The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-31
COMMUNICATING RARE
COINS IS IMPOSSIBLE

and the old man told their history, which
went something like this:
Back in the early los farm seeker.
with the family and all his effects in
prairie schooner, came to a halt at a ferry
landing on the eastern side of a river in
Kansas. The man was at the end of his
financial resources. and the only thing in
the way of money he had left was large
silver dollar of 1904
He persuaded the ferryman to take his
outfit across in his fiatboat and left with
him this dollar, which the pioneer said
was rare one, worth ten or twelve dol
lars back in the states, and he made the
ferryman promise to hold the coin until
he called for It and paid the price of the
ferriage.
THE owner of the dollar never called.
After keeping the dollar for many years
the feryman died and his son disposed of.
it to the present owner, who had picked
It up for the bargain price of $780, The
ferryman's son. who was good-natured
fellow gave the buyer as good measure
the 1858 half dollar, which he said was
also rare coin.
Now that was a very likely story and
ought to sell any coin. but not here in the
east. They were both very fine speci-
ments and they looked good to the eye,
but they were both limitations, and not
worth any more than the metal of which
they were made, except as curiosties.
1.-The 1904 dollar was one altered from
1901 which a glance at the reverse show
ed although the substituted a would
have given the thing away. for this last
figure was raised very perceptibly higher
than the 1880 =.
LAS for the 1853 half dollar, it bore no
arrow points on either side of the date,
for the very simple reason that they
had been rubbed away. The work had
been done very cleverly and thoroughly.
One would hardly suspect that it had
ever borne arrow heads for there was
no indication left to show this, but the
industrious workman had forgotten to
rub away the rays behind the cable on
the reverse of the coin.
There were two varities of half dollars
made in 1853 One, the common variety,
had arrow points on either side of the
date, while on the reverse rays shot out
in all directions at the back of the eagle.
The other variety. which is the valuable
one had neither rays nor arrows. =
Attempts have been made TO initiate
the cent of 1916. No cents were issued in
that year, and yet, l have seen a dozen
specimens bearing that date.
Now the latter day imtators have
taken up the task of adding mint letters
to certain coins to make them resemble
rare varieties. The accumulation of coins
bearing these mint marks is taking a
good deal of the attention of collectors
nowadays, and the imitators think they
have an easy field, but their time is simp-
Iy wasted for their productions meet with
no better success than the imitation OF
the earlier coins and can be singled out
in a moment.
THE coin most often initiated is the
half dollar of 1888, made at New Orleans.
There were only twenty of these coined,
and each one is worth from $40 to Sloo.
To all appearances this coin is just the
same as many others issued at other
branch minis during the same year, with.
the exception of the tiny % beneath the
bust.
From time to time persons have taken
an ordinary half dollar Of this date and
with infinite pains have supplied 1t with
this mint letter. In the majority of cases
the work has been done so skilfully that
the letter has every appearance of genu-
ineness to the novice, but almost invari-
ably the letter is located in a spot differ
emit from that occupied by the % on the
genuine coin.
Even II the imitator took care to place
the mint letter In its proper position there
are other points of difference in the dies
which reveal the fact that the coin has
been tempered with