The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-10
The Old Deseret Coinage

1.-The Tribune has received many in
| qures with respect 10 the old DesereI
coinage In the early days of Utah. IL
being impossible TO make individual re-
| plies to all OF these. the following inter-
| esting article and illustrations are reprint
| cd from the issue OF The Tribune Of
The ancieni coinage OF Utah. the period
when the gliltering particles ol yellow
gold from California were minted In Il
| little adobe building in Salt Lake, has
been hall forgotten. The written and
printed records Of that time, 10y strange
oversight, throw no light on the sub
ject
Those Utahns whose memory dates back
to 1S49 remember the establishment OF
the mint, but the exact dates are con-
fused. II was some time toward the close
OF lSi9 that the mint was inaueurated
as n measure OF public convenience, Brig
ham Young was the instigator OF the
coinage system. and exercised personal
supervision over the work.
Prior to the establishment OF the mint
all gold dust had TO be weighed when
payments Tor merchandise or other avti-
cles were made. In many cases the mcr-
chant with whom the purchaser was deal
ing had no gold scales, and mucn trouble
resulted. The metal was too precious to
permit of euesswork In ascertaining the
weight required to cover "A given sum,
and the customer would be put to the
trouble of looking up scales 10 aid him
in his payment.
timers disagree as to who made the
dies with which the gold was stamped
into $3.50, S5, $40 and $50 coins The
honor lies between John Kay and James
NJ. Barlow. Kay was mechanic and
Hammond OF San Juan. who came 10 Utah
in 1SiS. says that dies were made by
both men,
He thinks Kay made the first which
were unsatisfactory and imperfect. and
that Barlow made the later ones.
Thomas Bullock was chief and active
director Of the mint during It's entire op-
Grafton. The gold winch was used came
chiefly from California. much of it being
brought here by members OF the Mormon
battalion on their return from the MeNl
can war.
They carried the precious dust and mug
gets in buckskin pouches 10 the mint.
where IL was weighed and coined abso-
lutely without alloy The mint building
was a. that time considerably more pre-
tentious structure than it is today, II
was TWO stories high and contained half
a dozen rooms.
The crucibles In which tho gold was
melted Were In the cellar. The primitive
machine with which the cooling metal
was stamped into coin stood I'm a back
room on the first floor. All the work was
done by hand, and every piece of the ma
OF necessity. no base metal appeared in
the finished product. Twenty-Five grains
of gold was the equivalent OF a dollar.
The man who had siXty-seven and one
half grains turned that amount over To
Mr.. Bullock. who sent II at once 70
Messrs; Kay and Barlow. 1t was
Immediately melted and turned n
So 1t was with the pieces of H.
larger denomination, and the mint WsN
customer. If he so desired. could ]f"D
follow the metal with his eyes tIS
from his pouch through the cruel
bic press and stamp Nv
No toll was taken out Of the M
gold, the coinage being absolutely X
~ n ,.l<
a large number Of S. coins were
made. and these, with the first named,
constituted the bulk OF the mints
work. Not many $40 pieces were miuted,
and the $50 coins were still rewer.
The mint ceased operations in 1860. be-
cause OF the appearance in sufficient
quantities OF United States gold and sill
since the last pouch was emptied into
Thomas Bullock's money MILL as il
was called, Is comparatively short. few
OF The coins are known TO be In existence
today. Because OF their purity they wore
rapidly. and as consequence ceterfora ted
In value by erosion.
Many of them we're remelted and made
into necklaces. chains and other articles
Of iewelry. Apostle Brigham Young has
watch chain that was made from two
Of the twenty-dollar pieces. He had the
chain made in Genoa, Switzerland. while
in that country some years ago. T.. II.
Peirce has one $50 coin, and several
others are in the possession OF Salt
Lakers.
When President Brigham Young died In
1877 his executors. in going. over his
personal property. found a locked strong
box. On forcing the lid a number OF
the coins Of the period described were
found. They covered all the denomina-
tions and were sold at auction. bringing
A premium over their face value. Presi-
dent Young's son. Apostle Brigham
Young. at that time secured six of the
FIVE dollar denomination. which he still
has. The others were scattered in such
a way as TO make It impossible TO trace
them.
II will be seen from the accompanying
cuts taken from fac-s SMILES in the Desere.
museum. and from n twenty dollar piece
kindly lent by Mr.. n. ". Peircc show
ing the reverse and diverse sides of the