The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-05
EARLY AMERICAN COINS.
WHAT THE FIRST SETTLERS DID
FOR MONEY.

"Pine Tree" and coax Tree" ShIllings.
First Money Coined on the American
Continent and in the Colonies Proper.
Maryland's Lord Baltimore" Coins.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The first metallic money of the North
American continent was coined on Somers'
Island, one of the Bermudas, named after
Sir George Somers, who was cast away
upon it in 1909 In 1919 colony, headed
by Capt. John More, fitted out by the
Virginia company, was sent to the island.
There the endeavor was made to establish
currency. In the memoirs of the famous
Capt. John Smith the following is found
relating to it: Besides meat, drink and
clothes, they had for a TYNE a certain kind
OF brasse money. with hogge on one side,
which was in memory of YER
great abundance Of hogges found at
their first landing" But one coin was
made. 1t was of the most primitive
make, being mere plauohette of copper
set on die and hammered with Inallet.
Its Nominal value was about II pence, in
| ferable from the mineral XII, stamped over
the device, made undoubtedly to correspond
to the English shilling. of which several
specimens must have been in possession of
| the colony. There is but one specimen ex-
tant In England of this most rare COIN"
In the group of settlements called the
| American colonies no metallic money was
coined until 1852. Up to that time various
| articles passed current as money, some of
| them even more rude than the primitive
currency of the aborigines found in the
numerous tumuli left by the mound build
ers. Wampum, corn and pelts of fur
-. L. ck
measured by the yard and fathou Ia fathom
of wampum was shillings) were exchanged
in barter for food and other neoessaries and
in payment of taxes. the latter also being
paid in live stock. grain, fish and
poultry. In 1923 the colonists were
so pressed for small medium of
exchange that the general court of
Massachusetts met and passed the fol-
lowing: 1T is ordered that muskett balls Of
full boare shall passe currently for a
farthing piece, provided that noe man be
compelled to take over Kid att tyne OF
them" Some scattering coins brought from
the Old World, notably the ducatoon, the
Rip dollar and ryal of eight OF Holland, and
the doubioon OF Spain, passed current
among the colonists, but these were con-
stautly being drained by shipments of mer-
chandise from the mother country. In 1850
colonial thought began to take on a more
progressive form, and projects for the COIN
ing OF money began to be discussed. Mas
sachusetts took the lead, and in the early
part OF 1862 mint was established in the
city of Boston. Every person who took
bullion or coin TO the mint was at liberty
to remain, see the same melted and coined,
and receive receipt for it from the mint
master. These pioneer coins of America
we're known as the ''pine treen and ''oak
tree" coins, famous among numismatists.
The device on all was either pine or oak
tree, the legend, Massachusetts In" and
on the reverse side circle of dots, with the
year 1852, end under it the denomination in
numerals. The date 1859 was retained on
all coins minted till 1856. This Massachu-
setts mint was scarcely in operation before
objections were made by the home govern
ment that they were invading the preroga-
tive Of the king in coming money. In 1862
the king, Charles IL, was about to issue a
decree abolishing the mint when the trv ubie
was tided over by the following incident:
Sir Richard Temple, governor OF Nova
Scotia, warm friend of the colonies, was
on a visit, to London While there he
was granted an interview with the king,
: who evinced great warmth against the
colonists Gov. Temple defended the
colonists, and in course of conversation took
from his pocket some of the New England
coins. Upon observing the tree the king
asked what 1t was. The royal oak that
, saved your majesty's life,r was the prompt
reply of the governor, referring to the
, oak tree in the woods near Staffordsville, in
which King Charles had hidden ter his
! defeat by Cromwell. The king laughed
heartily at the happy wit of Sir Richard,
, called the New England coiners "honest
dogs" and made no further complaint This
extended the life of the Boston mint for
/, twenty years. till 1886, when it was abol-
ished by royal decree. After this Massa-
= chusetts resorted to paper currency, which
continued till the revolution, nearly q
, hundred years later.
In the colony of Connecticut history tells
OF NJ separate coinage until 1881, when a
very rare and interesting series OF coins
] were issued, being minted in the town Of