Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-16
OLD AND CURIOUS COINS.
PIECES or SCARCE KINDS OF MONEY
AND THEIR FANCY PRICES.

Tho Goddess Of Liberty In Different Posi-
tioas-Coins from American Mints That
Are More rrissd Than Those That wers
Current In the Days Of tho C~sars.
A craze which of late years has greatly
developed and at this time shows no
sign Of falling of, is that Of collecting
rare coins. Chicago leads all western
cities in tho number Of its numismatists
and boasts somo fine collections. II
might 10 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
wcro not minted at all, while In other
cases few copies were issued. Other
coins arc valued because of some error
or cccentricity In tho die; in fact, any
variation from the ordinary types, IL in
good condition, will bring more than its
face value.
/ ODD SIZES AND DATES.
| or tho silver dollars, nearly all the
earlier issues are in demand at a slight
premium, and that Of 1904, In which tho
goddess Of liberty is depicted with how-
ing hair, is worth SEQ. As for the dollar
of 1904, Of which few are known, any
copy In good condition will bring 5000.
The flying eagle Of 1888 and 1880, and
the coins Of 1851, 1859 and 1868, with the
liberty loving lady seated, are worth at
least SIS each. Tho one time despised
trade dollars, issued 1879 to 1888 in
elusive, are at premium Of 10 cents
each. OF half dollars, those of 1108 and
1877, with fifteen or sixteen stars, bring
s15 each. Others Of value are dated
170i, 1901 and 1902, and there are many
more, such as 1880 with o liberty cap,
1888 with an 30" mark under the head,
and q coin Of 1863 with liberty seated,
which are worth from 50 to IS each.
Tho scarce quarters arc those Of 1898
and 1927, with the head to the left, each
valued ut SIS, while the 1900 file. head
il to be had for e2 and that Of 1904 for
81. Twenty cent silver pieces of 1870
bring 90 cents those Of tho succeeding
year are cheap ut $3.50. The dimes Of
the grapdfathers are mostly worth from
five to twenty times their face value,
while half dimes In silver bring from 80
cents to - each, and q special brand of
the vintage Of 1909 will command $o5.
Silver three cent pieces run from 90 70
90 cents; nickel flves Is to 30 cents each,
and nickel threcs 10 to 25. :,
COppEU TEA no nnvn
There is great demand for old copper
cents, the first ambition Of every col
lector being TO start even with the pro-
cession In 1893 or 30 and bring II down
to dato with coin for each year. It
will cost him from 81 to % for the vari-
GUS kinds issued In 1903, 50 for 1900, and
$3.50 for 1904. With tho exception Of a
cent Of 1900 with the head TO the left the
rest are reasonable In price. Half cents
are Inn demand. and readily command
from "a to 80 for those Of certain years
between 1881 and 1S40. But In these It
must not be understood that those of all
years arc equally In request. Those Is
sued 18l0-4S inclusive, with tho head 10
tho left, average about $5 each. WASH
iington 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 so.
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 1866. bring small premium.
Scarce half eagles are those of 1915 and
1929, and worth full SEQ each. On other
dates from 1895 to 1894 some 20 to 80 per
cent. premium Is paid. Three dollar
gold pieces Of 1876 and 1870, with the
figure of an Indian princess, bring 50
and S5, respectively. Quarter eagles OF
early dates run from S3 up TO 50, and
there arc 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 tho
years 1605-85, 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
tho market In 1916, and no eagles from
1905 to 1887, inclusive. The Confederate
States made die for silver dollar and
struck of few, but ran out Of silver.
An authentic coin Of that issue would
bring 81 900. As q contrast to this IL
may DO noted that you can get penny
OF the Caesars for 20 cents. s.-Chicago
Tribune.