, 1898-11-12
THE OLD UTAH MINT.
ACOiNAGE SYSTEM THAT WAS BORN
OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.

The ancient coinage of Utah, the
period when the glittering particles of
yellow gold from California were mint
ed in a little adobe building in Salt
Lake, has been half forgotten. The
written and printed records of that time,
by a strange oversight, throw no light
on the subject.
Those Utahans whose memory dates
back to 1919 remember the establish
ment Of the mint, but the exact dates
are confused. 1t was some time toward
the close of 1919 that the mint was in
auguratcd as a measure of public con
venience. Brigham Young was the in
stigator Of tie coinage system and exer.
cised Il personal supervision over the
work.
Prior to the establishment of the mint
all gold dust had to be weighed when
payments for merchandise or other ar
ticles were made. In many cases the
merchant with whom the purchaser
was dealing had no gold scales, and
much trouble resulted. The metal was
too precious to admit of guesswork in as
c%ertaining the weight required to cover
a given sum, and the customer would
be put to the trouble of looking up
scales to aid him in his payment.
Old timers disagree as to who made
the dies with which the gold was
stamped into $3.50. So, $40 and SEQ
coins. The honor lies between John
Kay and James NJ. Barlow. Kay was a
mechanic and Barlow a jeweIer and
dentist. Judge Hammond of San Juan,
who came to Utah in 1913, says that
dies were made by both men.
He thinks Kay made the first, which
were unsatisfactory and imperfect, and
that Barlow made the later ones.
Thomas Bullock was chief clerk and
active director of the mint during its
entire operation. The gold which was
used came chiefly from California, much
of it being brought here by members of
the Mormon battalion on their return
from the Mexican war.
They carried the precious dust and
nuggets in buckskin pouches to the
mint, where it was weighed and coined
absolutely without alloy. The mint
building was ut that time a cunsidera-
bly, more p]retentious structure than it
is today. 1t was two stories high and
contained half a dozen rooms.
The crucibles in which the gold was
melted were in the cellar. The print
tive machine with which the cooling
metal was stamped into coin stood III a
back room OF the first floor. All the
work was done by hand and every piece
of the machinery was made by Salt
Lake artisans. OF necessity, no base
metal appeared in the finished product.
Twenty-Five grains Of gold was the
equivalent of a dollar.
The mar who had G7s grains turned
that amount over to Mr.. Bullock, who
sent it ut once to Messrs. Kay and Bar
low. 1t was Immediately melted and
turned into a coin of the value of So. 80.
So it was with the pieces Of larger do
nomination, and the mint customer. if
he SO desired, could follow his metal
with his eyes from his pouch through
The crucible, press and stamp.
No toll was taken out of the gold,
the coinage being absolutely free. AT
first the 50. 80 pieces were most plenti-
full and popular. Then a large number
Of So coins were made, and these, with
the first named, constituted the bulk of
the mint's work. Not many $40 pieces
were minted, and the $40 coins were
still fewer.
The mint ceased operations in 1860
because of the appearance i'll sufficient
quantities of United States gold and
silver coins. Although the space of time
since the last pouch vas emptied into
Thomas Bullock's money mill" as it
was called, is comparatively short, few
of the coins are known to be in exist
ence today. Because of their purity they
wore rapidly, and as Il consequence de-
Perforated in value by erosion.
Many Of them were rcmelted and
made into necklaces, chains and other
articles of jewelry. Apostle Brigham
Young has a watch chain that was
made from two of the $50 pieces. He
had the chain made in Switzerland while
in that country some years ago. +. II.
Pierce has one SEQ coin, and several
others are in possession of Salt Lakers.
When President Brigham Young died
in 1877. his executors, i'll going over
his personal property, found a locked
strong box. On forcing the lid a num-
Der of the coins of the period described
were found. They covered all the de-
nominations, and were sold at auction,
bringing a premium over their face
value. President Young's SON, Apostle
Brigham Young, at that time secured
six of the So denomination, which no
still has. The others were scattered in
such u way US to make it impossible to
trace them.
Two sets of dies were used for the 50
pieces. The first set, as has been stated.
proving unsatisfactory, another set was
made. No milling appears on the edges
except in the last issues.
The lettering and other technical
points Oh both sets were imperfect, but
the coins served their day aud purpose
we'll. They passed current at their face
value as readily outside of Utah as
within it's borders.
The California slug circulated also
very freely here and was used for other
besides money. Apostle Brig
ham Young said recently that as a boy
he had frequently seen mel pitching
uuoits with California slugs.-Salt Lake
Tribune.
Sowing the seeds.
Mrs. Mildey-Charles is such a deal