The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-06
urer on October Is, 1894, and amounted

rived from the weight OF tOOU grains OF
sound wheat from the middle of the ear
and we'll dried.
The colony of Pennsylvania suffered
greatly from debased copper coinage made
in Birmingham, England, and imported to
this country.
Roman colonial coins bore number of
banners corresponding to the number of
the legion whose veterans had occupied the
country.
The mite mentioned in the Gospel in
connection with the widow contribution
to the treasury, was Greek copper coin
weighing 8 grains.
The Indians of the Ohio Valley made
coins of anthracite coal These tokens
were always engraved with figures supposed
to indicate the value.
Terra Gotta coins have been found not
only in the American tumuli, but also in
the graves of the Etruscans, and even in
Egyptian tombs.
The first European coinage was issued
by Pheidon, King of Argos, who coined
copper and silver The best authorities
place his reign at B. c. 783.
No representation of the face of man
was ever stamped on a coin until after the
death of Alexander the Great, who was
regarded as a divinity
The first deposit of gold in the United
States mint was made by Moses Brown, a
Boston merchant 1t was composed of
gold bars valued at $2276.22.
The piece of money taken by Peter
from the mouth of the fish in order to pay
the Government poll tax was an Imperial
slater of silver, and worth about 25c.
The earliest New England coin was soon
so badly Clipped and mutilated that new
issue was struck, bearing the name Massa-
chusetts on the diverse, near the rim.
The first deposit of silver bullion in the
mint of the United States was made July
Is, 1894, by the Bank of Maryland. It
consisted of French coins valued at $50, :
1873.
The shell coins used by the Indians
were manufactured in such enormous
quantities by the Dutch at New York that
the value of the currency was greatly de-
preciated.
Gold coins of Alexander the Great are
very numerous They have been seen in
circulation in Greece in the present cen
tury. The Alexandrian Slater is worth
about Sc.
In 1852 mint was set up at Boston
with John Hull, master The pieces
coined were to be ''for forme fatt and
square of the denomination of IL, 6 and
3-penny pieces.
The first coins, as the term is now un-
derstood, were made by clipping the edges
of bit of gold until it was nearly round
and then stamping it with punch and
hammer
A series of coins was made for Kentucky
during the Revolution. One side bore
the legend, ''Our cause is just" the other
the words, "Unanimity is the strength of
society,"
The coins of Constantine struck A. D.
312 were the first to bear Christian en-
blems. These showed the cross, the mon
ogram of Christ, and sometimes the words
alpha and omega
The s'nova constellatio'' coppers of 1888,
so highly valued by collectors, were made
in Birmingham, England, for Gouverneur
Morris Forty tons of copper were used
in the manufacture
Some of the later Massachusetts, coins
bore a rude device illustrating the parable
of the good Samaritan and were called
good Samaritan shillings. There are only
two or three known to be in existence.
The coins struck by the Roman Procu-
rators of Judea were designed to show re-
spect for Jewish prejudice against images.
They bore only such subjects as ears of
corn, palm trees, vases, flowers and shields.
The scheme for Continental coinage pro-
posed by Robert Morris provided the fol-
lowing scale Ten quarters make one
penny, ten pence make one bit, ten bits
make one dollar, ten dollars make one
crown.
All coins minted at Charlotte, n c.,
bear, in addition to all other marks, the
letter C; those at Dahlonega, the letter D.;
those at New Orleans the letter O; those
at Carson City, C. G; those at San Fran
cisco, S.
Some of the early copper coins of, Con
necticut bear curious legends. One is,
''Value me as you please; another, i
am copper another, under the image Of
an ak, has the words, 'I cut my way
through. ;"
The first regular Hebrew coinage was
struck by Simon Maccabeaus, B. c. 143.
These coins bore on one side chalice, the
pot of mama; on the other lily and the
words, in Hebrew characters, "Shekel of
Israel y
The earliest coinage intended for Amer
lea was of copper and made in the Ber-
mudas in 1915, and called the "Hogge
Penny" from the figure of a porker on
the diverse. Only two pieces are known
to be in existence.
Most of the Wood coinage Of l717 and
1718 was designed for use in the Ameri-
can colonies The Wood coins were not,
however, well received either in Ireland
or America. They are generally known
as the Rosa coins
The first Maryland coins were minted in
1862, and were put in circulation by an
act of council ordering every householder
to bring in sixty pounds of tobacco and re-
ceive 10 shillings of the new money in ex-
change for it.
The emblem of an open hand has been
favorite device on coins. 1t has been
found on the coins of India, of Phenicia,
Mexico, Rome, and was frequently en-
ployed as a device on the skin currency Of
our aborigines.
The earliest New England shillings bore
the device of willow tree, afterwards
changed to an oak, out of compliment to
King Charles II, whose life was saved by
climbing into a tree of that description.
Later Massachusetts coins bore pine tree
device.
The Mott coins were made in England
as private coinage for William and John
Mott, of New York. One side bore the
legend :-s'Motts, n. Y, Importers,
Dealers, Manufacturers, of Gold and Silver
Wares" They circulated as pennies about
1894.
There are three series of Roman coins,