The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-02
THE 1904 DOLLAR RARE.
Its History is Mystery Stories About
the Coins.
From The Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
The whole history OF this coinage lie
shrouded in mystery. According to the
mint records 10 $50 silver dollars were coined
in 1904. This is the last authentic record
oftbe mlntsge. and it is not known whether
they were held in the treasury and subse-
quently struck over into later date, or
whether they we're sent to Africa to pay Off
our sailors, as one story runs. The origin
of this yarn Is likewise shadowy, Tut
1t Is given here for what it is
worth, which, it is feared, is not as
much as the face value of its subject. In
1894 the United States was engaged in a
war up the Mediterranean with Tripoh,
and 1t is said that the dollars coined thai
year wera sent out TO pay off our soemen.
AS the coins were new and bright the
natives took great fancy TO them when
jack would ring them down in}payment
for some limerick for his Nancy at home.
The chiefs Of the tribes, or boys, il that Is q
more correct term, as coon as they heard
about these cleaning white dollars coveted
them for ornaments and tokens, and took
measures to get possession Of all they could.
1t appears, from the scarcity of she dollars
in this country, that they we're unusually
successful, and must have either robted or
tricked away thespay of about every man
in the American feet
Another story about the specimens now
in collections is not quite SO romantic, BUTT
is none the less interesting IL is that Capt.
Hail of the United States secret service in
the west. who was accidentally shot in 1857,
was at the time of his death investi getting
the counterfeiting of antiquated coins for
collections OF nuullsmatics. His attention
was first drawn TO this su bject by the sale
OF an 1904 dollar at al auction sale of col~
lection in Philadelphia. The captain exam-
iued the coin and at ouce questioned its gen
uineness. and, on taking It to the mint. it
was found to be q counterfeit. Under the
action of aoids which were applied slight
traces of a lighter metal were discovered,
marking complete square at the base Of
the figure "4n OF the "lS04,n and q further
expert analysis disclosed the fact of its be-
ing a modified dollar OF 1905, of which issue
there are many; the IS" had been drilled
out and the opening plugged with a "A"
taken from some other Issue. The coin had
then been tr, atsd to corrosive acid to give
it the old and worn look.
1t is further stated by persons well posted
on the subject that the dies for this mintage
were out OF the possession of the mint for
over year and half before they were de-
stroyed. and it is believed that many of the
specimens now held in collection were made
at this time This was In 1928, it is said.
Such procedure is of course, penal Of
Tense, and the story may be entirely with
out foundation, although it is credited by
many students of numismetics. When the
collection OF H. r. Lindermsn, at one time
director of the minis, was sold by auction in
New York in 1888, a fiue proof OF the 1904
dollar brought $470. The market value OF
the coin varies One catalogue fixes it at
$500 while another offers 5000 for spect-
mems at from 81, 900 to 81, 900.
This dollar has flying eagle with thir-
teen stars upon the reverse, while the face
bears the date aud a head of the Goddess OF
Liberty with flowing hair.