The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1896-04-01
WEDNESDAY. .......A APRIL /, 1896
PROFESSOR WILSON'S scARFPlN.
1t Hears the Efigy of Philip of Maoedon
and Is 1900 Years Old.

Unless you are a numismatist of IN
usual knowledge you would probably
not pay much attention to the pale gold
coin which Postmaster General Wilson
frequently wears as n pin on the scarf
which covers most Of his shirt front.
But if you are an expert and enthusiast
on the subject of rare and antique coins
your eyes will sparkle with pleasure at
the sight Of that scarfpin, and possibly
your fingers will tingle with vague KEEP
tomaniac impulse to grab it and run.
for the expert will recognize in the pale
gold disk an example of one of the
most perfect and most beautiful coins
ever struck.
And if you are allowed the privilege
Of a close inspection you will discover
that this particular specimen has had
preserved in every detail the exquisite
beauty of design and finish impaired to
it by classic artists and artificers, whose
brains and hands crnmbled to dust so
long ago that it makes II feel in a
dream just to think of it, for hat coin
Of the delicate yellow of the cactus
bloom, perfect as when 1t was tossed
from the stamper's hand. was minted
while the matchless eloquence of Demos
themes still ravished the ears of the
Athenians and fired their pulses and
bears the efigy Of him against whom
the Attic orator hurled his ~fiercest in
vective-Philip CT Macedon, father Of
Alexander the Great.
The coin is a gold slater of Philip,
noted among n~umismatists as one OF
the most perfect aud beautiful examples
Of tho coiner' y art the world has known
in the 20 centuries that have elapsed
since it was struck by command of the
founder of the Macedonian empire. No
coinage has exceeded or oven equaled
in tineness Of design and execution that
of Philip, strange us this may seem to
those who regard the modern world as
so vastly superior i'll almost every way
to the ancient. The gold which Philip
and most of the Greek states used in
their coinage was known rs electrum,
consisting of about one-fifth part of sill
YER, which impaired to it that exquisite
shade of yellow which is one Of its chief
charms to the eye. The profile head If
Philip on tho gold slater, crowned with
its delicate laurel wreath, is as clear in
outline as if cut in cameo, while the
chariot and steeds on the reverse are
charming examples of classic art in de-
sign and Workmanship.
The intrinsic value of tho gold in the
coin is about 80, but the value Of q
piece Of such vast antiquity. so perfect
ly preserved, to the antiquarian and
tho coin collector it would be difficult to
estimate. Another point about this
Macedonian coin which greatly increases
its value in the eyes of the antiquarian
is the fact that Philip was the first king
who had tho arrogance to put his W
effigy on money. Previously, SO far as
known, tho coins of the Greeks and the
orientals had borne the efigies of their
gods or NEUROLOGICAL heroes, or rather
religious devices or symbols. But Phil
ip in Greece, as Caesar in Rome, thrust
the gods aside and stamped his w
proud and conquering head upon his
coins. But while the contemporary ene-
mics of both Philip and Caesar included
this among their counts i'll the indict-
ment for boundless ambition and impi-
ETY. brought against them the Greek and
Roman population made it all right by
conveniently discovering that the two
conquerors were really not men at all,
but gods in their own right.
1t is probable that another coin SINH
lar to that which Postmaster General
Wilson wears us a scaifpin does not exist
in this country outside of a museum. 1t
was presented to him by a friend, who
picked it up at a sale i'll Paris. Of its
genuineness there was III doubt, for
when Mr.. Wilson was i'll London last
year, hotook it to the experts at the Brit
ish museum, who pronounced it au-
theutic ADD tried hard TO buy it. but
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