Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1890 — THE SCIENCE OF COINS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SCIENCE OF COINS.

DELATION OF NUMISMATICS TO HISTORY AND EDUCATION.

Coin* of the United State*—Go'd.

ERE are no VP coins known to the world more universally beautiful in design, sisa 1 more perfect in their manufactr ry'aS?* ure, than those of our own United • States. Some few there are that in•_dU vite, and justly,

adverse criticism of the artistic; but yrhile we cling to our national emblems in their simplicity and cleanness, no other coins can equal ours in chaste beauty. The original gold coins of the United States were the Eagle of ten dollars, to weigh 270 grains, the Half Eagle, and the Quarter Eagle. These latter, proportionate in weight to the ten-dollar piece, were authorized by act of Congress dated April 2, 1792. All three pieces were re- ' quired to be of a standard twenty-two carats fine, or nine hundred and seventeen thousandths. The ‘first return of eagles from the coiner of the mint was on September 22, 1795: the obverse bears a bust of the Goddess.of Liberty, wearing the liberty cap, from under which the hair is flowing. The bust faces to the right, above it is the legend, “Liberty,” with five stars at the right, and ten at the left around it on the edge of the field. Date, 1795. The reverse shows an eagle with wide-spread wings, a laurel wreath in

the beak, and both talons grasping a palm branch; legend, “United States of America. ” The half-eagle was actually the first g®ld coin struck for the new Government; 774 of these pieces were delivered by the chief coiner on July 31, 1795, the being similar to that on the eagle. There was a second striking of these pieces in the same year, no alteration toeing made in the obverse, but the reverse shows a change, the eagle being portrayed with upraised wings, upon its breast is the U. S. shield, a bundle of arrows in the left talon, an olive branch in the right; from the beak floats a streamer, inscribed upon which is, “E Pluribus Unum;” a bow of clouds extends wing to wing, encircling a eluster of stars around the bead of the bird. Legend, “United States<of America.” In 1796 the only change made in -the eagle and half-eagle was the addition of another star, marking the entrance of a new State (Tennessee) into the Union. It was originally intended to thus commemorate on our coinage each accession to the number of States, but the idea was soon abandoned. The quarter-eagle was coined this same year (1796); those first struck, to the number of sixty-six, were copies of the eagle, but a change was made in November, and with the exception of a few pieces on which the stars were omitted from the obverse, the new quar-ter-eagle resembled the second coinage of the half-eagle of 1795 in every particular except the size and date. On the eagle of 1797, first coinage, the obverse remains as before, with sixteen stars, ten at the left and six on the right of the effigy. The second issue of this year has but thirteen stars around the eagle’s head on the reverse, which in other respects is identical with that of the half-eagle of 1795, second striking. Three distinct types of the half eagle bear date of 1797. The first is exactly similar to that of 1796; in the second the only' alteration is the addition of one more star on the obverse; the third is a duplication (with changed Jdate) of the second coinage of 1795, the pieces having been struck from an altered die of that year. In 1797 and 1798 some slight changes were made in the quarter eagle, there being but thirteen stars on the obverse, the reverse continuing as before. During the years 1798, 1799, 1800, and 1801 the eagle presented the same devices as the second coinage of 1797. There are two types of the half eagle of 1798. The first with the Liberty head, Wearing * cap, facing to the right, and above it Liberty on the obverse. The reverse has an eagle with extended wings, grasping in both talons an olive branch and in the beak,a laurel wreath. Jtegend; United Stetw at Amorme* la

the later coinage of this vear there is no change in the obverse, but the reverse is similar to that of the second issue of 1795, and this style was continued through the years 1799 and 1800, with change of date only. No half-eagles were coined in 1801, and during 1799, 1800, and 1801 no quar-ter-eagles were issued. There was no coinage of eagles in 1802, and those struck in 1803 and 1804 were of the pattern of 1801.

The half-eagle of 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1806 bears on its obverse the Lib-erty-head with cap, facing to the right, and above it: Liberty. The reverse is the same as the second coinage of 1795. There was an issue of quarter-eagles in 1802, in style similar to those of 1798, but none were coined in 1803. From 1804 to 1807, both years inclusive, this piece was made, in every particular except date, exactly like those of 1802. From 1805 to 1837, inclusive, the eagle coin was not issued. The coinages of the half-eagle appeared in 1807. The first piece is a repetition of the last issue, the second type exhibits some marked changes, the Liberty-head on the obverse wears a turban cap, on the band of which is inscribed, Liberty; the face turns to the left, along the edge of which side are seven stars, and six stars are on the right. Exergue, 1807. Reverse,‘a spread-eagle with U. S. shield on the breast, three arrows, and an olive branch in the talons; above in the field is a scroll inscribed, E Pluribus Unum; legend, United States of America; Exergue, 5 D. The Quarter-Eagle of 1808 shows some change; on the obverse is the Libertyhead, above is the word Liberty in a curved line and below is the date. The Reverse remains as before. After this

year (1808) the coinage of Quarter-Ea-gles was discontinued to and through 1820. There was but one coinage of Half-Ea-gles for each of the years 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814, and 1815, the design being the same as that of the second issue of 1807, the only change being in the date. No gold coins of this denomination were issued in 1816 or 1817. In 1818, and to 1828, inclusive, the Half-Eagle retained the same obverse, with change of date, and the general device of the Reverse is as before, except that it has, as Exergue: Five D. The quarter-eagle coinage was resumed in 1821, the piece being patterned after the half-eagle, namely, obverse: Liberty head wish turban bearing the word “Liberty,” thirteen stars around the edge. Reverse: Eagle with United States shield on the breast, three arrows and an olive branch in the talons, a scroll above inscribed “E Pluribus Ununi." Legend: United States of America. Exergue, D. ” These same designs were continued, the date alone being changed for each year’s coinage, on the quarter-eagle up to the year 1834, though in 1822, 1823 and 1828 none of these pieces were issued.' In 1829 there were two distinct coinages of half-eagles, both similar to the issue of 181 S-28, but the size of the coin was reduced one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. No further’ changes were made until the year 1834. Prices of the United States gold coins mentioned above: „ Condition. Year. Coin. line. Fair. 1795. U. 8. eagles $lB $ 14 1790. U. 8. eagles 25 18 1797. U. 8. eagles, small eagle 40 25 1797. U. 8. eagles, large eagle. 18 14 1798. U. 8. eagles, four stars on right. 25 15 1793. U. 8. eagles, six stars on right.. 25 15 17.19. U. 8. eagles 25 15 1800. U. 8. eagles 15 13 ISOI. U. 8. eagles 15 13 1803. U. 8. eagles 15 13 1804. U. 8. eagles to 14 1795. Half eagles, small eagls 10 7 1795. Half eagles, large eagle 40 25 1796. Half eagles, large eagle 15 10 1797. Half eagles, small, fl: teen stars. 40 25 1797. Halt eagles, small, sixteen stars 40 25 1797. Half eagles, large eagle <0 25 1798. Hall eagles, small eagle 75 40 1798. Half eagles, largo eagle...., 9 7 1799 to 1813. All half eagles 9 7 1814. Half eagle. : io 7 1815. Half eagle. 209 100 1818. Half eagle 8 7 1819. Half eagle 40 20 1825-26. Half eagle 9 7 1827. Half eagle , '.... 12 8 1828. Half eagle 60 30 1829. Half eagle, small letters 290 100 1829. Half eagle, large letters 40 25 1830. Half eagle 12 8 1831. Half eagle 20 10 1832. Half eagle 35 so 1838. Half eagle. 12 8 1833. Half eagle,-E Plnr. Un.” 12 8 1796. Quarter eagle, no stars 1... 20 12 1796. Quarter eagle, with stars 89 15 1797. Quarter eagle, sixteen stars.... 30 15 1798. Quarter eagle, thirteen stars.... 12 8 1802-4. Quarter eagle 1 7 4 tete. Quarter eate« F A

1808. Quarter eagle, five star* facing.. 15 * 1808. Quarter ea.la, tlx itar* facing.. 15 8 180?. Quarter eagle.... 4 3 1805. Quarter eagle, head to left. 5 4 1881. Quarter eagie 12 7 182*. Quarter eagle 8 0 1825. Quarter eag1e....'..*..;.;. .!.' 7 4 1826. Quarter eag1e...'...'.....30 15 1327-23. Quarter -eagie. 7 4 1831-33. Quarter eagle 4 8 A. M. Smith, NuuinrnatJ.it. Minneapolis. Minn.

EABLIEST GOLD COINS OF THE UNITED STATES—DOUBLE EAGLES, EAGLES, HALF AND QUARTEB EAGLES.