The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-09-28
CoNTINENTAL srLYER DoLLAR.

k11C NCHSAur SOAAC ASAes&&SAp So aLAu -
hogge ON one side, in memory Of the
abundance of hogges which were found
on their landing" On the reverse was
a ship under sail, from which a gum
was being fired. In 1645 the assembly
of Virginia. whose inhabitants had
heretofore been Obliged TO depend
wholly upon tobacco as . circulating
medium, "having maturely weighed
and considered how advantageous q
quoine current would be TO this col
lony," decided to issue copper coins Of
varying values from twopence to nine
pence, but for some reason the coins
never appeared. Seven years later, in
1859, the colony of Massachusetts, did
actually issue a coinage, the mint
howse, " at which the pieces were made,
being established at Boston by an order
Of the general court promulgated ON
May az of that year. The details of the
regulations for this coinage were very
quaint, it being provided that the
''peeces'' should be of XII d, vi d
and III d." which should tsbe of forme
latt and stamped ON one aide with N.
E"-for New England-and IN the
other with the proper notation showing
the value of the coin.
They were to be like new sterling
English money in ~ineness, each shilling
piece ito weigh threepenny, troy
weight. and lesser peeces proportiona-
bly," For some reason these coins were
not at all satisfactory, and m Oct. 10
Of the same year provision was made for
the famous Pine Tree coinage, = each
piece Of which was TO bear I'D double
ring ON each side, with the inscription.
Massachusetts,, and q tree Elm tie center
ON n side and New England and the
date Of the year ON the other side. Ten
years later q twopenny piece was added
to the series, which lasted for 81 years,
though none of the coins bore any date
ave 1869 and 1863, only two sets Of
dies appearing to have been made.
In 1862 Maryland provided for "the
getting up of o mint within the prov
ince," but the mint never materialized,
and the same is true as to the colonial
mint of New Hampshire. which was
authorized I'M 1856. During much OF
this time coinage for the colonies was
issued in the old country. One series OF
coins so put forth was made by o man
named William Wood, who secured q
royal patent for coming small money
''for the plantations out of tho combi-
nations Of metals known as sspinch-
beck" One old time chronicler records
Indignantly that Wood had ''the CON
science to make IS shillings out OF 9
pound of brass. This money was &C
little liked by the colonists that 10 had
TO be Withdrawn.
Subsequent TO the Declaration OF In.
| dependence, and especially during the
nine years from 1776 to 1887 inclusive.
coins were issued by direction both %
the continental congress and several d
the individual states, including Yer.
mont, Connecticut, New Jersey and
Massachusetts In 1882 q plan for d ma
tional coinage was formulated and sub
mitted to- congress by Robert Morris,
the head OF the finance department,
though the authorship OF this plan ].
claimed by his relative, Gouverneul
Morris. The establishment of o mint
was approved by congress during TN
following year, but nothing further WA
done in the matter till 1856, when tn
scheme for o national coinage presented
by Thomas jefferson was adopted.
Eagles and half eagles Of gold, dol
lars, half dollars, double dimes and
dimes of silver and cents and half cent
Of copper were the pieces authorized
An ordinance for the establishment Of
mint was adopted by congress In 1856
but IL was not till the next year tina
anything more was done, when the bOart
Of treasury, On the authority of CON