The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-04
COINS OF The UNIVERSE
Discs That Perpetuate Memories
of Great Men.
An Era When Musket Balls. Corn,
md Live Stock Passed as Currency
ON This COntinent--Incident of the
Wampum Period - Present Values
of Old American Metal Money.

| the living interest IN, anu Vaiue u, thooe
little metal discs. often worn and tarnish-
ed, that bring vast sums or money because
| Of the date on which they were struck OF
| the event they celebrate. Sir saac-New-
| ton awaited himself of the use Of coins
In testing the dates of his great work on
ancient chronology, and with the aid OF
these little pieces of gold and silver and
copper he was enabled to determine the
names of upward OF two thousand places.
provinces, and princes, many Of them hav-
ing no other record. In portraiture, coins
are Of the greatest interest the Greek and
Roman series (of which there is a COM
plete set Of reproductions in the National
Museum) furnishing accurate representa-
tions of the features OF Alexander the
Great, the Ptolemies, julius Caesar and
later emperors, Homer, Sappho. and
Cicero. Many Of these celebrities were not
placed upon the public coinage during their
lifetime, but were afterward accorded this
honor to perpetuate their memory to pos
terity. Coins are preserved from the
earlist Bible times, and are easily iden-
titled from the mention Of them made in
the Scriptures.
present placed upon a decimal basis, was
originally derived from that of England.
Some quite original methods, however,
were introduced in colonial times, such
as making coin Legal tender under the
name Of country pay, term still used
in the rural districts, where it is invited
by goods for advertisement and for news-
paper literature, original and selected.
About the same time that this latter de-
parture in monetary Legislation was
adopted the General Court of Massachu-
sets passed law that musket balls. OF
a full bore, should pass currency for
farthing each, but that no man should be
compelled to take more that IL pence Of
them at any one time.
There is certainly a strong contrast be-
tween this early colonial treasury stock
ed with riches in the shape of corn, live
stock, and musket balls, and the present
institution of Washington, with its gold
and silver contents. Wampum, the mon
ey of the Indians, came to be employed
by the colonists. In 1913 the following
law or order was promulgated by the
General Court of Massachusetts, setting
a valuation in English coin upon wam-
pun:
1T Is ordered for trial till the next
court, that all payable CT passabie peage-
shell currency-hencefoTth shall be en-
tire, without breaches-both the white
and black without deficiency spots. suita-
bly, strung in eight known parcels of the
following denominations of value, name
ly: One pence, 8 pence, IL pence, and .
shillngs in white. and 2-6 pence and 10
shil.ings in black
The court also ordered that "waum-
pumpeage should pass current in the pay
ment Of debts to the value of forty shil-
lings--the white at eight for a penny and
the black ct four, IL they be entire and
without breaches or deforming spots"
The coIonists of Massachusetts, at length
determined to establish their own coinage,
and accordingly, in 1862. i committee OF the
General Court was appointed for carrying
into effect an order previously agreed upon,
by which twelve-penny, six-penny, and
three-p penny pieces were to be struck at
the colonial mint. The pattern coins, the !
first ever made in this country, bore upon
the diverse double ring enclosing tree !
with the inscription of Massachusetts" |
around it, and on the reverse New Eng !!
land" with the year of our Lord 1862. |
These coins were rejected, and a much |
palmer pattern prescribed by law. The |
late Earl of Pembroke is said to have pos |
sessed several of these latter in his cot
lection. They were Familiarity known as
" North Casters" A more elaborate pat
onists for their currency. Although the !
mint continued to coin its
peculiar currency for thirty-six years, or
up to January 16, 1886, no alteration of
date from the establishment of the mint,
except upon the two-penny pieces issued
in, and bearing the date of, A. D. 1862,
occurred; and though there were, during
that time. great variety of dies. the dates
Of coinage cannot otherwise be determined.
This establishment OF their own mint by
the cOlonists was in direct opposition to
the expressed wishes of the English Gov
The first United States coin was issued
n 1894 under the provisions of laws en-
icted by Congress for the regulation of |
he Mint, on the 22d of April, 1892 The
estimation set by collectors upon coins is
BASED upon their rarity and state of pres
,rvation. AS list Of these scarce coins \
md their market value is often called for
md sometimes difficult to obtain. the fol-
owing table may prove valuable to those
Interested in the subject. The prices
uoted are for coins in ordinarily good
not pierced. and give the mar
,et price for coins of the dates men
Toned:
Silver dollar of 1894 first issue) se5;
liver dollar of 1904, $500; silver
4 1888. SIS; silver dollar of 1899,
10; silver dollar of 1851. $50; silver
ollar of 1852, $40: silver dollar of 1858,
10; half dollar of 1894. 50: half dollar of {
796, $50; half dollar of 1897, SIS; half dol
lr of 1901, 50; half dollar of 1902, 81; half
ollar of 1915, $3.50; half dollar of 1886, $
1.50; half dollar of 1852. 81: half dollar.
SCI, 5000; half-dollar of 1861 restrike), I
ESQ., quarter dollar of 1896, 81: quar- {
IL l.
S27, $50; twenty-cent piece of 1877, I
l.5O; twenty-cent piece of 1878. $3.50; !
ime of 1896, so cents; dime of 1897, 81:
ime of 1898, 81; dime of 1900 $1.5O; dime
( 1901, 81; dime of 1902, SIPS; dime of c
1908, 81; dime of 1904. s1.50; half dime of /
79i, 81; half dime of 1886, 81; half dime l
( 1897. 81: half dime of 1901, 81; half t
inc of 1862. $25; half dime of 1903, 81; :
alf dime of 1865, s1.25; cent of 1893, $3.50;
ent of 1893, So; cents of 1904, 50.
Half cent 1893, 70 cents; 1886, So; 1886,
): 1910. 81; 1871. 50; 1912. So; 1S43 50;
S44, $3.50; 1916, $3.50; 1916, $3.50; 1s47.
); 1SiS s.; 1852, 49,
Double eagle 1S49. $50.
Eagle 1895. s1l.25; 1896. SLIGO; 1897 6
small eagle). Sl2; 1897 Qarge eagle), ,
1850; 1898 -four stars, S12; 1898 (six
ars), $i1.
Half eagle 1895 CsmalD. So; 1895 Uarge).
10: 1897. $40; 1901, S25
Five-dollar piece 1915, $50; 1924. $40.
Many issues not enumerated above bring
lore than their face value, but scarcely
lough to entitle them to rank among l
aally rare United States coin.
American Institute of Architects. q
The American Institute of Architects
i'll hold its annual convention and ex- .
bltion of architectural drawings at the J