The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-11-03
FORTUNES FOR PENNIES.
Romance Concerning Some Coins
That Were Recently Purchased
at High Prices.

A short time ago a Queen Anne far
thing dated 1913 was sold at Christie's
for G2S los. In view Of the fact that the
coin had seemingly augmented in value
to such an enormous extent ii is inter-
esting to note that had it been invested
at rather less than ~ per cent. on the
day it was issued and the interest that
accrued had also been invested year by
year. the compound interest, plus the
original capital, would now equal the
sum the coin has been sold for.
Early in February last a firm of
American lawyers offered a reward Of
$500 (about e10o) for an American
dime, or ten-cent piece, whose face
value is %fiyepence. The coin, which ac-
cidentally passed into circulation in De-
cember last, is wanted, and evidently
badly wanted, in an important will
case. Descriptions and illustrations of
the coin appeared in many newspapers.
This mysterious coin, which has been
heard of in. several places, but always
evades capture, has already had a novel
and exciting melodrama founded upon
its history. If it had been invested
upon the very day it was struck, and
the interest that accrued had also been
invested, its owner would have had to
purchase with it some security bearing
interest at the rate Of 1903 per cent. per
annum to allow of the principal and
accumulated interest TO equal the re-
ward offered.
Another valuable American coin is
the perfect silver dollar (face value
about four shillings) Of 1904, which
would have had to have been invested
at 7H per cent. on the day it was struck
to allow Of ii and the compound inter-
est to date to amount to the highest
price given for it at a coin auction
namely, 5000. The cause Of its pop
ularity among collectors lies in the fact
that only IS fac-similes exist and each
has a record Of ownership.
This national hunt for a particular
coin recalls a similar search upon a
large scale in France, the coin in ques-
ton being a fve-franc piece. The le-
gend that was the foundation of so
much assiduous search AYERS that Ma
poleon Bonaparte, finding hat a par
ticular issue of five-franc pieces was
hanging fire, let the report be freely
circulated that he had caused an as
signment of 1O0, 600 francs (e4,00O) to
be concealed in one of the new coins
and had afterward had the coin remint-
ed in order 10 make it exactly resemble
its fellows before it was issued to the
public.
As the search necessitated the split
ting open Of the coin and as the value
of the coin when split was but the mar
ket value OF its weight in silver, the
pursuit of the assignment cost the pur-
suer a considerable sum every time
he experimental.
OF expensive pennies there are a large
number. A silver penny Of William the
.Conqueror's reign sold some time ago
for es2; a Stephen and Matilda penny
for e33; a Matilda Oxford penny for
e Se, and a golden penny Of the thir-
century realized at the famous
Montagu sale no less than e250.
But all these pence sink into insig-
nificance when compared TO the famous
Lee penny, which suggested Sir Walter
"Talismar." This emblem, con-
Of u transparent blood-red coll
pred stone Of trefoil shape, set in an
ancient silver coin. supposed to be a
OF Edward is time, is an heir
Of the Lockhart family and was
obtained by a former member of the
from a captive Saracen chief as
part Of his ransom.
It Is supposed to possess certain mag
cal properties and at the time Of the
plague at Newenstle-on-Tyne in
The reign of Charles II. II was lent to
hat city. a guarantee Of 10000 being
given for its return.
Perhaps, however. the most expensive
soin eve sold was the first of the
souvenir silver half dollars coined in
SOP at the Philadelpnia mint, at the
line Of the Columbian exhibition. for
which before il was struck a great type
manufacturing company bid
$4,000. This at the time was said 10 be
the highest price ever paid for any
DIN. modern or antique. London
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