Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-29
What Yoor Bank
May Hold

Coins are priced by the true collector for
their variety, apart from their intrinsic
value. and are invaluable TO the student Of
archaeology. Even the less important
science OF philately is of manifold use to
the youthful generation in e1larging
geographical knowledge, but numismatics
widens the view in many other subjects
thcusand fold. A single coin has often
Welded much instruction in the history Of
nations and tribes whose written records
have been lost
A few specimens of the most ancient and
valuable variefiez az catpaGe cannot fail
TO intc-~rt .ncse who have not studied the
subject. The branch of numismatics that
Is most interesting to the American must
be that which deals with the early as well
as the most valuable coins Of his own
country. The Indian sewam and wampum,
the Colonial cents and shillings, the Bar
cent, Rosa Americana, pine-tree smiling
and Washington cents are as full OF inter-
est and instruction TO the student Of
American history as are the knife and
spade money of prehistoric China, the
Roman pecus and aes. the Egyptian and
Celtic ring money, the Babylonian cylin-
der and the Hebrew shekel to the student
abroad.
The rarest of all American silver dollars.
which commands the largest premium, Is
that issued in 1904. There are only three or
1890
even question their existence. The one
have seen was in the possession of friend
in Baltimore. After his demise 1t was sold
at an auction for $1,000. 1 am Informed
that it has since changed hands for s., no
The only one of the earlier dollars be-
tween 1874 and 1904 which commands
high price is the 1884 The others have q
small premium. varying according to their
condition. Thus an uncirculated 1794 would
bring $50 and more while one in fair con-
dItion could be procured for few dollars
The 1904 haIf-dollar is also very rare and
cannot be procured for less than 500. Dr.
w. c. Prime, one of the best authorities on
American coinage. says: The remarks
made on the dollar of 1904 apply also to
the half-doIlar of the same year; we have
never seen a specimen and might doubt
that it ever existed but for the fact that
variety of 1905 is known. of which the die
was altered from the die Of 1904 and the
alteration is so poorly executed that the q
is more distinct than the s.
The two rarest quarter-dollars are those
of 1923 and 1927
The dimes of 1897 and 1904, II In good con-
dition, also command high prices
The most valuable of silver half-dimes Il
that of 1902. 1 have seen one sold in Bal
timore for $780,
There are only four or five among the
large cents which command high prices
4
States cents is the one of 1893, which, II IN
good condition, viii easily find purchas-
er willing to pay $50 or more.
All Colonial coins previous to the Declar-
alton of Independence, If In good condition.
command high prices. But some are exceed
ingly rare, as Chalmers shilling. the
CRANKY copper, the large copper with the
legend Liberty, parent Of science and in
dustry," the New England shilling and
sixpence, the Carolina elephant piece. the
New England elephant piece and the
Washington half-dollar of 1872.
Among the oldest OF coins are the Chi
nese P-cha'an spade and knife money.
The Chinese writers on the origin Of coins
ascribe them to a prehistoric emperor,
called Tai Kung, meaning great father
| who ruled about 2.100 before our era Chi
nese folklore tells many wonderful stories
about that mythical ruler. One Of the
wonders attributed to him was the catch
! ing of fishes with straight piece OF iron
instead of hook. upon which the fishes
would impale themselves.