The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-03
ANOTHER 1904 DOLLAR SOLD.
Como Interesting Facts aud Fables Told
About This Narest Of Issues.

Como Interesting Facts and Fables Told
About THIS Rarest Of Issues.
One o. the rArest coins, II not the rarsst.
of United States mintaRe IL the silver dol
lar of 1904. All sorts of interesting stories,
more or less fabulous aro told concerning
this issue, but so-called authorities sdisa-
gtee on almost avery point. Now and then
ono IL sold to a collector for a big sum, and
only "Wednesday Witnessed a transaction Of
this nature In Boston. Not long ago w. T..
skinner. a Warrington street. dealer in
coins, heard that one Of those rars dollars
was held BY John f.. Whitley. tho register
clerk OF the Taunton postoflioe. Mr.. Whit
ley found The coin stored ava among his
fathers possessions soon after the latter's
death. Skinner al once opened corrs-
spondence with Whitley and offered 81, 900
for the curiosity; but even this ~princely
offer failed to tempt its fortunate possessor,
who evidently had dome idea of it, worth.
Finally the dealer. who had m order for a
specimen OF this mintagc from some one In
New York, raised his offer to 81, 200. and at
this figure the silver piece changed hands
Wednesday,.
Dealers and collectors differ In their
statements as to how many of these dollars
are known TO be extant. some say four.
can locate twelve. Four OF these he says
are held in New England. ons being owned
by Captain Nathan Appleton. OF Boston,
n BY LorinR q. Parmelee, OF Boston; one
BY Hon. VIM. Brown, OF salon: ana one
member. A writer on this subject says in
an article published not many years aGo.
that Col, Phineas Adams. of Manchester.
N. H.. has u specimen Tor which ne paid
$500. Another was purchased In 1889 by
from an old Norwegian settler. who had
long treasured il in a stocking. The doc
tor secured this specimen for $40. A little
previous to this a man named s. L. Cohen
bought a specimen somewhere in Tennessee
for $3.50. The British museum holds one
on exhibition in the Philadelphia mint.
This accounts for eight or possibly nine OF
these dollars.
The whole history of this coinage is
shrouded in mystery. According to the
mint records 1880 silver dollars were
record of the mintage. and it is not known
whether they were held in tho treasury and
subsequently struck over into a later date
or whether they were sent to Africa TO pay
off our sailors, as one story runs. Iho
origin of this yarn ia likewise shadowy. but
It is given here for what it is worth which,
it IL feared. is not as much as the race vaiue
of it's subject. In 1904 the United States
was engaged in n wa: up the Mediterranean
with Tripoli and it is said that the dollars
coined that year wore sent out to pay OH
our seamen. AS the coins were new and
bright the natives ashore took a 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 beys, if that is a moro correct term. 40
soon rs thoy heard about these cleaning
white dollars coveted them for ornaments
and tokens, and took measures to got pos
session of all they could. 1t appears from
the scarcity of the dollars in this country
that they were unusually SUCCESSFUL. ana
must have either robbed or tricked away
the pay of about every man in the Ameri-
can feet.
Another story about the specimens now
in collections is not quite so romantic but
IL is none the less interesting. 1t Is that
Capt. Hall of the United States secret ser
vice Ill the west, who WAS accidentally shot
tieating the counterfsiting of antiquated
coins for collections of numismatics. His
attention was first drawn to this subject by
the sale of an 1904 dollar at M auction sale
of a collection in Philadelphia. The cap
tain examined the ooin and at once ques-
tioneaI tssG enuineness, and. on taking it to
the mint, it was ound to be a counterfeit.
Under the action of acids which were ap-
piled slight traces of a lighter metal were
discovered, marking a complete square at
the base of the figure ~ OF the 1854
and q further expert analysis disclosed the
fact of its being a modified dollar of 1906,
of which issue there are many; the &c" had
been drilled out and the opening plugged
with a ~" taken from some other issue.
The coin had then been treated to corrosive
acid to give it the old and worn look.
1t is further stated by persons we'll posted
on the subject that the dies for this mint
age were out of the possession of the mint
for over n year and n half before they we're
destroyed, and it ia believed that many of
the specimens now held in collections were
made at this time. This was in 1928 it is
said. Such a procedure is, of course, a
penal offence. and the story may be en-
tirely without foundation although ii is
credited by many students of numismatios.
When the collection of II. r. Linderman,
at one time director of the mints, WAS sold
by auction in New York in 1888 q fine proof
of the 1904 dollar brought $40. The mar
ket value of the coin varies. One catalogue
fixes it at 5000 while another offers 5000 for
specimens. Collectors value their speoi-
mems at from $1,000 to $4,000.
This dollar has a flying eagle With thir-
teen stars upon the reverse, while the face
bears the date and a head Of the Goddess Of
Liberty with flowing hair.
Now your blood should be purified. Take
Honda Sarsnnaril1a tho hest sprinu mi dicino