The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-22

records: that II existed In lsl, depends the evil
dence OF an engraving, first published in that year
by Eckfeidt and Du Bots In their Manual presum-
ably from In the mint Mr.. Fexsens illustration
in the number OF the Journal shows By the
style OF the edge nliiIings clearly as thing
that dies for those ls0+ dollars which be
traced directly TO the United States mint and which
have unatered dates must have been cut between
1895 and 1872 Neither dollar die dollar dated 1904
with the earlier style Of milling 10 known. The
iscting coins for years tsince lsl0 and
stantiv watching for its appearance. did obtain
his dollar OF this date until May is4s when IT
handed him at the mint. he tells by one Of its
officers II had the beaded edge with raised rim,
used in 1896 and later not the radia lines in
up 1srs: moreover. 4. was proof impression. Can
II be doubted that 1t a trial impression recen,
dies? This believe to be the earliest reliable ac-
count of one that can be certainly traced the
mint.
The question how II CHANGED be there in 1913
and the origin Of the dies from which, some years
after, few impressions surreptitiousiy struck
without tbs ettered edge TO be painfully gathered
In little 1ater-a story OF which the less said the
better-Mr Nexsen does not discuss. We expect
that these dies the experimental work Of some
mint engraver In 1895 a little later study OF
national coinage clearly shows that at that time new
influences came In. This is evident 10 the most
superficial observer for the genius of Gobrecht il
manifest in the treatment of their devices After
thirty years OF adherence the earlier types we
have a departure. II may be that a return to
something of the freedom Of the head OF 1876
contemplated: at any rate the buxem maiden who
had held her place so long was discarded Changes
made In the head the cents of lsa5: others
found In the remodeled Liberty Cap the half
dollars of 1885, In Liberty seated rn the haIfdimeS
and dimes Of 1851 the quarters OF is3S and the Co
brecht dollars Of 1855 and their cessors We are
therefore strongly inclined to believe that some
point during this period Of decided change. which
was shortly before Eokfeldts Manual" appeared =
to be placed the true date when these dies
graved We recall the story that the set sent the
Imam OF Muscat I'm President Jackson's time IL
peculiarly fmythicaliy?) said to have contained an
1904 dollar: know Of authority for this state
ment: II the piece there 1t IS there no
longer az shown In the journal many years
ago. But were one sent, II may well have been
a trial piece from the experimental dies and would
therefore correspond to restrike. or, better.
hapH a coin restored at that very period Jack
sons expired In ls37. We therefore believe that
the more the matter Is Investigated the hrmer viii
be the conviction that all the genuine 1904 dollars
struck the mint coined between 1886 and is42
One of the editors OF the Journal reached this
cIusfon some years ago: the other. more skeptica
Gent traditions than his associate finally
WINGED Of Mr.. Ncxsens discoveries That the
of what are undoubtsd mint issues bearing this date
though not struck In 1904 believe, will be
luctant accept these opinions Is TO be expected.
but we have little doubt that in time such will be
the final conclusion Of all who take the trouble o
study the history Of these pieces In the meantime
the Journal confidently Asserts that there is no
dollar Of 1904 which struck In that year by the
United States mint. The dies were destroyed abou.
1869