The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-09
WE USE A BILLION PENNIES.
Some of the United States Coins That
Are Eagerly Sought For.

The demand for 1-cent pieces is SO
great that the Philadelphia mint IS
compelled to turn out nearly 4,OOOOOo
per month to keep up the supply.
There are at present something like
/. 900 900 600 pennies in circulation.
If you want to exchange a 500 Dill
for pennies you would get ten gooo
large bags full of coppers.
Nickel and copper coins have no mint
marks. neither have coins issued at the
PHILADELPHIA, mint Collectors often pay
high prices for coins bearing certain
mint marks. which otherwise would not
have been worth more than their lace
value
The first United States cents struck
for circulation bear the date 1873. Ihey
are of six varieties, and are valued at
$3.50 to 1925.
OF United States silver coins the
most valuable is the dollar of 1904. It's
value to collectors is $1,000. No other
dollars are worth more than about $50.
Fourteen of these 1904 dollars are
known to exist.
More rare are the New York doub-
lgloons. coined in 1887, of which only five
are known to exist. On one side OF
this rare and curious coin is a picture
of the sun rising over a mountain sur
grounded by the legend, Nova Eboraca
TJACSlSlOI. DOAO" -
name of the designer, "Brasher." The
other side has the original form of the
national motto, "Unum e Pluribus
There is an heraldic eagle. on one wing
of which are the letters E.. B., the de-
signer's initials. These coins are worth
about $500. The last one sold brought
1927. It had belonged to an old Mary
land family ever since it was coined.
The SIS gold piece of 1922 is a rare
txUn said
to be in existence; one in the Philadel-
phia mint, the other in Boston, but a
third was picked up in a New York
money changers shop a few years ago.
Il was afraid at first that it might
be a counterfeit" said the collector of
coins who happened to spy it. The man
was so delighted to secure it that be-
fore leaving the shop he bought sew
eral other coins which he didn't want.
He paid only Sc for it. The same day
he was offered $3.50; later $3.50 was Of
fered by another gentleman; 5000 by
another one, but the gentleman at last
accounts, was holding it for 81, 900.
One of the most sought after colonial
coins is the Highly copper. Ehey We're
struck in 1877 by Samuel Highly. who
was physician and a blacksmith at
Cranky, Conn. He got the copper from
mine near by and shaped the coins
at MS Jorge.
About nine years ago a silver shekel
was found in Texas which dates back
to 142 B. c. Its intrinsic value is about
so cents; it's value to collectors $1,000.
One of the earliest known coins is a
didrachm of ancient Aegina, coined
about 700 B. c. Its intrinsic value is
80 cents; it's market value $1,000.
The coins spoken of in the Bible are
shekels, which were of silver; the wild
ow's mite, the tribute penny and the
"Judea CAPITA the bronze coin struck
by the Emperor Titus to commemorate
the destruction of Jerusalem and the
dispersion of the Jews.
In Japan coins are generally of iron,
and in Siam they are chiefly of porce-
lain Whales teeth form the coinage
of the Fiji islands They are painted
white and red, the red teeth being
worth about twenty times as much as
the white. These teeth are worn as a
necklace instead of carried in pocket
book.
The entire collection of coins and
medals in the British museum consists
of 250,000 specimens, and is one of the
finest collections in the world. At the
Philadelphia mint is good collection
of American coins. but the government
only allows it $500 a year to buy coins
with The British government spends
S. 900 a wear for coins.