The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23
HUNTING RARE COINS ABROAD.
EUROPE A RICH FIELD FOR AMER.
ICAN COLLECTORS.

the variety OF Certain Old Gems Not AIWays
Appreciate >There-BarEains There
l. fore TO he Had-A Find In an irish
Farmhouse and One In . French Bank
Europe IL the hunting ground Of Aneri-
can ooin collectors said q dealer, and
every one who has the hobby looks forward
with keen delight to the time when he can
ransaok the old stores on the other side
Of the water. Continental coin collectors
take little interest in our coins, and many
opportunities are presented Of getting rare
United States coins at low figure.
1The reason for this indifference 10 our
coins Is simple. While a very few ooin
collectors gather coins Of every period from
all over the world, the great majority oon'
fine their field 10 coins issued by their own
country.
And this same thing is true Of the aver
age American collector. He cares next
70 nothing for English or Continental coins.
Now, there Isn't any doubt that there are
many persons In this country who have In
their possession rare coins Of European
issue that a Continental collector would
almost give an eye 10 get, but upon which
$3.50 ~ phAg = NAlAAhh NeANps
England really is the best field for a
collector from the United States who Is In
search Of bargains, for that country IL the
greatest In q coin collecting way In the
world. Thousands Of collectors and SCORES
Of dealers are TO be found In every town
or city Of consequence. OF course, when
any one Of these collectors comes into pos
session Of an American coin he holds on TO
II, but he takes only a casual interest In It,
and thus II Is that q collector from here can
sometimes secure a rare bargain at almost
his own figure.
There is one well known coin dealer In
London who has hatred for all other cotn
dealers. and II he knows II he will have no
business dealings with them, preferring 70
deal exclusively with private collector.
Thoroughly versed as he Is In every phase
Of the old coin business, still he IL not well
up In American rare coin values. and this
fact Is known to our dealers here.
A dealer from this city. on the lookout
for bargains, walked into his store not
long ago and asked 10 see some American
coins, representing himself a. a collector.
The English dealer brought out about
twenty-five specimens Of early American
copper coins, the greater number Of them
dating from 1893 to 1900. They were all
In superb condition. and every one Of them
was OF a rare variety.
The price for the lot set by the London
dealer was SIS. which he seemed 10 think
was fully what they were worth, but as
a fact this was very low figure for them
The American dealer haggled and dickered
and finally bought the coins for $50.
He brought them back to this country
and in less than a month disposed Of the
IL 4 II =
81 800 Not satisfied with his large profit,
he wrote letter to the London dealer,
telling him Of his bargain. The London
dealer was furious, and sent word back
that II the dealer ever again dared to come
into his store he would have him kicked
out Of Il.
"A short time ago another American
collector, while making a tour Of Ireland,
stopped at a farmhouse. Following a
universal custom with all collectors, he
asked the owner II he had any old coins
for sale.
THE farmer said he thought he had a
few slowed away somewhere that he had
no use for. He rummaged about for
time and then appeared with a small box
which seemed 20 be full Of old Roman coins
which as a rule are scarcely worth any
ing, as enormous numbers Of them are In
existence.
THE collector gave a couple Of dollars
for the lot, thinking there might be some
thing worth keeping. He put the boz
Of coins in his trunk and paid no more at
tentiou to them until he came back from
his trip.
sUp0n examining the coins he was sur
prised to find a beautiful specimen Of a
New York cent Of the date Of 1887, one Of
the rarest Of the colonial coins. This ooin
Is known az the Clinton cant, having been
issued when George Clinton was Governor
OF this State, and bearing his portrait. The
coin was worth up In the hundreds Of dol
lars, but just how much no one knows,
for there are only four Of them known.
"A millionaire collector from one Of the
New England States IL constantly travelling
about trying 10 find coins for his collection.
One Of his special lines Is American gold
coins, and his collection Of these Ia said TO
be the finest In the world
while IN Paris some months ago he told
OF his hobby TO the head Of one Of the large
French banks. The banker said that this
him that In one Of their branch
banks was a $50 gold piece which he could
have at face value, and welcome.
These pieces are octagonRl In shape,
and were issued by private concerns In
California during the days Of 20 and 80,
and they are valued at from 500 20 almost
any reasonable figure. OF course, the
collector did not eat or sleep until he had
located the coveted coin. II was found 70
be Just as represented, In splendid oondi-
tlon. The new owner now Gays that $500
would not buy ii.
And there are hundreds Of other chances
awaiting the lucky man In the thousand
and one old shops IN European cities.