The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-12-20
THE OLD UTAH MINT.
ACOINAGE SYSTEM THAT WAS BORN
OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.

The Story of the Ancient and Almost
Forgotten Deseret Gold Money-Few
of the Pieces Are In Existence at
the Present Time.
The ancient coinage of Utah, the
period when the glittering particles of
yellow gold from California were mint
ed in 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 1849 remember the establish
ment of the mint, but the exact dates
are confused. 1t was some time toward
the close of 1S49 that the mint was in
augurated as measure Of public con-
venience. Brigham Young was the in
stigator of the coinage system and exer.
cised 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
certaining the weight required to cover
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, $5, $40 and $2C
coins. The honor lies between John
Kay and James M. Barlow. Kay was q
mechanic and Barlow a jeweler and
dentist. Judge Hammond of San Juan,
| who came to Utah in 1848, 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 wal
used came chiefly from California, much
of it being brought here by members oi
the Mormon battalion on their return
| from the Mexican war.
| AhOy Sa11iCo thO plOClOuS uusI AIT
nuggets in buckskin pouches to tn,
mint, where it was weighed and coined
absolutely without alloy. The min
building was at that time considera
bly, more pretentious structure than i
is today. 1t was two stories high an,
contained half dozen rooms.
The crucibles in which the gold wa
melted were in the cellar The primi
tive machine with which the coolin
metal was stamped into coin stood in
back room on the first floor. All tn
work was done by hand and every piec
of the machinery was made by Sal
Lake artisans. Of necessity, no bas
metal appeared in the finished product
twenty-five grains of gold was tn
equivalent of dollar.
The man who had 671a grains turne
that amount over to Mr.. Bullock, VIII
sent it at once to Messrs. Kay and Bar
low. 1t was Immediately melted an
turned into coin of the value of SO. sc
So it was with the pieces of larger dc
nomination, and the mint customer.
he so desired, could follow his meta
with his eyes from his pouch throug
the crucible, press and stamp.
No toll was taken out of the gold
the coinage being absolutely free. A
first the So. so pieces were most plenti
full and popular. Then a large numbe
of S. coins were made, and these, wit
, the first named, constituted the bulk {
the mint's work. Not many $40 piece
were minted, and the $40 coins wer
still fewer.
The mint ceased operations in 1856
because of the appearance in sufficier
, quantities of United States gold an
silver coins. Although the space Of tim
since the last pouch was emptied int
Thomas BulIock's "money mill, +" as
, was called, is comparatively short, fe'
of the coins are known to be in exis
ence today. Because of their purity the
, wore rapidly, and as consequence d.
, Perforated in value by erosion.
Many of them were remelted an
{ made into necklaces, chains and otht
articles of jewelry. Apostle Brighal
| Young has a watch chain that ws
) made from two of the $40 pieces. E
: had the chain made in Switzerland whi
in that country some years ago. E. F
Pierce has one $40 coin, and sever
others are in possession of Salt Laker
When President Brigham Young die
/. in 1877. his executors, in going ov,
4 his personal property, found locke
c strong box. On forcing the lid a nun
9 Der of the coins of the period describe
were found. They covered all the d
nominations, and were sold at auction
bringing a premium over their fa'
= value. President YouDg's son, Apost
II Brigham Young, at that time secure
9 six of the So denomination, which
Q still has. The others were scattered
such way as to make it impossible
y trace them.
Two sets of dies were used for the
g pieces. The first set, as has been state
: proving unsatisfactory, another set W
II made. No milling appears on the edg
is except in the last issues.
The lettering and other technio
IL points on both sets were imperfect, b
the coins served their day and purpo
well. They passed current at their ia
value as readily outside of Utah
u within its borders.
s. The California slug circulated al
very freely here and was used for 9th
purposes besides money. Apostle Bri
ham Young said recently that as b
;, he had frequently seen men pitchil
!, quoits with California slugs. La
Tribune.
II Sowing the Seeds.
le Mrs. Mildey-Charles is such. de
fellow! He never goes away witho