
wards the standard currency of Virgins
was tobacco. In 1915, however, the Vir
ginia assembly, after reciting that il
chad maturely weighed and considered
how advantageous quoine would be tC
this colony, and the great wants anG
miseries which do daily happen unto il
by the sole dependency upon tobacco,
provided for the issue of copper coins OF
the denominations of I'd, Sd, Cd and Cd
But the law bore no fruit. Seven years
later, in May, 1862, the general court OF
Massachusetts passed an order which
created mint howse" at Boston, anC
which directed the coinage of "l2 pence
6 pence and 3 pence peeces, which shal
be for forme flatt, and stamped on the
one side with N. E., and on the Other
side with Kid, VId and lid, according
to the value of each peece." This mint
produced the "oak-tree shillings" and the
''pine-tree shillings,' which are nov
worth from So to 81, and it continued its
operations for thirty-four years. Dur
ing the reign of William and Mary
copper coins were struck in England fol
Carolina and New England: and fol
Maryland Lord Baltimore caused silver
shillings, G pences and pences to be
coined in London.
In 1875 Connecticut and Vermont es
tablished mints of their own for thf
striking of copper coins-none of which
are, however, of great scarcity; and New
Jersey followed in 1876. The rarest
pieces of date previous to 1898 art
with the exception of the oak-tree and
pine-tree shillings) the New York Sex
celsior" cent of 1887, worth So, and
Chalmers Annapolis shilling of 1873