HALF DOLLARS OF 1836.

A GENTLEMAN of Southampton, L. I., writes that a great deal of curiosity has been excited by the sudden appearance in circulation of a large number of silver half-dollars, all bearing the date of 1836, and as bright as when they came from the Mint. The mystery is thus explained: An old resident of Sag Harbor, formerly well known as a practicing physician, but who for several years has led a comparatively secluded life, at the time of the panic of 1836 hoarded 1,500 half-dollars of that date. He kept them in total disregard of interest or premium until the present time. He has now put this hoarded treasure into circulation.-Evening Transcript, August 20, 1880.

TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES.

BOSTON NUMISMATIC SOCIETY.

June 4. The regular monthly meeting of the Society was held this afternoon at 4 o'clock, the President, Mr. Colburn in the chair. The Secretary, Mr. W. S. Appleton, being absent, Mr. Marvin was chosen Secretary pro tem., and the reading of the records was dispensed with. The President laid before the Society a letter from the Hon. A. H. Stephens, Chairman of the Committee on Coinage, in reference to the new issue of Metric and Goloid pieces, and presented a set of the same on his behalf to the Society's Cabinet, for which the thanks of the Society were voted. (A full description of these pieces is given on page 19 of this volume.) Mr. W. Elliot Woodward showed a medal of the Strong Man Lodge, of London, several curious pieces of bric-a-brac, Pueblo and other pottery from the Western Indians, some early issues of the United States Mint, and a few relics of the Mound Builders. He also brought for the Society's inspection several curious pieces of Siamese bullet money, and a few engraved gems. Mr. Fowle showed some Greek coins of Alexander, and Mr. Marvin some German Masonics lately received from Hamburg. A discussion on the Goloid and Metric pieces, and the issues by the Mint of Pattern and experimental pieces, followed, taking the attention of the Society until a late hour, when it was voted to adjourn till October.

W. T. R. MARVIN, Secretary pro tem.

AMERICAN NUMISMATIC AND ARCHÆOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. THE Twenty-second annual meeting of the American Numismatic and Archæological Society was held in the Society's room, Lafayette Place, on Tuesday evening, March 16, at 8 o'clock, President Anthon in the Chair. The proceedings of the last regular meeting were read, and Messrs. Charles F. Frothingham, of New York, and George Merryweather, of Yonkers, were elected Resident members; and Barnet Phillips and G. F. Ulex, Corresponding members. Resolutions of regret for the resignation of Mr. I. F. Wood, the Librarian, were adopted. The Executive Committee presented its annual report on the condition of the Society, congratulating it on its prosperity, and the Treasurer's Annual Report, with a list of donors and an account of some recent additions, and the Curator's Report, of a similar character, were also presented, — and their various reports were, on motion, accepted.

President Anthon then delivered his Annual Address, with some remarks upon an exhibition of five Ducats from different mints, struck from gold obtained from various European rivers, for which the thanks of the Society were voted.

Officers for the ensuing year were then elected, as follows:- President, CHARLES E. ANTHON; Vice-Presidents, DANIEL PARISH, JR., ROBERT HEWITT, JR., ANDREW C.

ZABRISKIE; Secretary, WILLIAM POILLON; Treasurer, BENJAMIN BETTS; Librarian, RICHARD H. LAWRENCE; Curator, CHARLES H. Wright.

Mr. Gaston L. Feuardent read a paper on Government as an Art Educator (reprinted in this number of the Fournal). Several Medals, struck from dies by C. C. Wright, Wright & Bale, and Bale & Smith, were exhibited, and the reverse die of a Medal in preparation by Mr. Wood, on the initiation of Washington into Freemasonry. The Minutes having been read and approved, the Society adjourned, after voting to print the proceedings of this meeting.

A true abstract from the record.

WM. POILLON, Secretary.

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA NUMISMATIC SOCIETY.

Ar the Annual Meeting of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society of Pittsburg, in June last, the following officers were unanimously elected :- President, S. H. MORGAN; Vice-President, F. J. KIRKE; Secretary, GEO. W. RODE; Treasurer, THOS. RAMSDEN; Curator, J. E. H. KELLEY.

NOTES AND QUERIES.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS.

AN OLD BALTIMORE DEALER.

PASTED to the fly leaf of an old volume, I find the following circular : "LORD BALTIMORE, (a small portrait of Franklin.) The founder of the State of Maryland, while living, could not be made to believe that in 200 years after his time, there would exist an establishment in the city of Baltimore called the OLD MARYLAND CURIOSITY SHOP, No. 105 East Baltimore Street, near Lloyd Street, but it is a fact that there is such a place, and the oldest established in the city, where may be obtained RARE OLD BOOKS, COINS, MEDALS, AUTOGRAPHS, DOCUMENTS, SHELLS, MINERALS, &c., &c. Please give the proprietor a call.

"JOHN BRADY, 105 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Md.

OLD BOOKS AND COINS BOUGHT. School Books, Stationery, Old Music, and Plays. Can any one give information as to Mr. Brady-the time when he commenced the coin trade; how long he continued; the extent of his business; who were his customers, &c. &c. ?

AN EARLY NEW YORK SALE.

FROM a New York paper of 1859, I cut the following: "RARE COINS.-S. Gerard Moses announces that there will be sold at public auction, during the month of May next, a collection of American Coins and Tokens, surpassing in number, condition, and rarity, any ever offered at public sale in this city. The following pieces belong to the collection:-Upwards of fifteen varieties of Washington Pattern Pieces, including the Washington Quarter Eagle, gold; the U. S. A., or thirteen bar cent; the dollar of 1794; half dollars, the three varieties, 1794, 1796, 1815; full sets of dimes, half dimes, cents, and half cents; a very full and complete assortment of Colonial coins; and over three hundred American Tokens."

What was the fate of this very remarkable collection? The sales for the month of May, 1859, were the Bramhall collection in New York; a little collection sold in Philadelphia by Thomas & Sons; and the Gratz Collection, sold by private biddings. None of these, however, in any degree compare with the collection of Mr. Moses.

SUGGESTIONS.

Mr. WARREN was, perhaps, the earliest Coin Dealer in Boston. Some account of this man, who was a somewhat remarkable person in his day, would be acceptable to more than one reader of the Journal, one of the editors of which, through his acquaintance with him, is just the man to prepare the required sketch.

A MR. ANDREWS, who died in Boston some years ago, left a small, but in some respects remarkable collection of coins. Some curiosity is felt as to who Mr. Andrews was, and as to the extent and character of his collection. It is thought that probably no person is so well able to furnish the desired information, as another member of the Journal editorial corps.

THE Journal gives us, not too much of Numismatics, but too little of Archaeology. growing interest exists in all that relates to the antiquities of America. Much has been written on the subject of the Western mounds and their contents, implements and ornaments of stone, cloth, and earthen vessels, the latter in great variety as to size and form, though tolerably uniform as to material. In the Eastern States, though we have no mounds, occasional fragments of pottery are not unfrequently found, but entire vessels of Eastern design are far rarer than diamonds. A Monograph on the subject of pre-historic Eastern pottery, is still a desideratum. It is understood that one of the editors possesses one of the three or four known examples of this ware, and it is known that no one can better give us all the desired information.

Having thus by broad hints, assigned a task to the editorial family of our favorite Magazine, the writer closes, for the present, his list of wants.

SWABIAN MEDALS.

W.

In a late English Catalogue, under the above name we find five Medals of Albert Durer; Louis V., Duke of Bavaria, 1478-1544; Frederic, Prince of Brandenburg, 1460-1536; George Reczel, and Hans Triffel, MDLI. They are said to be of great rarity, excellence, and value, having been sold at an average of £44 at the Sparkes sale.

MEDAL OF CHARLES CARROLL.

C.

Ar the sale of the Library of the late Rev. J. M. Finnotti, October 16, 1879, in New York, a silver Medal of Charles Carroll was sold for $19.50. Obverse - Head, "To Charles Carroll, of Carrollton." Reverse-"Upon his entering his 90th year, Sep. XX, MDCCCXXVI." "The surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, after the 50th anniversary.

QUERY.

J.

ON a curious Seal, of which an impression is before me, is represented a mirror before which are two clasped hands "making a rabbit" as children say, the reflection of which appears in the glass. The legend is AMICITIAE ET VERITATI. What is the meaning of this device?

CULEX.

COIN SALES.

ONE of the finest private collections of ancient Greek, Roman, and Cinquecento Italian coins and medals, that formed by the late Mr. George Sparkes, of Bromley, Kent, was recently dispersed at the auction rooms of Messrs. Sotheby. The reputation of Mr. Sparkes as a fastidious connoisseur was so well known for many years, and so many exceptionally fine examples were known to be in his cabinet, that the sale was a most attractive and interesting one. As most of the foreign dealers were present, prices higher than have ever been known, were the result of this competition in most cases. Messrs. Rollin & Feuardent, of Paris, and Mons'r Hoffmann, outbid their English rivals; though Mr. Addington succeeded in adding several choice pieces to his cabinet, and the fine crown-piece of Charles I., the work of the great medallist, Simon, known as the "Reddite" crown, was bought by Mr. Webster at £110. The whole collection of about 500 lots realized, together with some books on coins, £3,376.

STEINMAN COLLECTION.

MESSRS. LEAVITT & Co., of New York, sold on the 20, 21, and 22d July, 1880, the collection of Mr. Herbert Steinman, which included United States and foreign coins, Roman, Greek, and Hebrew money, together with American and foreign medals in silver, bronze, &c. The Catalogue, 60 pages, described 1,500 lots, and was prepared by Messrs. Scott & Co., of New York, and was their thirty-third sale. There were twenty-five pieces illustrated by cuts, many of which could hardly be said to represent the pieces themselves, except in a general way, and most of them were familiar to the readers of Messrs. Scott & Co's Magazine. We notice descriptions which excite our curiosity; under 195, is a piece described as bearing a white negress! No. 633 is attributed to the Sons of Morgan," and called a queer medal, with triangular hieroglyphics. We wonder if this can be the Temple of Honor piece, so often and erroneously assigned in Čoin Catalogues, to the Masons of the French Commune, as well as to various other sources. If it be this, it is a common piece, but one which seems to puzzle the dealers as much as this description puzzles us. One or two others, if correctly described, are very remarkable pieces, but we have no room to refer to them. Among the prices realized we note the following: Crowns.-Brunswick and Luneburg, 1537, Henry, $5.00; Glatz, 1542, John of Bernstein, 5.00. The rare and curious Medal of "Robert, Count Leicester," which should be the Earl of Leicester, the title he received from Queen Elizabeth, described in Journal, Vol. XIII, p. 37, in silver, 5.00. A Cent of 1799, fair, guaranteed, 5.00; 1804, v. g. 5.05; 1792, Martha Washington Half Disme, 10.; 1794, Half Disme, v. f. 11.10; 1796, 6.25; 1797, sixteen stars, 5.00; 1805, nicked, 6.10. Dimes.-1822, v. g. 8.25; 1838, no stars, uncir. 5.80.

Quarters.-1806 over '05, uncir. and v. r. 9.30; 1823, somewhat worn, 50.; 1853, without arrows, 7.50. Half Dollars.-1794. broken die, g. 6.00; 1802, v. g. 7.10; 1852, Phila., f. 5.20; 1861, Scott's restrike from the Confederate die on a genuine Half Dollar of 1861, 5.60. Dollars.-1836, flying eagle, 9.60; '54, v. g. 5.50; '55, f. 5.75. The Metric pieces, a set divided, brought for the Stella, 15., the Goloid Dollar, 5., and the Standard, 5. A '95 Half Eagle, 10.; 1800, do. 9. Mormon Five Dollars of 1860, 8. Canadian Indian Medal of George III., 6.00. These are all which brought 5.00 or upwards. The sale was in the evening, which we presume explains the low prices.

DURAND COLLECTION.

JULY 29, Messrs. Bangs & Co. sold a collection of coins, from the estate of the late Charles A. Durand, of Norwalk, Conn., containing 698 lots. The Catalogue, 28 pages, was prepared by H. P. Smith and H. G. Sampson, of New York. A proof set of 1877, eight pieces, brought $8.25, and one of 1878, 8.35; a Dollar of 1798, small eagle, fifteen stars, 6.25; one of 1804, altered date, 6.40; another, 1836, circulated, proof, 6.70; one of 1854, v. g. 6.10; another, 12.25; 1855, v. f. 10.10. Half Dollars.— 1794, v. g. 8.25; 1802, 5.60; 1815, v. f. for date, 6.60; 1838, Gobrecht pattern, sp. pr. and r. 7.05; 1852. pr. 11.25. Quarter Dollar, 1796, cracked die, 5. Dimes.-1802, v. g. 5.25; 1846, v. f. 5.95.

THE BURTON COLLECTION.

THE Collection of Mr. John E. Burton, of Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, was sold in New York, Aug. 9 and 10, by Messrs. Bangs & Co. The Catalogue, 36 pages, and 1197 lots, was prepared by Mr. John W. Haseltine of Philadelphia, and contained United States and foreign coins, Colonial, Continental and Confederate paper money, and an assortment of Greek and Roman coins. From a printed price list, kindly supplied by Mr. Haseltine, we give the following prices, mentioning only pieces which brought $5 or upwards. No. 1, was a large copper Plate-Daler of Charles XII., of 1715, restamped 1718, and brought $5.10; a Cent of 1793, Liberty cap, 5.25; another, v. g. 5.90; 1799, poor, but head and date distinct, and guaranteed genuine, 6.25; another catalogued as same date, but not genuine," 5.20; two others, same date, 7.25; and 5.20; 1804, broken die, 5.10; Half Cent of 1796, worn but desirable, 11.; Early Bronze Aes, v. f. largest size, 9.25; another, nearly as fine, 7.50; Half Dollar of 1794, v. g. 10.25; 1797, very fair for date, 27.; 1802, v. g. 8.; 1815, v. g. 7.70; Silver Dollar, 1851, br. pr. exceedingly rare, 47.25; 1858, fair, plugged, 21.25; 50 Franc piece of Napoleon III., 15,; Jefferson Peace Medal, size 64, 8.10.

WOODWARD'S THIRTY-FIRST SALE-THE JENKS COLLECTION.

SEPT. 1-3, Mr. W. Elliot Woodward sold the Jenks Collection, at the rooms of Messrs. Bangs & Co., New York. The Catalogue, 66 pages, contained 1694 lots, and was prepared by Mr. Woodward. The sale was very successful, and the prices realized were considerably above those of recent sales. We have room for only a few.

Cents.-1793, Flowing hair, Crosby 4-C, $10; another, Crosby, 7-F, 10.; do. 7-E, 16.; do. chain, "United States of Ameri." 15.50; '94, v. f. 13.50; do. variety, 7.50; '95, Jefferson Head, rarest cent, with one exception, 15.25; '97, nearly proof, 19.; '99, guaranteed, 30.; 1804, broken die, 10.50; '06, barely cir. 7.; 1810, uncir. 17.50; 23, do. 9.50. Half Cents.-'93, uncir. 5.25; '96, obv. g. rev. fair, 9.; '31, sp. pr. 8.10; '36, do II.; '40, do. 8.; '42, do. this piece once brought 105., sold now for 10.; 42, do. 6.; 44 and 45, 7.60; '47, previously sold for 105., sp. pr. 8.50. Dollars.-'95, flowing hair, uncir. 14.25; do. fillet head, uncir. 14.; '98, small eagle, fifteen stars, v. f. 20.25; '98, thirteen stars, 12.25; '36, Liberty seated, Gobrecht in the field, 6. ; do. flying eagle, sp. pr. 11.10; do. without stars, sp. proof, "few collectors have ever heard of the existence of this dollar," 41.; '38, Liberty seated, flying eagle, sp. pr. 37.50; '39, v. f. and r. 37.; '50, do. 19.; '51, do. 38.75; '52, do. 40.; '53, do. 16.80; 54, uncir. 13.; '55, v. f. 14.; '56, sp. pr. 14.25. Medals, &c.-Rhode Island, 1779, bronze, 5.; Stonewall Jackson, tin, 7.50; Annapolis Shilling, 5.65; do. Threepence, v. f. 13.; Lord Baltimore Sixpence, 20. Half Dol lars.-'95, uncir. br. 20.; '96, fifteen stars, 80.50; '97, v. g. 50.; 1815, sharp, 11.75; '52, Phila. mint, 8.50. Quarters.-'96, v. g. 6.25; '22, proof, 7,; '52, without arrows, v. f. and r. 7.75. Dimes.-'96, nearly pr. 14.70; '97, sixteen stars, 9.; '98, f. 7.; 1800, v. f. 6.; '01, v. f. 7.80; '04, plugged, 6.80; '46, v. f. 5.00. Half Dimes.-'95, sp. pr. 13.; '96, v. f. 6.; 1805, v. f. 10. Proof Sets.-1857, three pieces, 17.25; 58, seven pieces, 43.; '78, eight pieces, 9. Patterns.-Disme, 1792, tin, 15.; Martha Washington Half Disme, silver. v. f. 14.60: '92, Silver centre pattern Cent, only three or four known, 60.; Barber pattern set, 1870, five pieces, cost $100, sold for 42.50; Longacre patterns, 1871, five pieces, 43.50; Commercial Dollar, for which Mr. Jenks paid $100, only 10 struck, 42.; set of pattern Trades, '73, six pieces, 26.25; Goloid set, one of the " original eighteen," 25.26. Washington Half Dollar, 1792, silver, 72.; another, copper, 18.; Bale & Smith's " Carry me to Atwood's, &c.," 6.; a curious collection of Chinese coins, 501 pieces, 52. The Catalogue closed with a notice of the Numismatic publications in America, giving a brief account of eleven periodicals, more or less completely devoted to Numismatics, of which it might be said, in the words which Mr. Woodward used of Mason's Coin Collector's Herald, it was written with "a facile pen, with a sharp point, dipped in ink with just gall enough to prevent it from souring,”with the addition, we may say, that there is no danger of this article's souring."

HARZFELD'S THIRTEENTH SALE-THURSTON COLLECTION.

MR. S. K. HARZFELD sold in New York, September 10, 1880, at Messrs. Bangs & Co.'s rooms, the collection of W. W. Thurston, Esq., of Wellsville, New York, comprising some very fine pieces, among which was the finest 1796 Half Dollar known, and many other fine Half Dollars, several very fine Cents, and other pieces of interest. The Catalogue, 30 pages, contained 754 lots, and was prepared by Mr.

46

Harzfeld. Among the prices obtained we note the following:-Wreath Cent of 1793, fine variety, $7.50, '93, Chain Cent, "Ameri" 12.; Liberty cap, v. f. 9; '94, Frossard 13, 6.25; do. Frossard 19, 5.60; 95, thick planchet. from Jonas Sale, Oct. 78. when it brought $100, now sold for 35.; '96, Liberty cap, Frossard No. 1. 16.50; fillet head, from Nichols Hoard," 15.; '98, v. f. uncir. 10.; '99, v. g. 18.50; 1803, large fraction, 17.; '04, v. f. 46.; '07, ex. f. 11.: '09, uncir. from Mickley coll. 31.50; '13, date at rim, 6.25; 23 over '22, proof, illus. in Frossard, 55.; '32. uncir. 6.50; '34, pr. from Mickley Sale, 6.70; '41, br. pr. 11.; 45, pr. 6.10. Half Dollars.-94, 7.25; '96, fifteen stars, v. g. 47.50; another, "the finest known." on Cogan's authority, 300.: '96, sixteen stars. v. g. 60. ; '97, plugged, but v. g. 41.; 1815, sharp, uncir. 14.50; '18, br. pr. 10.; '36, lettered edge, misstruck, 8 50; do. reeded edge. Gobrecht head, br. pr. 37.: '42, small date, br. pr. 10.; '57, pr. v. r. 6 10. Metric or Goloid set. 22. Queen Anne Farthing, 5. Dollars.-1836, fine, 7.75; '55, rubbed, but v. g. and r. 6.50. Dimes.-1797, sixteen stars, cracked die, 5.70; 1800, v. g. 5. Half Cent of 1793, v. f. 5.00. Pine tree Shilling, 1652, v. g. 5.50. The Waterloo Medal, electro, 5.00. Masonics. - Cyrene Com. bronze, v. r. 3.25; Springfield temple, brass, v. r. 4.10; Solomon's Lodge, silver, v. r. 3.50 (only 20 struck). Dickeson's Manual, 8.50. As a whole the Sale must have been quite satlsfactory to the seller.

LITCHFIELD COLLECTION.

SEPT. 13, Mr. J. W. Haseltine sold a small collection, principally that of Mr. J. F. B. Litchfield, of Southbridge, Mass. The auctioneers were Messrs. Bangs & Co., of New York, and the Catalogue, by Mr. Haseltine, included 586 lots, and contained 20 pages. There were a number of Colonials, Connecticut Cents, and miscellaneous pieces; about half the collection was made up of foreign issues, and there were also a few interesting pieces of pottery from Egypt. A Swedish Copper Plate-Daler of Frederick, 1723, brought $5.10; a Dragon Dollar" of Anam, 5.60; the Barber Dollar, 1878, br. pr. 25.00. We notice nothing else of special interest.

COMING SALES.

OCTOBER 5, 6, and 7, Bangs & Co. are to sell the First part of the Smith Cabinet, which has been catalogued by Mason & Co. of Philadelphia, in a pamphlet of 72 pages and 2015 lots. It contains a varied assortment of American and foreign coins, several rare Silver Dollars, and nearly all the rare varieties of smaller silver. The sale of the Second Part is advertised to take place October 19, 20, and 21. October 13, 14, 15, and 16, the same gentlemen will sell the large and valuable collection of Mr. Ferguson Haines, principally American issues, and containing a remarkable variety of Colonials, arranged by Mr. Crosby's tables. There are no duplicates in the Catalogue - 96 pages and 2335 lots - which was prepared by Mr. W. E. Woodward, and which has some entertaining reading matter. This will be his thirty-second sale, and has already attracted a great deal of attention from collectors. It seems a pity that so complete a collection should be scattered.

We have received from Mr. C. G. Thieme, of Leipzig, Germany, a Catalogue of a very extensive sale, 184 pages and 5200 lots, which is to take place in that city, October 18, and containing many very valuable pieces, of ancient, medieval, and modern coinage, both money and medals, the cabinet of the late J. Leitzmann, a clergyman of Tunzenhausen. In such a Catalogue the interest is deeper, of course, among German collectors, but we have heard of several orders which have been sent out for this sale by Boston and New York collectors, and sincerely hope they may obtain them.

BOOK NOTICES.

A VERY creditable volume on Numismatics has lately been printed at New Haven, Conn., being the " CATALOGUE OF THE GREEK AND ROMAN COINS IN THE NUMISMATIC COLLECTION OF YALE COLLEGE. BY JONATHAN EDWARDS, M. D., CURATOR OF THE COLLECTION," a volume of nearly 250 pages. Of course real discoveries of any kind in ancient numismatics, may be considered impossible in this country, but the preparation of a decent catalogue requires a great amount of deep study, and careful judgment. A short preface gives the history and character of the collection and catalogue. The arrangement of Eckhel has been followed, which is geographical, and probably as satisfactory and interesting as any that can be devised. Weights and sizes are given by the metric standard. This innovation may be desirable, but there is another which might also have been employed, for it is not easy to see the advantage of designating metals by the Roman initials AV. AR. E., especially as B. must be used for Billon, and might as well be accompanied by G. S. and C.

The collection is a fairly representative one of more than 3000 pieces. The descriptions are very much condensed, perhaps too much, but of course enlargement meant additional expense. The series of the Kings of Syria is the first noticeable one, and is quite full, as is also that of Kings of Parthia. There are also many coins of Antioch on the Orontes. The Roman series comprises naturally nearly two-thirds of the collection, and is very satisfactory. It is a pity to see under Otho, the words, "Copy of a First Brass coin," when, of course, the statement should be imaginary first brass. Such rare names are represented as Plotina, Marciana, Didius Julianus,