The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-16
CENTS WORTH DOLLARS.
AND DOLLARS THAT ARE WORTH
MANY HUNDREDS.

0
and SIS Gold Piece Worth 5000.
If You Have Enough of Coins Like
These You Are Easily Rich.
From the NetC York Nelos.
! While the silver dollar Of to-day repre-
sents the sum of 100 cents in name only
and is in fact only about three-quarters OF
what its face claims as its value. old United
States dollars are away ahead Of the mar
ket.
At coin sale held here the other day,
silver dollars of 1875 go '97'9S- 1900 'O2-
'O3, none of them OF remarkable rarity, sold
for an average OF over 81 each. The 1894
dollar, which is a rarity, fetched S67 so; the
lS33-dollar S11, and the 1S39-dollar S29 25.
For an IS47-dollar 50 so, for an 1851 S36, for
an 1852 $50 and for one Of 1858 $40 so were
paid
These prices were mostly paid by dealers,
too, so that they really represent less than
the retail selling value Of the coins. At an
other sale S51 was paid for an 1851 dollar,
and $37 50 for an ordinary and badly
scratched dollar of 1894.
At still another sale an exceptionally fine
dollar of this date brought Sll0, one of 1895,
S26, and another OF the same date $3S. AT
this sale a dollar Of 1896 brought S6S; one
of 1888, S74, and one OF 1889, SS4.
According to the leading coin expert of
this country, Prof. Edward Frosssrd, the
advance in the value of old American dol
lars is healthy and natural. AT one recent
sale the professor purchased, for a single
collection, a set of them in fine state as fol-
lows:
Dollar, 1913, s21; 1874, S35; 1845, $50;
1916. $50; 1S47, 1921 30; 1913, $50; 1S49, SIS;
1850, S2l SO; 1851, SOL 1852, SO; 1858, Sl1;
1854, $l9; 1855, sl4 50; 1856, Sl9; 1857,
S35 SO.
These coins, it must be understood, were
not dis6gured or worn by circulation or be-
ing carried in the pocket, but were in a
fine, clear state, having been long kept in q
private collection. The value of a coin to
collectors is largely determined by its con-
dltion as we'll as by its date.
A badly disfgured dollar for instance,
no matter how rare it may be, is not
coveted by collectors, while one not 80 rare,
but in brilliant state, will find ready bids
ders At sale last April an 1851 dollar, in
tirst-class condition, commanded S5l, and
at sale in June another brought only $50.
In the latter case the coin was slightly
/ abraded by carriage aud circulation.
American half-dollars also rule high in
| the market. At the April sale one of 1895
brought $50, and one Of 1877 SAP, while the
half-dolar of 1858, from the New Orleans
| mint, fetched 1921, and was considered
cheap at this figure The advance in half
| dollars is, however, not 30 even all along
the line as that in dollars.
Quarter-dollars show even less advance,
! but there is dime Of 1896 which sold the
other day at auction for $ll %, and half
dime of 1874 for 50 80. The hslf dime of
| 1898 fetched 81; that of 1896 81 50, and a
1897 half-dime IS.
This latter had fifteen stars. Another
| OF the same date, with sixteen stars,
| brought 81. An 1900 half dime is worth
| 81 80, and that of 1903 50 3d. The little
| 3-cent silver piece of 1866, in good shape, is
! worth 81 20, and that OF 1866 10 cents
To descend from queenly silver to baser
| metal, the ugly little United States cent is
| by no means a SLOUGH in the auction rooms
where coin-crazy collectors congregate. In
fact, really rare cents are far and away
ahead of all the higher COINS in the eppre-
| citation in their values Thus the cent OF
| 1923 is q real little gold mine. There were
several varieties OF the cent coined, each
struck after the die had been slightly al
tered. Eacn variety has a special value to
| collectors.
At one of the latest great coin sales, one,
! with lettering on the edge reading "one
hundred for a dollar" fetched SOL. This
| coin has a head of Liberty with the hair
| down. Another of the same date shows the
goddess with her traditional cap on. This
| fetched in the same sale 1872. There are two
from each other by slight changes in the die,
that sold in the same sale for Sl4 and for III
| respectively
there is a cent OF l79S which is worth
| 81 % at auction, and one Of 1899 which Is
worth SIG. The queen-bee OF America
cents is, however, that of 1904. a specimen
of which was sold ia April for S1O2-and it
was not perfect specimen at that, but ac-
cording to collectors, is the most perfect
known.
This cent, by the way, has history. In
fact, most rare coins have. In this case the
piece WAS found in the till of an Illinois
country grocer 1t had been paid TO him by
who owned property out there happened TO
be in town engaged in prosecuting suit at
law in regard to his land titles.
He wanted cigar and went to the gro
Gerry to get it. He got this cent in change,
and BY the merest accident noticed that it
was dated as it was; so he added it to his
collection. The fixed standard value Of an
1893 cent in the trade is 500, and per cent.
can be added to that figure every year.
AS to values, merely as a matter of curl
osity, it may be noted that in one sale q
1896 cent sold for Sl4 80. another for SO and
another for 20 cents. These variations in
price are small mysteries known only to
coin collectors, and depend generally on the
state the coin is in, whether much defaced
or in clear, sharp condition.
There is a half-cent of 1897 which is worth
81 60 at auction, and nickel cent Of 1856
which brings 81 70. This cent has flying
eagle on it, and is in constant demand.
The gold coins of the United States do
not show the same advance as the silver
and copper coins. Their intrinsic value is
of course, unimpeachable. Each is worth
80 much money as the geld it represents.
There are certain gold coinages which have
acquired special price, from rarity and
the singularity OF their appe arance, but the
ratio of their advance has not kept pace
with that of silver and copper, excepting in
isolated cases.
There is a gold half-eagle (S5) Of 1929
which is worth in the market $780, Only
three OF these coins are known. One is In
the collection at the Philadelphia mint.
Another Id at the Pamelee sale in 1890 for
$500. This third piece is the property Of a
prominent young collector, II. E. beats of
Remington, n. j.
The United States eagle $40 OF 1895 sold
recently at auction for $l7, as he did also
one Of 1875. An 1904 half-eagle (s5) at the
same sale brought S31. The very rare $40
piece of California gold, 1852, brought only
SIS There are private issues of gold
money made at different times which sell
well, however.
The S20-piece of Kellogg & Co., San
Francisco 1S55 fAtched S3o. the S10-nfaoa