Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1890 — THE SCIENCE OF COINS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SCIENCE OF COINS.

RELATION OF NUMISMATICS TO HISTORY AND EDUQATION.

American Colonial and Continental Colne.

HERE were a considerable number of coins, and tokens used as money, circulating through the colonies before and during the revolutionary period, and after that time. The “Washington Piece,” with stars over the eagle on the obverse resembled the large eagle ? cent of 1791, ex- . cepting that the Fdate is 1792, and

on the reverse, in place of the words One Cent, there is a single star over the head of the eagle, about which twelve stars form a curve, reaching from wing to wing of the eagle. It is found in copper and silver; some specimens have the edge lettered: United States of America. Where the dies for these pieces were made is unknown. The token here described is supposed to be of American origin: On the obverse of the piece is a bust of Washington, with hair in queue, facing right. Legend: George Washington. Reverse: A liberty cap in center, with rays radiating from it, every third ray being longer than the rest and separated from 'each other; fifteen stars arranged in a circle. Legend: Success to the United States. This token is usually in brass, but rarely is it found in copper. There are two sizes of it, the one somewhat larger than the early United States quar-ter-dollar, and the smaller a shade less in size than the early United States dime piece. There are a few English tokens, struck on the other side for circulation in this

country, that are usually classed as “Colonials.” The Georgivs Triumpho copper piece has on ths obverse a head, laureated, facing right. Legend: Georgivs Triumpho. Reverse: A Goddess of Liberty, facing left, behind a frame of thirteen bars, with a fleur delis in each corner. An olive branch is held in her right hand, a staff of liberty in her left. Legend: Vox Populi. Date, 1783. The North American Token has a female figure, seated, facing left, with a harp, on the obverse. Legend: North American Token. Date, 1781. Reverse: A ship sailing toward the left. Legend: Commerce. The “Auctori Plebis” bears on the obverse a bust, laureated and draped, facing left. Legend: Auctori Plebis. Reverse: A woman, seated, with left arm resting on an anchor, the right on a globe, at her feet a lion. Legend: Indep. et Liber. Date, 1787. The Franklin Press piece obverse has an old-fashioned printing press and for legend, Sic Oritur Doctrina Surgetque Libertas. Date, 1794. Reverse: A legend, Payable at the Franklin Press, London, in five fines. The Kentucky Cent was a most popular token and is now often found, but always showing marks of continual circulation by its worn condition. The obverse exhibits a hand, holding an open scroll, on which is inscribed the words: “Our Cause Is Just,” and legend: “Unanimity Is the Strength of Society.” Reverse, a radiant pyramid, triangular in shape, of fifteen stars united by rings, each star having placed in it the initial of a State, Kentucky being on top. Two other Kentucky tokens, of beautiful execution, which do not appear to have been circulated, are sometimes brought over from England. They have both the same obverse, on which the device is a woman, personating Hope, bending before an anchor and presenting two children to a Goddess of Liberty, standing, with the cappfißteole at her side, her left arm about itrand her righthand and arm outstretched to welcome the little ones. Legend; British Settlement Kentucky. Date, 1796. Reverse (of No.l), Britannia with bowed head, holding an inverted spear; a fasces, broken sword, and scales of justice at her feet; before her is the liberty cap. Legend: Payable by P. P. Myddleton. The reverse of No. 3 has “Copper Company of Upper Canada,” in four straight lines, within a wreath-, and this surrounded by the legend,One Half Penny. Both of these pieces are found in copper with the first described (No. 1) reverse, and it is sometimes met with in silver. The Continental Currency Piece has thirteen rings linked together, each bearing the name of a State. On the obverse, legend, American Congress, on a label around the center. In the center are the words, We Are One, in three lines. Between the legend and Tings a cir-

cle of rays are seen. Reverse, a sundial with the sun shining upon its left side. Legend, Continental Currency; date. 1776. is below. “Mind Your Business" is below the dial, and “Fugio” near the sun and under the word “Continental.” These pieces are as large as the U. S. silver dollar, and are usually stamped in tin, but a few are known in silver and brass. One variety has “currency” spelt withone “r.” and another, which is very rare, has “E. G. Fecit” at the base of the inner circle. The Fugio or Franklin Cents are among the most interesting and widely circulated of all the Colonial and Continental coins. They were the first metal pieces of money issued by authority of the United States. All bear the date 1787, and were manufactured in conformity with the following resolution of Congress, dated July 6. 1787: “Resofned, That the Board of Treasury direct the contractor for the copper coinage to stamp on each piece the following devices, viz: Thirteen circles linked together, a small circle in the middle, with the words ‘United States’ round it, and in the center the words ‘We Are One;’ on the other side of the same piece the following devices, viz: A dial with the hours expressed on the face of it: a meridian sun above, on one side of which is to be the word ‘Fugio,’ and on the other the year in figures ‘1787;’ below the dial the words ‘Mind Your Business? ” Great numbers of these pieces were coined, and yet are plentiful. Several dies were evidently made, and there are slight variations in each; in some cases the word “States” precedes the “United.” A quantity of impressions from a pair of the original dies were struck, some years ago, in silver and in an alloy of copper and zinc. There are also in existence a few coins and tokens of this period that differ more widely from those authorized by Congress, as per the foregoing resolution. One of these pieces has stars within the rings, others have the names of tfie States, on the rings, with the words “we are one” omitted, and “Amer-

ican Congress” taking the place of “United States.” Some of them have an eye in the center, and all of them rays between the motto and the rings. The obverse is without any lettering. One specimen is in brass, and five, of different patterns, in silver. They would all command high prices, especially those in silver, but such prizes, to collectors, seldom change hands. Prices, about, of coins and tokens mentioned above: Condition. Yeab. Piece. Fine. Fair. 1783. Link piece, silver SSO $25 1787. Sun-aial, link, silver 50 25 1796. Britannia, children, silver... 30 23 1776. Sun-dial, tin 10 5 1785. Kentucky, scroll, copper 3 1.50 1785. Kentucky, edged, scroll, copier 3.50 2 1796. Britan., child’n, settlements. 25 15 1787. Sun-dial, links, cent 50 .25 1795. Am. cent, chain 20 5 1793. “America,” chain 10 4 1793. Wreath 8 3 1793. Lettered edge 10 4 1793. Liberty cap 15 4 1794. Liberty cap 1.50 .25 1795. Lettered edge 3 .50 1795. Thin planchet 1.50 .25 1796. Thin planchet 2 .50 1796. Fillet head 2 .50 1797. Fillet head 1 .25 1798. Fillet head 50 .10 1799. Fillet head 25 5 A. M. Smith, Numismatist. Minneapolis, Minn.

ENGLISH KENTUCKY TOKENS.

"GEORGIUS TRIUMPHIO” COPPER.

“PUGIO” CENT.

“KENTUCKY” CENT.

CONTINENTAL CURRENCY,