The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-01-26
MEN WHO CORNERED COINS
IN SOME INSTANCES THIS HAS
BEEN DONE WITH PROFIT.

Criminal SWindIed CredutouS FedS-
ants-A Remarkable Case That Oc-
CURED in South Russia Two Years
Ago.
Nearly every one nas come across
individuals who are under the delus-
ion that English 1861 pennies contain
a large percentage of gold, says Tit
Bits. The gold, of course, is non-ex-
istent But that fact has not pre-
vented many estimable individuals
collecting all the 1861 pennies they
could lay their hands upon with a
view to melting them down. A Brad
last year, used to boast that he pos
sessed 1000. He estimated their
value at E135.
In small towns it is quite possible
to corner, for a limited period, coins
of any one denomination At a Welsh
holiday resort the local band was so
indignant at the large proportion OF
halfpennies in its silver collections"
that it locked up every nalfpenny re-
ceived In a few weeks there was
hardly halfpenny in the town, and
the band thenceforth reaped har-
vest of pennies. A Manchester man
was so struck by the inconvenience
which resulted that, on returning
home, he opened Copper Change
where, for a small commission, he re-
ceivedt packages of pence from those
whose business brought them in too
many giving them silver in exchange
In 1899 an Irishman of Cashel made
a bet that thirty single shillings
could not be got in all the snops on
certain day. For days in advance
he changed innumerab1e sovereigns
and bank notes, thus cornering prac-
tically all the silver. He won his bet,
his opponent, who was of course, in
ignorance of the trick, being able to
Scrape together only eleven shillings.
Cornering coins with criminal in
tent led to a Bayonne Frenclman
named Bornier getting five months
Imprisonment in August last. Bornier
cornered several thousand 1888 sou
pieces, and sold them at fifty CEN
times Go cents) each to simple-mind-
ed peasants, by declaring that the
French Government was going to
make each sou bearing the date token
money for one franc. He swindled
over 200 persons before being appre-
hended.
The ordinary type of the 1887 six
pence, though worth nothing more
than it's nominal value, has been al
most completely cornered by num-
Der of individuals who believe that it
will rise in price as memento of
Queen Victorias jubilee. Of the tens
of thousands issued from the mint few
specimens are now in circulation.
Cornering gold coins demands
capital which few men possess. At
Dieppe, however, some years ago,
there was a sudden scarcity of ten
franc and twenty franc pieces, which
was traced to an american visitor
named Bragg, who, for some cryptic
reason, mad the day before changed
several hundred bank notes of high
value for gold. Laden with the coins
he left for Paris and it was not for
a week that the normal amount of
gold returned to the town.
Superstition has led many ignorant
individuals to collect large numbers
of coins of particular denomination.
A. remarkable case occurred in South
Russia two years ago. A "prophet"
appeared at Berdiansk, on the Sea of
Azoy, and proclaimed that he had
come to save the world. Meeting with
a bad reception from the townspeople,
he tramped inland and gained many
peasant adherents. Among other
queer doctrines, he preached that all
five copeck pieces issued in 1881, the
year of the emancipation of the serfs,
were holy" They were to be brought
to him for preservation in an oaken
chest. When Russia got into difficult
ty all these coins would turn to gold
and save the Empire.
Over an area of 800 square miles
the peasants feverishly set about col
lecting the holy money. When the
prophet had collected about $40
worth he decamped, after changing
them at a local bank for gold.
An attempt to corner the Maria
Theresa dollars, which are used as
currency in many parts of northern
Africa, collapsed owing to a queer
cause An Abyssinian, Ras Makoppo,
conceived the ingenious idea of col
lecting all specimens of these coins
extant in his district. As they were
old coins he reasoned they would rise
in value. After he had possessed him
self of about 5000 he found that the
country was as well supplied with
them as ever. While he had been
busy collecting them modern Maria
Theresa dollars made in Germany
were being imported by the thousand.
The result was that the coin fell in
value, and the too astute chief lost
nalf his wealth.
The Russian Government corners
its own coins. Every year it minis
limited number of bronze coins of
the nominal value of one-quarter 20