It is worth while to add that a visitor at the mint saw a similar piece in Jerusalem, and tried to obtain one, but on account of its rarity did not succeed. W. E. D. DONATIONS OF OLD COINS. _Extract from the American Journal of Numismatics, April, 1884._ Under the head of donations, we have from Quartermaster General Meigs, a half-dollar and pistareen of Carolus and Johana of Spain. These pieces were presented to General Meigs at Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1870. The special interest attached to them, is their having been found on the beach of Padre Island, off the southerly coast of Texas. The supposition is that they were washed up from a sunken treasure ship wrecked on the coast, while carrying funds to the Army of Cortez, who entered the City of Mexico in 1519. Their good condition may warrant our accepting this briny romance _Cum grano salis_. Antiquarian stories must expect to stand the test of the chemist, as well as of the historian. This reminds me, however, of some specimens of the Mint Cabinet, from the wreck of the San Pedro, some account of which may not be uninteresting here.[17] “Early in 1815, a naval armament was fitted out in Spain, by Ferdinand VII., for the purpose of reducing the Rebellious Colonies in South America. The military force of this expedition amounted to ten thousand men, of whom two thousand were on board the flag ship “San Pedro.” The vessel was also freighted to a large amount with gunpowder, cannon balls and specie.” The account then goes on to state that the fleet touched at the Island of Marguerita near the coast of Venezuela. After leaving the island, the vessel took fire, burnt four hours until the magazine caught and exploded, and the wreck went down with four hundred men. The right of working the wreck, was granted about thirty years after, to a Baltimore Company, known as the “San Pedro Company.” Divers were set to work, and the wreck found in sixty feet of water on a hard bed of coral. Over this there was a deposit of mud, and again over this a layer of coral, which had to be pierced to arrive at the treasure.