The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-08-14

break the calf. Like the man on the
wheel he found out his mistake too
late, and at the top of his voce yelled
to his friends and acquaintances ''Here
We come, d-n our fool souls, somebody
head us.
HOW ANCIENT COINS ARE
1t is a curious fact but none the less
true, that many of the most important
discoveries of coins have been made
by boys, and that, too, in the most ac-
cidental and unexpected manner. The
following is an example of one of these
discoveries, and many more might be
given. Imagine the look of surprise
and astonishmenf which must have
overspread the face of the small boy
who had been sent to mind his masters
sheep, at a place called Keeps Hill,
near High Wycombe: when, from out
a flint, which he had casaully picked
up on the hillside (for the purpose OF
grubbing up mole's track, always a
fascinating amusement to boy) there
fell number Of early British gold
coins. Upon examining the stone he
discovered that it was hollow, and
upon probing the cavity, nine coins
more tumbled ont The stone, in size
and shape, resembled a large egg
though rather hatter; the cavity,
which was tubular, being a natural
formation. Somewhat elated, the boy
left the sheep and started off to show
the treasure to his master, who at once
took possession Of the coins; but the
boy $ father. hearing soon after of his
sons discovery, got possessions of them
and carried them about for sale. The
date of the coins was about B. C. 35.
they were all gold, and of considerable
value on account of their variety and
weight. Whatever the object of the
person who hid them may have been,
he could hardly have hit upon a less
suspicious receptacle than the one cho-
sen, as the fact of their having lain
hidden for over 800 years seems to
prove.
The domestic hearth has always been
considered f,vorite hiding place for
treasure. 1t is probable therefore that
the French priest, who was conducting
a mission in Dauphiny at the begin
ming of the present century, was not so
very much surprised when he heard
from the lips of a young maid-seryant
her confession of a discovery she had
made of a large quantity Of gold med
ais and coins under the hearthstone in
an old castle occupied by farmer. 1t
appeared from her story that. while
she was clearing away the ashes from
under the gate, a few coins appeared
among them, and this circumstance
led her to look for more under the
stone, which had been burned through
and under which she found large
number of others. These she had care
fully hid, but not knowing what to do
with them; and fearing detection, she
had been forced to confess. The priest,
with an eve to his own interest, told
her that she could not take them for
herself, nor sell them without risking
their their entire loss. she must bring
them to dispose of in manner in ac-
corlance with the dictates of his con-
science; and the girl having brought
them, he Immediately took them to a
goldsmith, who melted them down,
and purchased the metal. OF the pro
ceeds the lriest gave a part only to
the girl, and with the remainder pur-
chased decorations for his church, and
Il fine library necessary to a confessor
and missioner.
A discov >ry which created much in
terest ut the time, and is probably the
largest on record, was made in the
most accidental manner near Tutbury,
in Staffordshire, in 1881. In the ear
ly part of the summer of that year, a
number of workmen were employed in
removing considerable bank of gra-
vel and sand, short distance below
the bridge over the River Dove, which
was causing an obstruction in the wa
ter-way. During the operation one of
the laborers turned up few silver
coins, and upon digging a second time
into the same spot, he, to his great as
tonishment, turned up a whole shovel
full. and disclosed to view an immense
number of others, Thereupon regu-
lar fight for the treasure took place,
each man appropriating to himself as
much as he could possibly carry, and
in some cases little more for when
the overseer, upon learning what had
happened, came up, the coins were lit
orally running over out of the mems
pockets. The find consisted of silver
pennies of the reign Of Edward l.,