The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-06
EaEa9NEENNE
battalion on their return from the Mexican

battalion on their return from the Mexican
war.
They carried the precious dust and mug
gets in buckskin pouches to the mint
where it was weighed and coined abso-
lutely without alloy. The mint building
was at that time a considerably more pre-
tentlous structure than it is to-day 1t
was two stories high and contained half
dozen rooms.
The crucibles In which che gold was
melted were in the cellar. The primitive
machine with which the cooling metal was
stamped into coin stood in a back room
OH the first floor. All the work was done
by hand, and every piece of the machin-
cry was made by SAT- Lake artisans OF
necessity, no base metal appeared in the
HilIsNeu product. twenty-five grains of
gold was the equivalent Of a dollar
The man who had 6112 grains turned that
amount over 10 Mr.. Bullock, who sent 1t
at once TO Messrs. Kay and Barlow. 1t
was Immediately melted and turned into
n coin of the value of $3.50 So it was with
the pieces Of larger denomination, and the
mint customer, il he so desired, could fol-
low MS metal with his eyes from his pouch
through the crucib.e, press and stamp.
NO toll was taken out of the gold, the
coinage being absolutely free AT first the
$50 pieces were most plentiful and poDu-
lar. Then q large number of s. coins were
made, and these with the first named
constituted the bulk of the mints work
Not many $40 pieces were minted and the
so coins were stilk fewer.
The mint ceased operations in 1850 be-
cause of the appearance in sufficient guam
titles of United States gold and silver
coins. Although the space Of time since
the last pouch was emptied into Thomas
Bullock $ money mill, as ii was called
is comparatively short, few Of the coins
are known to be in existence to-day. Be
cause Of their purity they wore rapidly,
and as consequence deteTiorated in value
by erosion.
Many OF them were remelted 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
Geneva, Switzerland while in that coun-
try some years ago. f. II. Pierce has one
$50 coin and several others are in possess
sion Of Salt Lakers.
When President Brigham Young died in
1877 his executors in going over his per-
sonal property, found locked strong box.
On forcing the lid a number of the coins
of the period described were found. They
covered all the denominations and were
sold at auction, bringing premium over
their face value. President Young's son,
Apostle Brigham Young, at that time Sc
cured six of the s. denomination, which
he still has. The others were scattered in
such way as TO make it impossible to
trace them.
Two sets Of dies were used for the five
dollar 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
on both sets were imperfect, but the coins
served their day and purpose well. They
passed current at their face value as read
lily outside Of Utah as within its borders.
The California slug circulated also very
freely here, and was used for other pur-
poses besides money. Apostle Brigham