The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-09

age
1t was on October 10, 1894. that the
first few hundred silver dollar pieces
ever coined at the Philadelphia Mint
were seut out into the world To help
| transact it's business
Not at all bad, oklng coins we're the
first of the United States silver dollars
they were almost as handsome as any
! that have ever beenput out by this gov
| ernment. and that is saying o good deal,
| for American coins have generally
! ranked among the most gO0ily 10 look
upon OF any In the world. The dollar
! Of 1924. however, would took strange to
modern eyes. In the first place, the
value of the piece was not shown upon
eitf7er. the diverse or the reverse of the
coin. but stampe- In fine letters ON its
edge were the words, Hundred cents.
one dollar or unit" on the obVerSs was
a Liberty head. facing right, with flow
ing hair: over the head was the word
Liberty" beneath i'm the usual place,
was the date 1874" and TO the right
and left were the stars, fifteen i'm num-
Der, typical Of the number OF states in
the then young Union.
ON the reverse was a spread eagle
surrounded by laurel wreaths. crossed,
and the words. United States Of Amer
lea" The metal was S94i-thousandths
fineness. and the weight 4l6 grains
The dollar OF today 'ghs 412 grains.
and is s0O-thOusandths fine The ratiD
between United States gold and silver
coinage was as 10 to l in 1894. now IL is
as l6 To l. Then coinage ratio con-
formed to the commercial ratio; now
it does not. and that is what is caus-
ing most Uf the present trouble about
the currency. But. as a certain East |
TpIfu,, I'ppylf. /. l,to1 an xk-DIId f"Nhat &
another story"
In 11S2. six years after the DecIara- |
ton Of Independence. and twelve years |
before the first silver dollars were ac- !
tually turned out Robert Morris, then |
head Of the Finance Department sub |
mitted 10 Congress "a scheme for the s.
adjustment If a United states mint |
ana the coinage of various demon ma |
ions OF metal w rnoN. ir"uding silver |
lollars The authorship OF this plan was |
laimed by Gouverneur Morris. a rela- /
i've of the man who proposed IL. II |
vas received with Some favor, and the |
year Congress author Zed the /
rectior ef "a mint. But nothing came I
4 Il then. CbicctiorS. chiefly on the |
round OF cXpenSa being raised in many /
uartcrs
In 1885 Thomas Jerrcrs submitted /
heme proVi fiug fvr the COINAGE OF /
lrs. double q mes ara dimes ani cop- |
,'r cents and hair cents. In t1SG Con |
.ress adopted tbs plan. and queer /
ooking cents and half cents were /
ornod under is provisions Inasmuch /
ls there was tNen no federal min. how /
'vcr. tho strikirv of these pieces was |
1T lut hv cr'tr1ct 90 a man named I
Jarvis. who d,d the work ir the I'D Coz /
bnial wi1ts str7to1 az New Haven. |
Torr. rp1 Ruuer. VI
In l-H' tho 0rei T'rited states min. \
,as, hjiiH af rhUa 1elphia II w7s /
gnau oil '.snlno q three. tory 7n'ir. /
,r lt v"s usI1crc1 y area instiiu- /
Ion Hv tt' "'t7ane q the ynIns r'1 ,N- 1
De-. 'et "'. 'fV th se who .hane ~ i' joe I
, ,1rf'rg th'u. however. to deubro I
ID O. bD us. ..se pie,' 80 oNtr'e. sfr +
, s.ft .o'IrF s'v,.ru ht D stiiu. 10. /
s.1f u uth.
% va. W I.V &C.,. th4i CorZi d
sl.rai o. tra ltrr tttutJ f-..i ,-- 4
.,tfl ba cone 8 .rt .h f..f ~ f.t.4,t. f
,rIn9ge 1rt r-i.-.l itlt au r...-.ss
'or,nr's uust b. krp, 3cD. ~1're Cd. tha
iorlnlt svstcm
nDuffft. unN .nr.. ,..f.f..F "a ult IN 81.