The Portland daily press., 1892-12-20
COMING SOUVENIRS.
How the Worlds Fair half Dollars Were
Struck OF with Few Poor Ones.

How the Worlds Fair Half Dollars Were
Struck OF with Few Poor Ones.
The preparations had been subject of
great anxiety and interest to Superintend-
ent Bosbyshell and his assistants at the
mint for some time past, and 10 o'clock
found all arrangements fully completed
in accordance with carefully prepared
plans. When the hour arrived Superin-
tendent Bosbyshell was summoned to the
pressroom by Chief Conner William S.
Steele, while Engraver Charles Harder,
who designed the famous coin; Chief
Clerk M HI. Cobb and others assembled
as witnesses.
They gathered around an improved
automatic, toggle jointed coming press
"a noiseless, powerful, highly polished
and wonderfully accurate machine
which excites the admiration of all visit
ors. Two dies, one bearing the impress
sion to be stamped upon the diverse face
and the other the reverse, and the only
pair in existence, were already in place.
Beside the press stood receptacle con-
tanning hundreds Of shining planchets--
blank silver pieces, polished and milled,
ready for stamping. No power was APP
piled to the machine for the first test.
Instead Foreman Albert Downing placed
one of the blank planchets in the receiver
and grasped the lever which raises the
lower die, while Edwin Cliff, his assist
ant, stood at the balance wheel. Then
came the critical moment. In another
second the blank coin which had been
prepared might be worth $4,000, or, if
imperfect, about thirty-fve cents.
The first attempt was failure. Just
little flaw in the planchet or perhaps a
little speck of dirt or grease smeared
upon it's face caused the coins rejection.
Cliff picked it carefully from the die, for
such coins are not allowed to drop into
the box beneath, lest they be marked by
the fall. To an ordinary observer it
might have appeared perfect, but the
coiner and designer examined it under a
glass. One glance was enough. A fatal
flaw was revealed, and the verdict which
consigned the prospective $40, 900 beauty
to the scrapbox was pronounced. A
hammer was at hand, and what might
have been the most famous coin in his
tory was battered into comparatively
worthless metal.
The next attempt was made more care
fully, for the reputation of the coiners
was at stake, and they had resolved that
the first souvenir of the exposition should
be marvel of perfection and beauty.
The planchet before being accepted was
examined under the microscope and
found without blemish. For the second
time the two workmen turned the press
by hand, while the spectators waited in
suspense. Again the coin was lifted
from the face of the steel die and crit
ically examined by Conner Steele, En-
graver HARDER and Superintendent Bos-
byshell. Every line was sharply de-
fined, and the strong features of the dis
coverer of America which adorned the
face of the coin seemed to look APPROX
ingly on the work. Columbus himself
could not have done better, and Uncle
SANS reputation as an artist was vindi-
Gated.
Cardboard boxes had been prepared
for the reception of the coins very much
like those in which pills are sold! No
finger touched the first of these SOU
venirs, but the pliers gently clutched it
by the rim and conveyed the $4,000
lump to the box, which was Immediately
sealed and handed to the Worlds fair
commissioner. Philadelphia Cor. Wash
ington Post. Il