Evening star., 1937-08-25

Can be obtained only ut the Philadel-
phia Mint, where they are made. The
charges are nominal, ranging from IS
cents for the cent piece to Is cents
Tor the haf-dollar. plus the face value
OF the coin, Of course. Better place
your order early as the dies are de-
stroyed at the end Of each year.
So great has been the demand for
the proof coins that the mint has had
form letter prepared regarding them.
This Is but one OF many queries
received there. however. The ever
recurring question, Mrs. Wilkins said,
is How much will the Government
pay me for my old coins?" So out
comes another form letter, which
breaks the news that "the Government
does not pay premium on any coin
nor determine whether specific coins
have special value" Many of the
letters that pour into the Treasury
daily, our informant added, are occa-
stoned by rumors that get into circu-
lation. Such as the one, some years
ago, that only = few one-cent pieces
had been made in 1922 and that Mr..
Ford would give = car to persons who
secured one. That really brought a
flood OF inquiries" said the mint d.
rector's secretary There were ac-
tually more than 1000, 900 made that
year"
But the coin question that really
haunts the American public. it seems,
Is where and how to obtain 4 1918
Lioerty-head nickel. Rumor is that
you can get $50 for It! (But not from
the Government) Those Of you who,
like the writer, stare every nickel you
see out OF countenance, will get scant
solace from the directors Office. An
other neat little missive states that
there is no record of the number" of
Llberty-heads made after the COM
mencement Of the calendar year 1913"
AT least 1t doesn't fatty say there were
none. So We can still look and hope.
TALK Of the elusive 1918 nickel led
to rare coins in general Mrs Will
klns showed us an 1904 dollar. which
Is one OF the rarest Of our coins. Al
though $4,000 were minted, only l3
survive. Their pedigrees are known
and. the minute an extra appears, COL
lectors and Treasury officials begin a
check to see II It Is authentic, Where
did the rest Of the 10000 20? Nobody
Knows really. One story Is that the
boat on which they were being shipped
from New York went down in a storm.
Another tale, bit more reasonable
Is that the silver bullion contained in
the dollar was more valuable than the
dollar itself. In fact, a dollar then
contained about $l.26 Vprth OF silver
Perhaps people began to melt them
and possibly the mints caught the
fever and melted them, too-au ex-
cept the lucky 13.
But this Is my prize" said o,,r
hostess, tenderly unwrapping a tiny
packet. And there were two of the
nrst coins minted in the United
States-"haH dianes," made at the
Philadelphia Mint In 1892 from the
washington silver. The story goes
that the general was most anxious for
the infant republic to start a coinage
system and Iecided to help matters
along. So he took the family silver to
the mint. two doors away, and offered
1t a. raw material for our first coins.
Mrs. wilkins was very happy over
obtaining the two worn little "dismes"
at recent coin auction. Nobody
was paying the slightest attention to
them,' she said, until I got them.
My knowledge Of mint history stood |
me in good stead there"
Born and reared In Wyoming, Mrs |
wilkins was educated At Ward Bel |
mont. Likes Washington immensely,
but hopes some day to return to the
Hawaiian Islands, her home before
she became secretary to the director
OF the mint.