The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-06

In 1884 the Massachusetts General
Assembly made bullets legal tender by
the following enactment cit is likewise
ordered that muskett bullets of full boare
shall pass currantly for farthing apiece,
provided that noe man be compelled to take
above XII d att TYNE in them.
The Georgius Triumpho token was struck
in 1888. Some experts believe it was
coined in honor of George Washington.
The die was made by altering an old head
of George III on one side to produce re-
semblance to Washington, and Britannia
on the other for Goddess of Liberty.
The Imperial Roman coins always con-
tain on the diverse the portrait and name
of the Emperor; on the reverse repre-
sentation of some event connected with his
reign. The coins of Titus showed the
Coliseum, those of Trajan triumphaI arch,
those OF Vespasian picture of Jerusalem
From the fall of the Western Empire,
A. d. 476, to the discovery of America
the most important European coin was the
silver denier, or penny, about the size of
dime. By general consent it was coined
of about the same size by all European
sovereigns, and passed current everywhere.
When the Boston mint was established,
1862, the master was ordered to accept
for refining and coinage 'any bullion or
Spanish Cojne, and the depositor was
allowed to be present ''to see the same
melted, refined and allajed and to receive
a receipt for the weight of good silver as
aforesaid. -
The Imperial Maria Theresa dollars of
1870 are in use all over Africa as circu-
lating medium. They are still coined with
the same date. During the Abyssinian
war Great Britain was obliged to purchase
large quantities of these dollars in Austria
to meet the war expenses in Africa, as the
natives knew no other coin.
Counterfeiting was as profitable in an
cient as in modern times, and far more
common. 1t is considered by experts i'm
possible to detect an ancient counterfeit
from genuine coin. Counterfeiting an
cient coins in modern times has become a
regular profession, and most of the counter
feits are better executed than the originals.
Stick tallies were used as coins in Great
Britain as late as 1888 A vast store of
the hazel-rods used as tallies had accumu-
lated in the treasury that year, and the
government determined, after discontinuing
their use, to have them burned. The
overheating of the furnace, in consequence
OF their number, resulted in the destruc-
tion of the houses Of Parliament by fire.
The rarest American coin is the dollar
of 1904 There are believed to be not
more than ten in existence As much as
$500 has been offered and refused for an
1904 dollar. Many explanations have
been given of the scarcity of this coinage
One is that in the year 1905 a China
bound vessel was lost containing almost
the entire mintage of 1904 AS curio
the dollar of 1904 stands first among United
States coins.
Our double eagle of $40 is equal to 20
patakas of Abyssinia, 80 kwans of Anam,
"a piasters of Arabia, 20 pesos of Argen-
tine, about A forins of Austria, about
103 francs of France, 36 milries of Brazil,
condors of Chill, SO rigsdalers of Dem
mark, 400 piaters of Egypt, "a of Great
Britain, 103 drachmas of Greece, "a marks
of Germany, 45 rupees of India, 1O3 lire
Of Italy, 20 yens of Japan, so scudi of
Malta, 1O3 lei Of Roumania, so guilders
of the Netherlands, 27 roubles Of Russia,
tomuns Of Persia, 251 piasters of Servia,
81 ticols of Siam, 103 pesetas of Spain,
200 gwush of Tnpoli, Z tillas If Turkes-
tan. q patacons of Uruguay and 25 pesos
Of Venezuela