The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-30
A DOLLAR OF 1894.
Curious History of Valuable Coin
 Believed to be Genuine

Curious History of a Valuable Coin
 Believed to be Genuine.
 Captain Abbott, of the Secret Service
 department, had in his possession re-
 gently an alleged 1894 dollar that has
 set many secret service men to work.
 If the dollar is genuine it is one of the rare coins of the United States and is | worth about thirty-flve hundred dollars | to collectors. If it is bogus it will get some one into trouble.
 In 1894 the government issued nine teen hundred silver dollars For some reason or other 1t was decided to recall the issue; l ,S96 of the dollars were re- turned to the treasury and destroyed. Four of the dollars remained in circu- lation. AS soon as this became known the value of these dollars took a jump, and since that item collectors have anxiously sought after them. It is claimed that one of the original coins is still missing. There have been many commercials of the dollars, but they
 were so poor that they were soon de- tected However, Captain Abbott is
 unable to tell whether or not this 1904
 dollar is genuine. As result it was
 forwarded to the chief of the Secret Service department at Washington.
 The coin in question was obtained by the government officials from B. H. Smith, at Lima, O., a few days ago. upon the suppositon that it was counterfeit Smith was taken to Tole- do. It is said that he is gambler who travelled all over the state While on one of his trips he went to Lima, where he became stranded He partook heav- fly of morphine, it s claimed, and act ed strangely. Smith visited a pawn broker, and wanted to pawn the sup posed 1894 dollar for twenty-five dol lars. The pawnbroker knew the value of the 1894 dollar and became suspi- cious, and reported the matter to the police, who in turn reported to the United States authorities. The latter decided to arrest Smith, as they were strongly of the opinion that the dollar was a counterfeit.
 Smith is now in jail at Toledo await ing the decision as to whether or not the dollar is counterfeit. The whole case against Smith hinges upon this decision. Captain Abbott and District Attorney Sullivan were of the opinion that the dollar was genuine money of another date, but that it's figures had been changed to read "1S04." A close of the coin, however failed to esta blish this theory
 Smith claims that he got the dollar from school teacher at Hamilton, O., who was in hard luck one day and gave him the coin as security for twenty-five dollar loan The teacher failed to redeem the coin, according to Smiths story. The teacher was sent for and he appeared before the author ities at Toledo. He was asked haw he came into possession of the dollar, and he then told rather strange story.
 Smith claimed that the teacher had | told him he had had several such dol | lars made in Cincinnati every year, and | sold them. The authorities do not be- | ieve this
 The teacher explained that he got the 3oin from an old German farmer in the southern part of the state, at whose lome he stopped one night while out on l hunting trip. During the evening the i subject of old coins was discussed. dur ng which the German said he had piece of money that was a rec He hen went to a drawer and took out this 04 dollar. The teacher asked the old nan how much he would take for it. I've been offered S1.20 for it." the far ner replied, not knowing it's real worth.