Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-04
COINS OF EARLY DAYS
Flood of Miscellaneous specie Led the
colony 10 Disregard the Royal
Prcrogative and Issue Own
Money.

That a coin collector should pay $50
for battered piece Of silver about
the size OF n half-dollar, with IN. E.
on one side and XII" on the other
surprised lnyman the other day at
sale of coins. But that bit or
metal was nothing less than a speci-
mon Of the first home made money
circulated in the American colonies
a shilling OF the Colony OF Massa-
chusetts, minted at least as early as
1852
The colonial silver coinage of Mass
nchusetts includes the crudest metal
lie pieces ever issued and passed as
money in the American colonies, but
it nevertheless possesses deep interest
in the eyes of the collector or coins
and Americana. Limited as we're the
general types and denominations OF
these coins. still they show many trif-
ling variations. the discovery and
classification of which gives the ad-
vanced collector much enjoyment
STATE HAD MUCH TROUBLE.
Massachusetts had much trouble in
providing = stable circulating medium
IN the early part Of tho 18th century
and ra1 to fan back upon furs, grain,
and fish for purposes OF exchange,
while for small currency rnusket bull
let's passed current at the value OF a
farthing each. Indian wampum also
was used. There was little or no gold
or silver money In circulation and In
1910 the scarcity of money had ser
ious effect upon local commerce, as
merchants refused to sell goods un-
loss payment was made in ready
money, and it Is said that at this time
cattle and land deprecated to one
fourth their previous value.
Around 1s45 n Hood OF currency Of
all kinds swept into Massachusetts as
a result Of trade with the West In
dies and England, and II is said tina,
much OF this silver came from buc-
cancers or pirates who had taken II
from the Spaniards. large porpor-
ton of the money was made up OF
base and counterfeit coins. and grea
confusion resulted in trying to use
coins Of many different values. This
difficulty, together with a loss from
the counterfeit pieces, caused such a
slump in trade that in 1852 the gen
eral court OF Massachusetts, throwing
to the winds all regard for the roya'
prerogatlve. ordered mint to be es
tabllshod at which silver coin could
be deposited and coined into shillings
sixpence. and threepences.
TO ESTABLISH MINT.
On June 20. 1852, a committee OF
four prominent citizens OF the colony
was appointed to supervise the WORK
OF esta blishing the mint. and they ar
ranged FOR the construction of a house
20 be on land belonding to John Hull
just south of the present Pembroke
square in Boston John Hull and his
partner. Robert Sander.on, were made
the mint masters. AS compensation
for their work Of coming they were
allowed to take one shilling and six
pense out Of each 90 shillings minted.
1t was provided by the general
court that these coins should bear on
one side tie letters IN. F." and XII. .
vi" or III" on the other None OF
these coins bore a date. The shilling s
val i'N III bluHitttT from an men
an inch and a fifth and weighed In
the neishborhood OF p grains. They
were composed OF silver 1925 fine and
had an intrinsic value of 1sL cent.
The s!xpence and threepence weighe &c
an average of 4s and SO grains re.
spectively and had value Of sis and
sic cents. The workmanship wa.
OF the crudest and simplest characte,
and the COINS were nicknamed North
casters"
The dies for these first coins Of
jerks, who came from Hamnersmith
Eng" and was the FIRST to work In
brass and iron in the American colo.
MES. jerks was mschinist by trade
ana not an engravcr. which account.
for the crudeness 81 his dies.
All specimens OF the Northeaste,
coinage are now very rare, the tnree.
pence especially So an example OF
which In the coin collection Of Yale
University being ono OF the two o,
three known. A very fine specimen
~ the N. F." shilling brought $3.50
at the Mills sale In 1904. while a six.
pence brought s7l.2s at the sale OF
the collection of Charles l. Bushnell
OF this city in 1897.
FOR BETTER COIN.
The desire for a better coin was
soon manifested. and on oct. 1859
the general court provided that the
design Of the Massachusetts, coinage
thereafter should show a double rims
on each side. with the inscription
massachusetts" and tree in the
centre This order was responsible
for the famous Pine Tree series o.
coins, although it is thought by ex-
per's that the FIRST coins 20 follow
the Northeasters were the WILLOW
Tree" series.
The latter coins show the worst
workmanship Of any OF the Massa
chusetts Issues. and that is SAYING ,
good deal While the engraver Of tn,
dies evidently had In mind the order
OF the general court as to what the
design should be, It is a fact that OF
the seven or more varieties OF the
Willow Tree shillings not single ono
bore anything that looked like pine
tree, nor was the name Of the colony
spelled correctly. Massachusetts" AS
the order specified. All sorts Of COM
oinstions OF letters to represent the
name OF the colony are shown on
these coins, the one nearest to be-
irg correct being Massachusetts 8
The tree was so much like willow
tree that ever since the series has
been so designated
Tha third oar;,. ,f M.e.,o,,,,o,..