The morning news., 1897-08-20
THE STORY OF A COIN.
Rejected by n Bartender, 1t Was Sold
to n Collector for 800.

to a Collector for S1OO.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
From being turned down when offered
in payment for a kettle of beer to being
purchased by numismatist for 500, is in
brief the recent history of an ancient coin
found by some laborers the other day. The
details between the time of finding of the
coin and the disposition of it are interest
ing S showing how, after changing hands
several times and being the subject of sew
eral proposed bargains, but not consum
mated, the coin sprang from the depths of
ignomiuy-spurned by the bartender-to
its proper place as a recognized treasure.
1t was discovered by laborers who were
making an excavation at Broad and Cath
arine streets 1t was disreputable thing
to call a coin, having been so long covered
with dirt that the image and superscrip-
tion were not recognizable. The man who
picked it up looked at it doubtfully.
Il don't know what it is he said. "or
how much it is worth, but l guess its good
for a kettle of beer, anyway"
And so the long buried coin started on its
Journey to prominence. 1t was thrown on
the bar of a nearby saloon, offered in
exchange for a cold, frOthing kettle of
lager The bartender eyed it suspiciously.
NO good" was his verdict, uttered in
the cold and unsympathetic tone which
only a bartender can use, as he sees coins
and apologies for coins of all sorts thrown
before him by thirsty mortals.
The finder of the coin was disappointed
He wanted the beer He began 10 argue
the case and attracted the attention of an
other man in the saloon, who took up the
coin.
"In give you 50 cents for It," and the
next moment il was in his pocket the
finder of the coin paid for his beer disap-
peared. came back and had the kettle re-
filed, disappeared again, and so on till the
half dollar was gone. He and his friends
thought it was a great piece OF luck 70
find a coin worth half dollar.
Then came a rapid changing of hands
so far as the coin was concerned. The
man who paid 80 cents for it showed it to
a friend, who offered him a dollar for 1t.
The deal was promptly closed. Then the
man who paid the dollar found a man who
was willing to give him s. for it., and again
the coin changed owners.
But here the lOcust-story phase Of the
coins history ceases. The next chapter
was one of bidding and the refusal Of bids
The Sc man took it TO a coin dealer, who
offered him $50 for it. The s. man said
he'd think il over, and went TO another
dealer.
twenty-five dollars" was the figure Of
fered by dealer No. 2, but the s. man still
held on to the coin. IF one man offered
SEQ and you are willing to pay S25," he said
TO the coin dealer, 'the next one / strike
may make il $30.'
The dealer thereupon offered 20 take the
coin and find buyer at once, getting the
most he could for It, and deductlng a per
cent commission. The owner agreed, and
the coin was taken to a well known numis-
matist who saw that IL was no everyday
find. II was an old English coin. contain
ing about SIG worth Of gold, but valued
at many times that much money because
there are. Il is said. only four Of the kind
in existence.
The coin was purchased for 800 and the
buyer Is not expected TO lose money, even
at that figure. Indeed. the other three
coins Of the kind are said to have sold for
as high as Sf0O apiece.