The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-01-02
a LEGEND OF MissiNc cENTs.

a LEGEND or MISSING CENTS.
Fulton Blamed FOR Scarcity Of Early
tss1es.
From the New York SuR.
That some Of the rarest ana most
valuable OF the United States centa.
particularly those dated 1889 and 1894,
owe their scarcity to the fact that Full
ton built the steamboat CierEpont 60
the theory held by some coin collectors.
ThSy believe that thousands OF the old
time large copper cents went toward
making the copper boiler for the plo-
neer steamboat.
This theory would explain the mys-
terry that a long puzzled coin col
lleeters as to~the reason Cor the all
most total disappearance OF the cents
or the dates mentioned. |,
The arst cents struck at the United
states mint at P~hiladelphia were OF
large size. The copper blanks, or
pianclEets, were imported from Eng
land. being sent over IN kegs.
Copper at this period was q scarce
article IN this country with the ex-
ception OF the small quantity produced
az only copper mines then known
IA the United States. those at CRANKY,
Conn, nearly all the metal used here
am from England.
Builders OF steam engines In those
days were OF the opinion that boilers
constructed OF iron were unsafe and
impracticable. and as a
boilers We're made OF copper. all the
boilers that carne from England being.
It IS said, constructed OF that metal.
Fulton was likewise OF the belief that
copper was the only ut metal to be used
in boilers.
II is therefore possible that finding
a scarcity OF metal with which to con-
struct the boiler OF the Clermont, he
finally resorted to the most convenient
source OF supply, which happened TO
be the large United States copper cents.
or course the cost or such a boiler
would represent a large sum, but it Is
on the records that the steam frigate
Fulton, launched In 1915, the year OF
the inventors death, had a boiler en-
tirely constructed OF copper, which
alone cost the large sum OF $4,000.
That the supply OF cents OF this
period wa large enough to meet such
a demand Is also likely enough. From
1913 to and including 1885, 1856. O33
cents were coined; in 1796, 974,7O0 were
struck; 1897. B97,61o; 1913, $4,000:
1893. 9o4.5s5; 1900. 2s82a.176; 1901, L.
362, 1887: 1902, S,435, 100; 1903, 2.A7I,a62.
1904 756,S38; 1906, 9l1,ii6. ~
This makes a total OF 18,611,947 cents,
struck at the mint UP 70 and Including
the year in which the boiler was made.
The cents struck during the years
1873, 1874 and 1875 weighed EOS grains
each. which would give the number
OF pieces struck. l,066,O33, a total;
weight OF about 31.770 pounds. In 1896
the weight OF the copper cent was re-.
duced TO 1913 grains, which would give
the number coined from 1886 up to and
including 1906, 16,5l5,9I4 a total
weight OF about S7S,15S pounds, max
Ing the total weight OF the 16.611,s4T
cents struck from 1913 to 1905 about
100000 ayoirdupois pounds or 1000
grains each which would certainly rep
resent metal many times more than
sufficient to make a boiler OF the size
used by the Clermont.
Nearly all the cents OF this period
are now carce but the ones dated 1893
and 1904 are extremely so. It Is an odd
not appreciated untn about 1860, when
coin collecting in this country vas In
it's infancy.
A Philadelphian by the name of J..
j.. Mickey, seeking a cent OF 1899, the
year of his birth, only came into pos
session OF n after a great deal OF
trouble, and even then the specimen
which finally came 20 his hand was in
poor condition. Perseverfng In HIS en-
deavor to obtain a better specimen. his
efforts resulted In so little success that
Mr.. Mickey was ultimately forced to
h conclusion that cents Of this date
were extremely scarce.
Through looking for the cent OF this
date he became Interested In coins OF
all kinds and soon developed into a
collector OF the first rank and was
noted as possessing the finest ana most
comprehensive collection OF coins then
in the United States. Not satisfied
with the opportunities provided in this
country for the acquisition OF new var
ieties, Mr.. Mickey made trips to var
ious parts of the world and added
many a r and Interesting coins to his
collection.
some years later q thief broke into
his residence I'm Philadelphia and stole
many rare specimens and the veteran
collector thereupon became DISCOURAGED
and sold the remainder OF his coins at
auction.
An uncfrculated 1873 cent IL not Of
fered at auction would bring at least
$500 and perhsrs more: Those In
somewhat circulated condition are held
IN high estimation by collectors, and
even a much worn specimen upon
which the date IL discernible il worth
a couple OF dollars.
The 1904 cent is almost as rare as
that dated 1879 and will bring almost
as much OF a premium. While the re-
mainder OF the dates are not so rare,
still unciPculated and sharp specimens
bring as much as 500. Everything con-
sidered. II Is not improbable that the
boiler OF the Clermont OF one of the
boilers made by Fulton did contain q
large proportion OF the early supply OF
copper cents. II Is certain that OF
many millions originally struck few
are today In existence.
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