The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04
A WALLrSTREET NUMISMATIST


culiar to Himself.
New York Commercial
There is coin-collector in this town
who hauntc the neighborhood of the WASH
ington statue in front of the sub-treasury.
He says that more men and women with
rare coins to sell pass around the four cor
ners of Wall and Nassau and Broad in
the course Of a day than be found in
any other one quarter of New York. He
is a sallow-faced man. with a glazed shirt
front that bulges out so far that you sus-
pect he is padded and his coat sleeves are
about four inches too long for his arms.
But he has the cash with which to pay
for rare coins, and he says that he can
spot a. person with coin to sell fully two
blocks away. He il an intelligent man
and q go95 talker.
The value of coins. he explained the 9TH
er day, is of course enhanced by age. but
like many another object dear to the col
lector. their price fuctuates. How to fix
the value of a particular specimen is often
difficult matter. ''Sir Mountstuart
Grout-Duff," says our Wall street oracle,
waxing reminiscent, has noted a curious
instance of this character. A Jew brought
from Bokhara one of the great gold coins
of Eucratides, weighing about twenty Of
our sovereigns. Approaching the fond
ness of the West for curious objects. he
commenced operations by demanding s42,-
900 for IL. There was no bidder at this
price in Paris so he went to England and
tackled the British Museum people. He
asked and was informed what was its in
trinsic value. Well. when was il struck?
he queried. Again the Information was
forthcoming, upon which he confessed him.
self willing to take interest at 5 per cent.
from that date Eventually 1t changed
hands for fl3,O00. More recent sales of
old coins have shown that for rare and
curious specimens diamond price is easily
obtainable.
while we have all been watching with
interest the doings of the Emperor Meme
liks troops against the Mullah, few have
imagined that that excellent soldier may
have been experiencing trouble over the
payment of his men. Money trouble is
chronic in Abyssinia-the i'll Is known else
where, but not in the same way. The only
coins current are dollars OF the Maria
Theresa 1850 description, and the value of
these varies alarmingly. Nomnally. they
are the exchange for rs 10d, but in parts
in the Abyssinian territory they run nine
to the sovereign. Even when a native has
been induced to agree upon the proper rate
of exchange, he will quarrel with his dol
lar, declaring the coin too old or too new,
Maria's nose too long or lacking in length,
her shoulder too high, or her necklace in
sufficiently adorned with jewels. The en-
peror tried some time ago to Introduce a
new dollar. and had thirty thousand fash
toned in Paris-coins which would rejoice
the numismatists heart. But they failed
TO catch on
Perhaps the gentleman who is bemoan-
ing the loss of his collection may find COM
fort in the story OF a strange disappearance
and recovery OF a coin of rare value. Cen
eran Fox, a great connoisseur, called at the
British Museum 10 examine the coins there,
and. when about TO leave, was informed
that coin was missing. and that he must
allow himself to be searched before quitting
the room. This he refused to do, and adj
vised careful examination of the case in
which the coin had lain. His advice was
acted upon by the attendant There. in the
case, wedged between the velvet lining and
the woodwork. the fugitive piece was dis
covered. Vibration had caused IL 10 slip
from its place. Now. said the general, L
will show you why.I refused to be searched
So saying, he produced from his pocket a
coin exactly corresponding with the lost and
found. There were, he said, far he
knew. only these two in existence, and he
had come specially TO compare his own
with that possessed by the museum authori-
ties