Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-04-28

An individual who boards pieces OF
money for their intrinsic value is a
mlser, bat he who collects coins with
the object of becoming acquainted with
their history and of distinguishing their
artistic value is a numismatist.
A decided advantage of coin collect
ing is that. while the subject is mex
haustibie in its vastness and the Old
est connoisseur has yet much to learn
"a child may commence the pursuit,
and reach, as far as his researches ex-
tend, relative perfection of knowl-
edge. A boy possesses half dozen
coppers, and knows all about them; so
far he is an adept. Show this future
numismatist cent discovered by your
workman behind mantel in the old
homestead, which is being demolished
to make room for a Queen Anne cot
tage. After short but careful in
spection, he exclaims: "This is an
American cent; it was struck at the
Philadelphia mint in 1893. The female
head with flowing hair typifies liberty;
the chain of thirteen links on the re-
verse side represents the union of the
thirteen colonies" The boys eyes
fairly glisten with unconcealed covet-
BUSINESS, for this is o coin that has
been long desired by him, and that
can rarely be found in such perfect
condition. One would almost imagine
it had been purposely kept without
blemish to delight the heart of our
young friend. If you, the finder, do
not then and there request his accep-
lance of the piece for his little collec-
ton, but put it back into your pocket
to be n;ckedworn smooth, and per-
haps eventually lost, you are indeed
made of unappreciative and unsym-
feature in coin collecting is that while
many objects, such as books, bronzes,
ceramics, minerals, etc, take up entire
cases, ii not sometimes whole apart
ments, for their exhib t, and are per-
ishable or cas- lv damaged, coins en-
dure like indestructible monuments,
and can find place i'm compare
lively small space.
A genuine collector is born, not
made. yet suitable opportunities for
gathering have much to do with the
development of the coin-collector
taste. Jn this respect the young Amer
lean does not enjoy the local facilities
of his European fellow. On the other
side of the Atlantic among the ruins
OF ancient cities, in medi oval cloisters,
churches, and cd edifces-are fire.
queatly found important boards of
coirs almost always of great interest
anil value. In the new world, coin
finds are of rare occurrence, and are
notable events in numismatic circles.
The Nicholas hoard of bright red and
unc.rculated cents of the years 1896
and 1891 has furnished to American
cabinets nearly all the really fine spec
linens of those dates, and o discovery
of old dollars and half dollars, boarded
years ago by religious society of
Pennsylvania, has given a good and
plentiful supply OF certain dates that
were formerly deemed very rare. The
co onial coinages were not particularly
extensive, being limited to Massachu-
sets, Vermont. Connecticut, New
York, and New Jersey, but the regular
Federal or United States coinage that
began In 1893 still offers abundant
sources of supply.
Every beginner at coin collecting
should first become thoroughly famil-
lar with the coins of the United States,
their dates of issue, denomination,
weight, tineness, and types. Next to
these, the colonial series should engage
his attention. and in these two depart
ments he will find sufficient material
from which to form an interesting cab
met.
In making a collection of United
States coins particular stress must be
laid upon the fact that it is neither
necessary nor even advantageous to
possess all the dates of given denom-
nation, but simply the various types.
Take the dollars, for instance. One
type, called flowing hair" was struck
in 1891 and 49,; another, called
"draped bust, with small eagle on
the reverse, from 1895 to 179,; an
other "draped bust" hera!dic eagle,
from 1913 to 1904. Flying eagle" dol
lars were struck in 1886, 1888, and
1889; and from 1910 to 1873, Liberty
seated and eagle" is the unvarying
type. Thus there are Tor this period
i've types of dollars. which can be rep
resented Ly five specimens, costing, if
selected from the more common dates,
but in fine condition, not oyer twenty