Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-07
,laA1 WEIGHT COINS.
An Ancient saw which Prevents l"ess
from Being Redeemed

An Ancient saw Nh'"
from Being Redeemed.
When is five dollars not five dol
,arsp, was the conundrum hurled at
the head of a reporter by Edwin L.
Abbett He is well-known attorney,
.,ctive in poljtcs, and the brother OF ex-
Governor Leon Albeit. oil New Jersey.
When the reporter had confessed that
he was IGNORANT enough to believe that
five dollars was always five dollars, he
r,nl;ed: "Not if it is light weight.
Let me tell you story OF my cx-
ncrieuce with five dollar gold piece.
Mind YOU. it was gold piece-the coin
# the realm. 1t had been given me
hy n elinnt. with a number OF other
pieces and some paper money. don't
kuow at what bank he procured 1t, but
,.now that he went to some bank to
oct the cash for me, and returned with
this piece among others. The banks
nav them out, but they don't take
them in when they know it, as found
ant later. There is n restaurant near
nv place of business where l have
title business transactions occasional
~ with the proprietor or the man be-
lind the counter During the day
ibis five dollar gold piece went over
the counter. The handsome young
man with the white apron balanced it
in his palm for miEute and then
handed it back, saying: It's light
weight sir. we can'tpass them l was
staggered. thought a five dollar gold
piece was good for something for its
intrinsic value at least But after
satisfying myself that it was light
weight put it back into my pocket
and d nd the bill out of other funds. 1t
occurred to me that ought to test the
passinr qualities of the cola Mt least
once more, so l tried 1t Mt the
cigar store on my way up Broad
way. 1t was no go. Then | sailed
into the Park National Bank. l told
the cashier frankly that | understood
tho coin to be light weight, and asked
him to give me its value. we cant
do any thing with it, said he. But ne
suggested that | might be- relieved at
the sub-Treasury by this time l was
somewhat mad, and l determined to
follow that fve-dollar gold piece to
some kind vi q resting-place if it took
all day. At the Treasury there was
less encouragement than any place !
had yet entered. They said they could
not exchange it or redeem 1t or do any
hing with it. THIS struck me rs II
strange condition of tn ngs. As went
along Nassau street in brown study
my eye happened to light OH the sign
of an office on John street. There is
an announcement there that old gold
will be bought. walked in and held
out the coin. Its short weight WAS
all said so sce.' said the man in
attendance, as he held it in his hand.
What can you do with it?' asked.
Melt it. was his reply. He gave me
$40 for it, the value OF the gold. Gu
riositv possessed me to know what
would be done with it. He said the
gold would be used for manufacturing
purposes. Then it struck me that there
is somewhere on the statute books All
irOn-clad law that no United States
coin shall be melted up for manufact-
uring purposes under heavy penalties.
looked the law up. There it is an
Did law, very old, but believe still in
force. If | am correct about it, dc
you see the situation? The Govern
ment issues a gold coin. 1t says il
shall be of such Il weight. but it mus
necessarily get worn and abraded il
constant circulation. Then it SAYS il
shall not be redeemable in any way
shall become worthless in circulation
because 1t is not redeemable, and We
shall not re converted into any thin G
aise. My gold piece bore date of 1847
!, | think on the whole prefer green
backs to coin, especially short-weigh
coin. ~ y Tribune.