The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-07-05
COMMISSIONER IRWIN's FIND
Hoed the Garden and Found Money
Long Lost-A Queer Coin.

w u1lC uS dCSO POteieO~S1
er day, Commissioner Irwin made a
find of money that has been long
lost. The find consisted of a single
coin of the denomination OF $40,
and it is such piece as people now
adays never see. Though II IS
American money, its appearance IS
so unlike the S1o-pieces OF the
present day, that no one would
recognize it as such, save that on
it's face the coin bears the legend,
"Ten Dollars" Its date IS 1852,
and the circumstances connected
with its discovery, as well as the
character of the coin, leads to be-
lief that the piece has been lying in
thevicinity of where twas found for
nearly, if not, quite half a century.
The queer coin was found IN a
potato patch on the farm Of Mrs
Elizabeth Irwiu, twelve miles south
of Corvallis. The potato plat IS an
acre in extent, and it is about 800
yards to the eastward Of Mrs r.
wins residence. It is on land that
used to be known as the Ike Win
kle place. Through the spot, the
old stage road used to run, 40 or
SO years ago. That was in the
golden days when Oregon was
frontier with more Indians than
whites, and when packers and min
ers travelled to and from the newly
discovered gold diggings Of CALI
ornia. There was a little log cab
in on the spot then, and a stream
Of water near afforded the travellers
a stopping place, privilege CT
which many and many stranger,
tradition says, availed themselves.
The theory is that some fine day
away back in the Fifties, possibly
'53, 81, or IS, miner or packer
or Benton county settler, returning
from California carnped at the cabin.
He had with him, not only the
buckskin sack Of gold dust that
was everywhere in circulation, but
in addition had a stock. \oi the
$40 gold pieces that the new mint
! at San francisco had at the time
lust begun to manufacture out q
pure California gold. And, while
! he refreshed himself, the coin that
| Because Of its unusual appearance
! is now accounted queer, was drop
ped, there to lay un0bservod ana
/ Unclaimed, until Commissioner II
wiu's hoe brought il to view, q Gay
or two ago.
The plat where the coin was
! found has been continuously seeded
| and worked for the past 10 years
| or more. Sometimes il has beer
! a garden fer two o. three years.
| and then has been seeded 70 oats.
| OF wheat or grasses or hay. Al
most every returning season in the
tir1e the plat has been pIoughed an
worked and IN every rornd Of sol
/ cultivation, the lost coin has doubt
! less always been stirred OF moved
i but not before SO that the eye 0
man betald it. The nan for ii
stance. who last p7a1a4i the pota
toes GOT very close - 14e lest ,gOlC
piece, for tho no i the cohlmis
sioner p,illeal .-.t from under (
potato vine, aud from a depth 0
perhaps an inch below the surface
The old coin has peculiar ap
pearanca. It IS very much ighte
: in coscr laan the usual American
gold plc,e, On one sideit has al
eagle, Ind it is a queer looking
eagle. The bird is very small, ant
: its Wings hang much lower thai
they hang on the eagles on coin
= nowadays, as though the birt
might be in distress, instead Of boll
and couchanr as they ought to be
Tie figure IS IN ali respects NOR
! crude and rough than the gracefu
! bird that We are accustomed to see
On the same side are the words
United States Of America, ten dol
lars" the letters forming a clrcl
n almost around the face of the coin
g Above the eagle is this inscription
f 1884 Thous.'
5 The other side Of the COIN IS ev
en- more strange. No goddess c
liberty with a wreath encirclln;
her brow IS there. In fact, t1er
is. no symbolic figure at all on tia
S side. Instead the surface is check
2 cred with little squares made wit
very 6ne lines that cross each otFe
like the wires in a sieve. Acros
. The center IS a plain band, and O
L L tfis band are the words, Unite
} States Assay Office O. gold, 8a
- Francisco, California, 1852" Til
words Of course indicate that IL
coin was made al The San Francis
! co mint, and that the 1852 was tn