The same remarks apply to coins and other objects. Every week I receive
requests to price old silver and copper coins, and when I reply that the
U.S. coins are worth their face, and that the foreign coins are usually
worth their weight as old silver, I do so convinced that my
correspondents will feel disappointed. Previous to 1834 most of the
silver money used in the U.S. was Spanish. Millions of these coins are
still in existence, and to-day they are not current in any country, and
are bought up by coin-dealers at about forty-five per cent. of their
face value, and are melted into bullion.
Old Roman and Greek coins are found in large quantities every year in
tombs and in the ruins of old houses. Messrs. Hunt and Grenfell found
two large jars of Roman silver and gold coins in Lower Egypt last winter
in which were over 4000 coins in perfect preservation. The latest coins
were those of Hadrian (A.D. 138) and Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161). All
over Europe, Asia, and Africa similar finds are frequent. In June, 1833,
some boys found a box containing 7000 coins, which were mostly English,
of the reigns of William the Conqueror (A.D. 1066) and William Rufus
(A.D. 1109). In 1832 the sexton of Hexham Church, while digging a grave,
found a brass bucket containing over 8000 coins of the early Saxon Kings
of England (about A.D. 800). In High Wycombe a shepherd boy found a
large number of British gold coins which had been hidden over 1800
years. In 1831 a chest containing over 200,000 coins of Edward I. and
II. (about A.D. 1300) was unearthed at Tutbury, and not far from this
find another box was dug up containing over 7000 gold and silver coins,
mostly Saxon (about A.D. 850), but containing many foreign coins. It was
probably the entire stock of some money-broker who was obliged to flee
for his life.
This list of great finds could be continued indefinitely, but enough has
been said to show how common old coins are. The old Greek gold coins are
scarce, and lately a demand for these has arisen, which has pushed up
prices to nearly double what they were a year ago. Ordinary coins remain
the same. Now nothing is more interesting than a collection of coins.
For instance, specimens of the common coins of all countries and all
ages. They are just as interesting as if they were all rare, and can be
picked up at small prices with patience and a little going about. Gold
coins would, of course, be out of the question, but copper and silver
illustrate the different periods just as well. I know a collector who
has over 500 coins, no two of the same reign, and representing over one
hundred different countries. They give the owner and his friends much
pleasure and information, and their entire cost was less than $125.
PHILATUS.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
[Illustration: ROYAL BAKING POWDER]
A cream-of-tartar baking powder. Highest of all in leavening
strength.--_Latest United States Government Food Report._
ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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