Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-25
TIE MOULDs OF 1857.

Ian Are Broken at che National Mint.
Philadelphia Press.
A little roll of metal red with fire was
Es,ced upon the anvil, q sledge hammer
In twice upon it, three tiny sparks shot
ftto the air, and the moulds of the old
bars double-eagle gold coins and all the
Emptiness and misery they brought to
<se0ple in whose hands they fell was wiped
Ent forever. 1t was a theusandth part OF
a work that lasted Gil day at the mint yes
Eprday, the destroying OF the 1887 dies.
Il This is q novel form OF destruction that
Hlls to the lot of the making
blacksmiths at the end OF
zach calendar year, and it is the only sure
nav of preventing the willy counterfeiter
nom Masking spurious coin without re-
ksrd to date. The dies of the mint are
lie stamps that imprint upon the coins
81 that fancy business that, when rubbed
IA by time, gives the street Car conductor
B chance to insult the holder by refusing
a accept it. For instance, it stamps on
De dollar the face Of the beautiful lady
knciTclcu by stars, and makes a strong
Contrast on the other side by printing q
&aWe-lOOhluS SoBicb pcISASO Oh oAASUSs
Hnder " In God we trust"
1 The die is little round chunk of steel
EbOut three inches long, sloping of at the
yDp, which makes it look like miniature
fkilkman's can without handlea. On the
<pp of it Is cut the face of the COIN 1t
hsnufGcturest with the date Of the year,
Ind something to think about when you
BOX at them is that the die Of q penny
costs the government no less than the die
Ets. makes precious the $50 gold piece.
lie conclusion that Uncle Sam, then,
hight sell his 500 gold pieces cheaper is
1iuman and Hnarchistic, but does not fol-
kW.
1t was Q O'Clock yesterday morning
Hhen Coiner Steel OF the Mint signed the
Eesth warrant of the old years dies. 1t
Izeant the destruction of 1000 of l867's
money makers. Every stamp from
Hbuble eagles to dollars in gold, from
dollars TO l0-cent pieces in silver, the
ives in nickel, and theIpennies in copper,
|hat bore the date of the year they tried 10
Egve back the rebel fi4gs and had big
constitutional centennial, were doomed.
Il The four brawnY blecksmiths of the
mint were the executioners, their anvils
he scsffold, their sic dyes the instru-
|Rents OF death, and Superintendent Fox,
ASsayer Eckfeld and Press reporter the
Dry. The place Of execution was The
ROomy shop in the basement, weirdly Lit
~ hungry delight. AT .: SO O'Clock the
les were taken from their cells up stairs,
nd conveyed thither in black cofllu-like
(Rns. Coined gold jingled on all sides
n the procession passed What regret
EasG gold for the steel that gave 1t power
q ruin souls? So the dies OF 'S7 passed
q their fste unwept.
The smithy's fire Was roaring hot, and
kye the cold face Of Columbia in steel a
Eellow touch of psthOs. The little coin
Gs Of big money were first sacrificed.
[zhe dies Of gold were flung by handfuls
Mo the flames. There they lay until the
Feel grew red, and the fSce Of Columbia
Hushed crimson. They were not taken
nt by hand, but with iron tongs and
Esced right end upward on the anVils.
Rhen the smithy raised his sledge ham-
Her sloft, snd struck each one full in the
Zee. a shower OF sparks, SMASHED
Euud, and the agony WAS over. The
Rg Of the steel had gone, the face van
ned like magic, and the die OF the past
hS but crushed, unshspely metals
Va like manner disappeared the dies
z 4 make the cost of theater sest. the
Est Of S nights lodging and the price Of
oyster stew, until almost evening
eeen the dies of the pennies were
tched. The copper heaps melted in
ei upstslrs, for the pennies is the poor
p'S friend.
iPhiladelphia's mint makes alI the dies
in the other minis and destroys
Sill" said Coiner Steel. "I wish
s happy New Year. What do you
Z" said the usher, as the reporter
the scene. 81 WISH" he replied,
they would work the new dies
er this year"