Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-12-21
AMERICAN GOLD COINS.
The First $40 Piece Dates From 1895
and $50 Fem 1s4o.

The First $40 Piece Dates From 1895
and 500 Fam 1e49.
Some people entertain the notion
hat the American Government began
the coinage of gold and silver cur
rency in 1916: but this is mistake,
for at that time and for some years
sfter the currency q. this country
consisted entirely of scrip. The first
copper pennies were coined In 1898.
the first silver in 1894, and in the
year following the first gold coins
($10 pieces) were struck by the Amer
lean Government. Today these gold
coins are exceedingly rare and worth
their face value several times over.
They are Of exactly the same size as
modern silver half dollar, and on
first glance one is tempted to believe
that they contain more gold than the
mdoern $40 gold coins, but a careful
comparison of the two reveals the
fact that there is no difference as to
weight. The difference Hes in the
fact that the modern $40 gold piece
Is very thick, whereas the first coins
minted in 1895 are exceedingly thin.
The latter bears on its face Dust
of the Goddess of Liberty, altogether
unlike the lady which one encounters
on modern American coins. She is
big and fat and snub-nosed, and her
Phrygian cap is of such size and
shape and worn in such peculiar
manner that she looks more like a fat
Dutch frau. wearing sunbonnet,
than she does like the presiding gen
ius of great Nation. Over the head
of the portly divinity are the thirteen
stars representing the States Of the
infant republic.
On the back Of this coin there is
what purports to be an eagle, holding
in its talons an olive branch and in
its beak wreath OF laurel. That Is
all. The eagle was so atrocious. how
ever, and looked so much more like
buzzard or a f1y-up-the-creek than it
did like the monarch of the air, that
in 1897 new issue Of gold $40 pieces
was struck, bearing the same obese
Goddess Of Liberty on the face. but
genuine eagle on the back. The lat
ter is the familiar spread eagle" of
our Government seals and stamps.
bearing upon its breast the shield.
with the Stars and Stripes; In its left
claw a sheaf of arrows, and In the
right laurel wreath.
One can readily imagine mat an
eagle must have been pretty bad for
the people of 1875 (who wore powder
ed wigs and took snufi) to have found
fault with 1t, and SO it was; but when
our forefathers improved in this mat.
ter they did very well indeed, and the
spread eagle Of 1897, with outstretch-
ed wings and bearing in its bill the
e Pluribus Unum scroll, which result
ed from their efforts, has endured
from that day to this.
In the 1897 $40 piece the thirteen
stars were changed from the face to
the back. where they have ever since
remained. It was not. however, until
the year 1866 that the motto of IN
God We Trust" was placed above the
eagle, and beneath the thirteen stars,
upon the American gold and silver
coins.
Until 1S49, when gold was discover
ed in California, the United States
Government coined no gold pieces
higher than SO; but along toward
the latter part Of 1S49 one $40 gold
piece was struck by way Of expert
ment. Only this single $40 gold piece
was at that time struck, and 1t is to-
day the only 1s49 double eagle in the
world. 1t reposes in the mint at Phil
adelphia. and asthough collectors have
offered large sums for It, the Govern
ment has refused to part with it. II
the year following. 1850. the Govern
ment turned out large number. Of
double eagles, which 1t has kept VI
ever since. The handsomest of the
gold coins Issued by the American
Government is undoubtedly the 50
gold token issued during the period
from 1854 to 1889. This Is the coin
which bears on its face the bust Of
an Indian princess, which, despite the
fact that It is artistically perfect, is
ethnologically incorrect, for the rea
son that the princess wears a head
dress Of ostrich plumes, bird indig
enous to South Africa, and with which
the aborigines were not at all famil
iar.-Washington Post.