Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-06-14

The Philadelphia Telegraph says.
The government museum OF rare coins
and medals. on the second floor Of the
mint, has had added 70 ii by Cua tor
X A. Mcclure a number Of ancient
pieces and several American coins, all
very difficult 10 obtain and valuable,
frog the numismadst's point Of view.
The museum has been further en-
riehed by the introduction Of new
case containing a collection Of tile cur
rent moneys Of the world, which lacks
bur few specimens to be perfect.
These additions 20 tar towards max
ing the Philadelphia museum one Of
the most complete. If not the most ex-
teusire, to be- found anywhere.
The great United States has pro
vided for the acquisition Of rare and
valuable coins for the museum at the
Philadelphia mint, the munlhcenJ an
uual appropriation Of $500. Every year
this widows mite Of $500 is dOled out
TO Curator Mcclure for expenditure ae-
.0ri.nZ TO his utmost caution aud his
best Judgment.
Curator Mcclure went to the worlds
fair last July, tine governments coin
exhibit In his charge and the govern
ments niggardly $500 burning hole
IN his pocket AT the fair, behind sew
eral trays of coins, he one day deserted
grave aud dignihed Turk. They eX-
changed names. the Turks appellatiOn
sounding like a y0lley from a Calling
gun / ,srau g. Kelekian The Turk
showed Mr. Mcclure the contents of
his trays which were sufficiently uu-
profitable Perceiying his customer
was really an expert the Turk opened
his safe and produced several rarer
coins AZ sight of them Mr.. Nc.
ClureS little $500 moved uneasily i'm
his pocket and tried TO jump out But
he assumed the couutcIauee uf Syl-
vain Pous before the fan Of Nine. de
Pumpadour, and looked contempt AT
thar THE Turk became eloquent and
gc~tirulat0ry Mr. Mcclure remained
unimpressed The Turk offered his
treasures at humping price and
detained Lowered the price and e'e-
waited his voice Failed TO make an
impression. and dropped another 10
per cent Begged and pleaded, and
threw off dollar after dollar, until he
swore he was ruined. Then Mr. Nc
Clure bought some OF the coins az one
eighth of their value and departed.
feeling he had served his government
and had taught his impeuous 5000 il
lesson i'm caution. So effective was his
cheapening that he secured couple
Of very rare specimens of Greek art
for So apiece
Of these gems. now formally iu-
stalled .n the collection az the mint,
one OF the choicest is very rare but
much worn medallion, I'm silver. dating
from the days when warliEe Antony
lay pnervate iu the embrace OF EgyptS
queen. It contains 215 IL grains Of
silver and its denomination is eluiya-
lent Ia something less than two dou-
b,r dpuarIi-tbuur - cents the piece
probably served rs current 0in ana
may haye been part of the money
Cleopatra bought for the pay of her
lovers army IS en- he ny awaiting
her al ,ae Iu-g uf Wlile Hair ho-
tween nrryu~ aud SidoI. aIJ.r his eN-
petition against the Partitions
Oh Ill. diverse Of the medallion is
-Ae head of Cleopatra, fairly accurate
ID iAe aie, but worn ia passage from
the rough hand of the dictionary 10
tile itching palm OF the Taal.-au, to
his wife to her s3ulalmaker. to the
rival publican to some sailor who
fought ut Actium 10 his slayer who
eluJcued the purse from bis beit and
spat upon the fair silver face in re
sentiment for the wrongs of discarded
Octayla-dud So down the ages, nimble
by the hour here, dormant for centur-
les there, until ut last 1t comes 10 be
wondered at and gazel upon By faces
fairer far than the royal one it has
borne since Caesars rival cried This,
Eros, was greatly done, and plunged
into his yitals the sword on which the
servant had round death.
For, indeed, the countenauce stamped
upon the disc by the winters heavy
maIlet Is far more beautiful The
eyes, that looked deceitful love, and
the lips that won the dagger from the
mraa rous hand of Ffaggard's royal
Harmachis could not have compared
for sweetness and tenderness with
those Of humble CHAIRMAN And eau
uers Meiamoun, the son Of MandOus-
ehopsch, Of the land Of Kemi, must
have been dazzled 10y the light that
beat, around q throne when be diyed
through the vaulted arch of the canal
leading 70 her bath, that he might
play Actaeon TO her Diana and twelve
short hours hereafter be dead and
spurned by her Roman lover, rushing
- her arms
Nor dos Antouy's- head. on the re-
verse of the coin. appear to better adj
vantage And vet Antour's IS the
more interesting countenance. for e.
has character ln it,
strangely enough, another rare CON
,hat enters the collection now. that
has been cheek by iowl with the im-