The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-23
OLD SILVER COINS AFLOAT.
GOOD CHANCES Now FOR NUMIsMATIsTa
To PICK Up BARGAINS.

: The prevalence OF aged silver coins
In the ''change" one gets these days, il
noticeable. Look at the handful ct
"chicken feed" in your pocket and
you'll find some coins older than your
self, perhaps. There are specimens oil
those quarters of forty years ago, on
the reverse side of which the spread
eagle of liberty is the centre, from
which radiate sun-rays to the milled
edge of the piece.
The old half dollars and quarters OF
thlrty-o odd years ago, with an arrow
head dsrting from either side OF the
date, have turned up again, and oc-
caslonally one runs across one OF those
old ESQ., pieces with a Liberty head
shorn of It's CIytic knot, stubnosed and
unbeautiful The piece may be worn
down pretty 6ne in the mil s of COM
merce, through lis sixty years of Sc,
vice, but if the fuder will closely ex-
ANNE the smooth rim of the piece he
may be able to decipher "Fifty Gents
or Half Dollar"
Lots of silver quarters were milled
in 1857, and those who have been OBJ.
servant enough to notice the unusuaH
number of old coins in circulation and
curious enough to examine them hav&
probably noticed that in that year
grace there wcs no In God We Trus
over the head of the eagle. Those VII
are grandfathers now may recall thf -
some people declared at that time ii
to the failure to trust in GCd, and
proneness of the morey-lenders to tl
everybody else was due the dreaa
financial crlsls of that memorable !
For the consideration of the SUI
stitious attention is called to the +
that on the new style silver, the f
OF which was coined last year
Pluribus Unum" took the place 81 +
old motto on the scroll.
Everybody is wondering @l ERE .
these familiar old silver piecd ss con
from, but if ''everybody" will ston
consider that the financial Asronhj,
through which the country is passin
all grew ont of a hostility to$ 81 Yer
will not bs so great wonder.
These coins of forty and &Gfty vear
ago are found to be iu a spld endit stst
OF preservation for the mos4 part. n,
milled ed.es are little woS En and ti,s W.
fgures-Liberty, looking Pike Eritsn'
MA on the old English I [coinags an,
sitting like Patience on}a monSment.
the eagle, the stars, and jthe date-ars
clear and Gistirct, evidencing that t,e
COINS have not been tupibliny and-...s-e.
ting against each other in pocket,
cash-box and till, but have been peace
fully slum bering In the teapot of the
mIser and the silverite.
When the people arose en- I1asse and
demanded that silver be relegated to
her proper place in finance those who
had been boarding their silver savings
for generation took fright, and they
have been struggling for months to get
rid of their arcentum-to exchange it
for the golden BEAUTIES or green backed
promises of the best Government on
the face of the earth.
That is how it happens that there is
so much old silver in circulation, and
the numismatist ever alert is enjoying
halcyon days again, eagerly scanning
not only his own "change," but that OF
all his friends, finding rich prizes in
rare dates, coins that pass the eye OF
the ordinary citizen, but are quickly
and joyously recognized by him be-
cause he has made science Of the
study OF coins.
He will talk enigmaticaIly Of ''booby
heads" "crooked dates" ''arrow
dates" :sbroken dies" and other as
tonishing things, and will exchange a
bright new quarter for the dull gray
piece in your hand, and 60 to some
dealer and get dollar or two Of profit
out cf the exchange.
It is worth a mans while, these days
to possess himself Of book Published
by w. e. Skinner, of Boston, on coins
and study it and the old silver that
comes into his hands. he may stumble
upon one of those old fellows that will
yield him enough profit for a day at
tho Rronob or nhaftoO