The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-11-03

(wlth fifteen stars and also with sixteen
starS), 1903 and 1905 are worth $3.50
each, and those of 1901 and 1916 are
almost equally uncommon. Pattern sill
yer coins fetch, of Course, fancy prices.
The six pattern coins, for example,
from which the American "trade dol
lar /" was finally evolved are worth at
leat $40. The pattern gold double
eagle of 1S49 is very cheap at SIoo,
and the balf-eagle of 1915, of which
365 specimens only were mlnted, is
worth $50.
The earliest coinage that can be
called American was ordered by the
Virginia Company, and was minted IN
| the Bermudas In 1912. But then and
long afterwards the standard cur
rency Of Virginia was tobacco. In
1916, however, the Virginia Assembly,
after reCiting that 1t "had maturely
| weighed and considered how advanta
geous quoine would be to this colony,
| and the great wants and miseries which
do daily happen unto 1t by the sole
| dependency upon tobacco" provided
for the issue OF copper coins of the
denominations OF twopence, threepence,
sixpence and nlnepence. But the law
bore no fruit. Seven years later, in
May, 1862, the General Court of Mas
sachusetts passed an order which created
a "mint howse" at Boston, and which
directed the coinage of "I2 pence, 6
pence, and 3 pence peeces, which shall
be for forme hatt, and stamped on the
one side with n. Z. and on the other
side with XIId., VId. and Hid, ac-
cording to the value of each peece."
This mint produced the "oak-tree shi-
lings" and the "pine-tree shillings,"
which are now worth from s. to s.
and it continued its operations for
thirty-four years. During the reign of
William and Mary copper coins were
struck in England for Carolina and New
England aid for Maryland Lord Bal
timore caused silver shillings, sixpences
and fourpences 10 be coined in Lon
don.
In 1855 Connecticut and Vermont
established mints of their own for the
striking of copper colns-none of which
are, however of great scarcity and
New Jersey followed in 1886. The
rarest pieces of date previous to 1898
are (witn the exception of the oak-tree
and pine tree shilIings) the New York
Excelsior" cent OF 1857, worth s.,
and Chalmers's Annapolis shilling OF
17S3-worth perhaps S.. 50 ii in fine
state though these prices are much
lower than what are generally exacted
by dealers. The "Fugios," or "sundial
cents" which have already been al
luded to as having been struck by Jas.
Jarvis, bore devices which have been
copied from earlier State coins. The |
device on one side was ordered to con-
sist of thirteen circles linked together,
with the words Omitted States" around |
it and and the words we are One.'
On the other side, dial with the hours
expressed on the face of it, meridian
sun above, on one side of which is to
be the word 'Fugio,' one the other the
year in figures, and below the dial the |
words Mind Your Business" All |
Jarvis's coins bear the date 1857; but
none of them were actually coined be-
fore the goth of September, 1888; and
it is known that he had not finished his
contract in 1890. 1t should be added
that within each of the thirteen links
that appear upon these curious coins
is the name OF one of the original States
of the Union.
The original mint, in Seventh street,
Philadelphia, was removed in 1891 to
more commodious premises in Chest
nut street, where it still is. Until 1885
this was the only mint in the United
States, but in that year branches were
established at New Orleans, Charlotte,
N. c., and Dahlonega, Ga, and in
1854 another branch was opened III
San Francisco, and the coinage of each
is denoted by an initial letter which ap-
pears upon the face of the coin. Phil
adelphia, as the parent mint, uses no
initial.