The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-07
Increase 75 to I.sJ Per Cent
 in a Few Years
l REVIVAL OF INTEREST
There Are Said to Be Four Thousand Coin Collectors In the United
 States Who Are Con- stantly Buying.

Washington, D. C.-"Premius on old coins have advanced from seventy-1ve to one hundred per cent during the last few years" said an old coin dealer to a reporter for a local newspaper Any number of coins that could have been picked up for a small sum a short time ago now bring sums up to s75 and sl0o
 This is due to the tremendous revival of interest that has taken place in coin collecting There are now in this country more than four thousand coin collectors who systematcally buy old coins and are always in search of new specimens.
 They make trips to Europe and other countries in quest of desired rareties Some of them make trips of this character every year for no other purpose than to ransack the shops of dealers in odds and ends on the other side of the ocean in the hope of finding a treasure. which, as matter of fact, they very often do.
 Of course, there are thousands of per sons who casually gather old coins indis- criminatey, but I don't take such col lectors into account. So great altogether is the demand for old coins nowadays that the supply does not begin to meet it.
 Most American collectors go in for coins of United States issue. Not much interest is taken here in foreign and in the ancient Greek and Roman coins al- though they are the rage abroad.
 "A good many collectors make a special ty of gathering Colonial coins and the private gold issues of North Carolina California and Georgia, but the large old copper cent leads them all in point of interest Still other collectors go in for die varieties and mint marks. That small letter on a coin which shows the place of it's mintage makes all the difference in the world to q collector and also in the price
 "C. C." Adds Value.
 For instance, twenty cent piece of 1875 of the Philadelphia mint is worth just twenty-five cents, and yet coin of the same denomination of 1877 or 1878, bearing the two tiny letters, c. e. for Carson City, will bring between SlO and Sl5.
 ''The dime of 1894 is another example. The one made in San Francisco, with the letter 'S, is worth anywhere from $5 to S10, whereas those made in other hints are worth just their face value or trine over There were only twenty-four or the former ten cent pieces minted
 would you believe a dollar of 1904 was worth $5.50? It s just the same, and that sum was paid at recent auction sale
 "Yet such is the inconsistency of coin collecting that a dollar of 1888, in good condition. can be bought for $25O The reason for this is that all 1904 dollars were struck in proof sets, and were quite limited.
 Proof coins are made by furnishing the sheet of metal before the coins are stamped, and they come forth with high polish The low figure of the TBS dollar Is due to the enormous humper preserved in good condition.
 .Manv of the coins minted since 1850 hting premiums that greatly exceed those for coins issued during the latter part or inc eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century.
 "A gold dollar of 1875 in prool cohui- tion win bring $75 The three dollar gold niece of 1873 is worth $50 All three dol lar gold pieces in fact with the excep- tion of those minted at the Philadelphia mint in 1855 and 1874. are worth pre- miums ranging up to S75.
 .The four dollar gold piece of 1879 and 1880 is rated at $50. The flying eagle cent of 1Soj brings $15, and is hard to get at that price,
 "All the silver three cent pieces com mand premiums that rang as high as SS, The nickel three-cent piece of lSIf IS worth S4 and the five cent piece or the same year is valued at $S.5o.
 And, what will seem strangest Of all to the general public, the common bronze cent of 1S77 in proof condition. Is quote at s2.5o, and even those which have been In circulation fetch an advanced price.
 Die Cuts a Figure.
 Die varieties mean more than one would suppose. Of the 1794 cents alone there are ffty-five die varieties, each one of which is held at a high premium, and of all the big copper cents there are Sl7 die varieties known at the present time, with other countries to hear from.
 And this just refers to coins of one denomination. It can easily be imagined the work ahead of the collector who goes in for the collection of die varie- ties of coins of all denominations.
 ''rhe majority of the collectors of gold coins confine themselves to denominations under $5. This by no means limits their field greatly. as there are hundreds of varieties of the private gold issue of the western states, North Carolina and Geor- eia. not to mention the varieties of regu- lar United States issue.
 Just take the Brasher doubloon. This