The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-13

artistic, convenient and at the same
time indicating in some way our ma
tlonal characteristics. and large enough
not TO lose itself in the meshes of u
purse or masquerade as a new penny
when we meet our pensioner. the
tramp.
When congress abolished the coinage
of the gold dollar in 1890 the reason
urged was the smallness OF the coin.
which made IL inconvenlent for hand
ling, and the paper and silver dollar
the Ishmaelite OF commerce-took its
place. People enlarged their pocket
books TO admit the cart wheel OF silver,
but Il had the merit OF not slipping
out OF sight in the crevices. and IL rep
resented quantity. II not quality. Men
read SITS motto: In God We Trust. 4"
pocketed IL reverently and spent IL
freely. but a bar sinister was on ITS
shield. and the prediction that it's day
Is nearly over may be safely made.
With the retirement Of the gold dol
lar the 50 gold piece and the nickel
three-cent piece also passed into dis
use and these coins now command a
high premium. a gold dollar of the
year 1864 recently sold for $50. while
one for 1876 was seized greedily by a
collector for SIS. 1t is possible to pick
up mutilated one which has done
service as a watch charm or bangle
FOR merely double it's face value, but
those opportunities are rare.
The gold doilar-in spite OF its small
sizc-was in circulation for forty years,
from iS49 10 1883 During that time
1893, SST were issued. of which IS 223. =
sSS were coined at the mint In Phila-
deiphia. The New Orleans mint which
was engaged In their coinage only from
1919 TO 1859 period OF six years. is
suec / .o04 geo. Since then this mint has
been exclusively used in the coinage of
silver dollars.
The mint Of San Francisco coined
orly s0.eS3, beginning IN the year 1854,
and continuing at irregular intervals
until 1870. when IL stopped entirely The
mint OF Dahlonega. Ca. and OF Char
lotte, y. C.. both Of which suspended
operations in 1861, coined respectively
S7z;29 and Sl09 worth OF these minute
coins.
Amusing mistakes were often the re-
suit OF an indiscrimlnate mixing OF
GOLD WITH BASER COINS.
one instance was where q well-known
hEancier was importuned on the bal
cony Of a popular hotel for some pen
MES for a band Of street musicians. A
charming young woman carried the hat
around and took up the collection. The
capitalist tossed a gold dollar into the
hat, thinking II a penny.
'Oh. Mr.. did you mean TO put In
so much?" asked the surprised girl.
The donor imagined that she was
chatting him, and responded heartily
4 that X was what he intended to give
/ but when the fund had been distrlbut 81
and he learned OF his unintentional
| lavishness. he was consumed with cha,
! grin at his mistake This Was a df.
/ ferent experience from that OF Henry
/ Ward Beecher. who gave 4 hacknan-
after paying his biil-a gratuity OF $
I quarter, as he supposed, but which
4 turned out 20 be a ten-doliar gelc
I piece. The man ran after his distlu.
! g1lished fare and tried TO return tn,
! money. but Mr.. Beecher said: 'Kee,
/ X Tor your honesty, my friend, anl
save me from sQuandering IL again
/ the fact being that both large ant
small dollars slipped with equal faoli
! lily through The fingers OF the greal
1 preacher.
The conscientious old Marylany
farmer who gave up the motto ..Il
/ God We Trust for our gold and sIlve.
coin. builded better than he knew, 70,
he indicated 10 all the world our cree<
h On our currency, and a national n
liance on divine support in government
| affairs. The sentiment Is the same a,
the one submitted 10 congress IN 1Sd
i when s. p. Chase was secretary OF tn
1 treasury. but the words suggested wer,
! God Our Trust" taken from our ma,