Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-02-17
RELIC OF BY-GONE DAYS
ELECTION TICKET OF POLK AND
DALLAS, PRESERVED.
George Stroud, of Oakdale, Owns
Many Interesting Coins and Sou
venirs of Past.

peculiar interest to the residents of
this City and County, is owned by
George Stroud, of Oakdale. 1t was is
sued in the state of New York, in
1874, for use in the National election
of that date, and bears the names or
the Democratic candidates for the
Offices of President and Vice President
of the United States, James K. Polk
and George NJ. Dallas, respectively,
after whom this city and county were
named. The election mentioned was
momentous one in the political history
of the country, and marked the deteat
of the famous Whig aspirant for the
presidency, Henry Clay. The ballot is
in a good state of preservation, and
bears at the top woodcut OF an arm
and hammer. 1t measures only SA
by III inches, and seems very small
when compared with the broadside
ballot of the present day.
Mr.. Stroud has been collector OF
old coins since his boyhood and he has
some very old and valuable ones.
One of them is a silver coin bearing
date of 1873, and is therefore 1913
years old. Among other rare coins
owned by him are:
OId-Time Coins.
An English silver shilling of 1853
and a silver sixpence of 1855, both
bearing the image of Queen Victoria,
who was then young and beautiful.
An Italian copper coin of 1863, as
large as an American half dollar, and
worth ten centisimi"
English half-penny of 1862, and a
copper penny of the same country,
bearing date of 1884.
Silver 20-cent piece of newfoundland,
dated 1872, and another of the same
country dated 1874, supposedly worth
so cents,
A large copper two-cent piece of
1870
Columbian half-dollar of 1892. A
great many of these coins were issued
in 1893, but those of the previous year
are scarce.
A "V'' nickel, without the word
cents" This omission was an over
sight that escaped the vigilant govern
ment coin proof-reader, and the coin
age of them was speedily stopped, but
not until a number of them were is
sued. Falling into the hands of the
INSCRIPTIONS, they were often gilded
and passed as IS gold pieces. 1t has
been reported that coin collectors
are glad to pay that much for these
nickels now, but they were quoted a
year or so ago at IS cents each.
A Relic of Forty Nine.
Silver Chinese coin bearing dragon
and the inscription, 40 SEN" but not
dated. Another silver coin dated 1898,
and stamped "25 ore"
He also has a number of copper
medals of about the size of a cent,
that seem to have been issued in hon
or of the Army and Navy of this
country. but why is not stated. An
other medal of the same size bears
the words mot one cent" the word
mot" being in very small letters.
Most valuable and by far the hand
soonest of all is a gold dollar of 1919.
1t is one-half inch in diameter, and
was minted from among the first gold
discovered in California. 1t is bright
yellow in color, and is apparently Of
virgin or unalloyed gold. No more at
tractive coin could be imagined.
Mintage Of the Past.
In addition to the above, MIR. Stroud
is the possessor of many other old
coins, among them being: Two sill
yer coins bearing Latin inscriptions,
one issued in 1878 and the other in
1870; a United States copper half
penny of 1906, about as large as a
silver quarter, and copper half-cent
of 1851; a silver ten-cent piece, re-
sembllng a present day quarter, so old
that the date is obliterated; two of the
old-fashioned three-cent coins, of diff
ferent design, one of 1853 and the
other of 1863; a silver half-dime of
1S4S; a large, heavily stamped copper
one cent, one-eighth inch in diameter,
coined i'm 1S4S, and another of 1865; a
one cent of 1858. of copper-nickel al
10y, bearing the image of an eagle in
flight, very rare position for this not
ed bird on the coins of this or any
other country.
A Queer Half Dollar.
A valuable coin is a silver half dol
lar Of 1927 of larger size than the half
dollars In circulation now, bearing n
large bust of Liberty, and having the
words half dollar" imprinted around
the outer edges, where the milling of
the present coins Is.
one Of the odd coins or medals I'm
the lot is of brass, and about the size
of a one-cent piece. on one side II
bears an image ofthe American nag,
surmounted by a Liberty cap. and the
words: The flag of our Union" on
the other side is the legend: III any
body attempts to tear II down, shoot
him on the spot" In the center. en-
closed by circle. are the letters,
Dix"
l..