Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-31
OLD COIN FOUND IN A ROCK.
IL Bears Date 1243, and n Curious
story Il Told of IL.
Buffalo Expressly

a remarkable coin has been brought TO
light in remarkable manner. II was
taken from resting place, where IL must
have been lodged for centuries. 1t bears on
its face the proofs Of its antiquity. The
fiud is an extraordinary one. The story Of
the discovery as told by the owner OF the
coin, Is also extraordinary.
James b. Wooster whose place Of busi-
ness Is at lis Seneca street, has just re-
turned from a visit 10 relatives In Scio.
Harrison county, o., bringing the coin
with him. Recently, when some laborers
were narrowing a field near the town Of
Scio, their implement struck a large stone,
the force of the blow splitting the rock. A
piece was wedged in the harrow, and was
removed with considerable difficulty. A
laborer noticed bright object incrusted in
the rock. He picked up the stone, and
with his knife pried out what proved TO
be a silver coin. Scraping OF the dirt and
polishing the surface with his handker
chief, he saw the piece was foreign, and
put It in his pocket.
Upon returning to the house the man
showed the coin TO Mr.. Wooster and his
cousin. They examined II carefully, and
easily made out the date and Kings name
I'm whose reign IL had been coined. The
piece is silver and about one sixteenth Of
en- inch less in diameter than dime. IL
IS also a little thinner. on the front OF
the coin Is head In relief, and underneath
Is the date 1913 Surrounding the head In
Roman letters are the words "Ferdin
W." and Del Gratia." The date side OF
the coin Is by far better preserved than the
other side. The date can be seen indis-
tinctly with the naked eye, but with a
magnlfying-glass the number stands forth
clearly with no chance for mistake.
The reverse side Of the coin bears in the
centre a shield divided into four parts.
each one OF the two opposite divisions
containing an upright lion, and the other
two a figure that resembles most Roman
Tyre Above the shield is crown, ana on
the sides two columns with a snake en-
twining. There is evidence Of lettering
around these symbols but with the most
powerful magnifylng- glass that could be
obtained only four letters. which appa-
rently completed the end OF a word. could
be deciphered. These are span. This side
Of the coin IS worn quite smooth. The
edge OF the piece Is unmilled and without
indentations OF any kind. There are three
black marks on the coin which resemble
rust spots eaten into the surface.
A careful search was made In ancient
histories for such a potentate as ferdin
VII but no such name could be found.
There - a Ferdinand VII. or spain, VINO
was born in 1854. but the date on the coin
and the fact that II was securely lmbedded
IN rock would put aside the theory that
the name might have been abbreviated. IL
takes rock at least two centuries TO mar
den, and consequently the coin must nave
been dropped In the sand, which ultimately
turned TO stone long before Ferdinand
VII, King OF Spain, was issuing money.
The coat-of-arms on the coin does not
correspond with Spanish arms, moreover
although the pillars and serpent are SINH
lar to the representations OF the Pillars OF
Hercules, Capes Gibraltar, and Ceuta'
found on Spanish milled dollars and pieces
OF eight. But most conclusively OF all, the
plain date on the coin and its stony prison
stand as proof OF its antiquity.
Some wandering explorer OF the Column
bian age. or possibly even earlier. must
have been strolling over the country tnat
IS now Ohio with some loose cnange ana a
hole I'm his pocket The fair condition OF
the piece would signify that it had not
been I'm circulation long, and hence comes
the deduction that al least as early as the
beginning OF the fourteenth century the
United States was visited by more or
less civilized being. Of whose visit history
has no record.
Mr.. Wooster is looking for an expert In
antique coins TO ascertain the identity OF
this interesting relic and its value. Three
men were present when the coin was
found. and are ready TO make afiidavits 70
the manner Of its discovery.