Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-03-30
OLD AND CURIOUS COINS.
PIECES or SCARCE KINDS OF MONEY
AND THEIR FANCY PRlCEA

10y o""s vi Liberty III Dlnerent fOs1-
tions-Coins from American MINIS That
Are More Priced Than Those That Were
Current In the Days of the Caesars.
craze which of late years has greatly
developed and at this time shows no
sign of falling off, is that of collecting
rare coins. Chicago leads all western
cities in the number of it's n~umisnatists
and boasts some fine collections. 1t
might be supposed that the demand
would be principally for coins Of great
antiquity, but this is not the case. The
chief inquiry is for sets of American
coins, and some numbers are so rare as
TO readily command fancy prices. In
certain years some descriptions of coins
were not minted at all, while in other
cases few copies were issued. Other
COINS are valued because of some error
or cccentricity in the die; in fact, n
variation from the ordinary types, if in
good condition, will bring more than it's
face value.
ODD SIZES n DATES.
Of the silver dollars, nearly all the
earlier issues are In demand at a slight
premium, and that o. 1904, in which the
goddess of liberty is depicted with flow
ing hair, is worth $40. As for the dollar
of 1904, Of which few are known, n
| copy in good condition will bring 5000.
The flying eagle of 1888 and 1889, and
the coins of 1851, 1862 and 1853, with the
liberty loving lady seated, are worth at
least Sl5 each. The one time despised
trade dollars, issued 1879 to 1888 in
elusive, are at a premium Of 10 cents
each. Of half dollars, those Of 1890 and
1877, with fifteen or sixteen stars, bring
@l5 each. Others of value are dated
1894, 1901 and 1902, and there are many
more, such as 1885 with q liberty cap,
1888 with an 80" mark under the head,
and a coin of 1853 with liberty seated,
which are worth from 50 to s. each.
The scarce quarters are those of 1923
and 1927, with the head to the left, each
valued at Sl5, while the 1896 fillet head
is to be had for So and that of 1904 for
81. Twenty cent silver pieces of 1870
bring 80 cents; those Of the succeeding
| year are cheap at $3.50. The dimes Of
the grandfathers are mostly worth from
five to twenty times their face value,
while half dimes in silver bring from 90
cents 10 50 each, and q special brand of
the vintage of 1902 will command sos.
Silver three cent pieces mn from 90 to
so cents; nickel fves Is to 80 cents each,
and nickel threes - to %.
COPPER LEADS COLI.
There is a great demand for old copper
cents, the first ambition of every col
lector being to start even with the pro-
cession in 1893 or 80 and bring 1t down
to date with a coin for each year. 1t
will cost him from 81 to 50 for the vari-
GUS kinds issued in 1893, SO for 1909, and
s.. so for 1904 With the exception of a
| cent Of 1909 with the head to the left the
rest are reasonable in price. Half cents
are in demand. and readily command
from ST TO So for those Of certain years
between 1881 and lS49. But in these it
must not be understood that those of ell
years are equally in request. Those is
sued lS40-48 inclusive, with the head to
the left, average about IS each. Wash
ington medals, old fashioned cents, and
the copper issues OF New York, Vermont,
Massachusetts, and New Jersey bring,
provided they have the necessary ear
marks, sums ranging from 81 TO $40.
There is not much call for gold coins,
but trial pieces are valuable, and good
proofs Of double eagles of some years,
as 1853 and 1856, bring a small premium.
Scarce half eagles are those of 1915 and
1922, and worth full $50 each. On other
dates from 1895 to 1884 some 90 to 80 per
cent premium is paid. Three dollar
gold pieces of 1875 and 1876, with the
figure Of an Indian princess, bring SO
and S., respectively. Quarter eagles Of
early dates run from So up to 50, and
there are many gold dollars for which a
slight advance on their face value must
be paid.
Intending collectors need not distress
themselves in looking for dollars Of the
years 1S05-35, inclusive, for Uncle Sam
was either short of metal or otherwise
busy those thirty years and none were
coined. There were no cents rushed on
the market in 1915, and no eagles from
1905 to 1887, inclusive. The Confederate
States made q die for a silver dollar and
struck off a few, but ran out Of silver.
An authentic coin Of that issue would
bring 81 900. AS a contrast to this it
may be noted that you a get a penny
Of the Caesars for 90 cents Chicago
Tribune.
A Shrewd Dog.