Part 5

On the opposite wall is a fine cast of Cromwell, a duplicate of one taken shortly after his death. It was placed here by Mr. W. E. Du Bois, who received it from H. W. Field, Esq., late Assayer of the Royal Mint, London, who is a descendant of the great Protector. Below the cast of Cromwell is a case showing progressive “alloys of gold.” The plates comprise gold alloyed with copper, gold alloyed with silver, and gold fine.

In the eastern section are the Standard Test Scales, used to test the weights sent to all the mints and assay offices in the United States, and are so delicate as to weigh the _twenty-thousandth_ part of an ounce. These scales were manufactured by employees of the Mint, and have been in use more than a quarter of a century. The beam is hollow, and filled with Spanish cedar to guard against the effect of dampness; the bearings are edges of knife-blades, which impinge on a surface of agate plate. These scales are tested by the Annual Assay Committee, which meets on the second Tuesday in February of every year.

CURIOSITIES AND MINERALS.

The most interesting objects of this curious display are three golden images from graves in the Island of Chiriqui, off Central America. They were dug up in 1858, and sent to the Mint as bullion, to be melted. They are of pure gold, but the workmanship is very crude. The images are in the forms of a reptile, a bird, and a man with symbols of power in his hands, not unlike those designating Jupiter. There are also, in the first section, two large cases with choice selections of mineral specimens, carefully classified and labeled. These are from well selected results of years of patient collecting, and are deserving of more study than can be devoted to them by casual visitors. They are chiefly from different parts of the United States, and are an “index book” to the vast mineral wealth of the nation.

Near the exit door of the Cabinet, in a large glass case, is a magnificent American eagle, which is worthy of the visitor’s attention. It is superbly mounted, with grand breadth of wing and wondrous piercing eyes. The portrait of this “pet” can be recognized on Reverse of the “Pattern” Silver Dollars of 1836, 1838, and 1839, and on the Obverse of the first nickel cent pieces coined in 1856.

“PETER,”

the name which the noble bird recognized, was an inhabitant of the Mint six years. He would fly about the city, but no one interfered with the going or coming of the “Mint bird,” and he never failed to return from his daily exercise before the time for closing the building. In an evil hour he unfortunately perched upon a large fly wheel, and getting caught in the machinery, received a fatal injury to his wing, and this ended rather an unusual career for an eagle.

EASTERN CORRIDOR.

Opening into the eastern corridor are the rooms of the Superintendent, the Chief Clerk, and the library of Historical and Scientific Works, including many valuable books upon the art of coinage. Passing out upon the gallery, we enter the Machinists’ and Engravers’ rooms. Here are engraved and finished the dies used in this Mint and in all the branch mints. Visitors are not ordinarily allowed access to these rooms, or to the assay office, or to the cellar. (In the latter are a number of immense vaults, and in the main cellar are engines, which supply the power and light used throughout the building.) Here are also blacksmith, carpenter, and paint shops; and in the rear, west side, is the medal-striking room, where medals are struck by a screw press, worked by hand. The cellar also contains the “sweep” grinding rooms. Near this room are the wells, which are receptacles for the water used in washing the precious metals. These wells are cleaned out every few years and the deposit is then treated in the same way as the sweepings.

The little wooden building in the court was formerly the cent-room, where copper cents were exchanged for nickels;[10] it is now the office of the agent of the Adams Express Company, who brings to the Philadelphia Mint millions of dollars worth of precious metals in the shape of bullion from the far west, to be converted into American Coin, when it is again transported by the same company to various points to be put into circulation.

COINS.

The ancient coins are chiefly arranged in upright cases against the walls in the doorways and the middle section of the saloon. The modern coins are placed in nearly level cases at either end of the room and in the circular or central cases. Of antique coins the portion labeled Cabinet Nos. 97, 98, 99, “Massilia,” are interesting as belonging to a Greek colony which settled about six hundred years before Christ upon the coast of Gaul, on the spot now known as Marseilles. This little colony fled their native country and the rule of a governor placed over it by a Persian monarch. They were distinguished for their civilization, and the work upon these small coins is the most palpable witness of that fact in existence to-day.

GREEK COINS.

Their surfaces, of gold, silver, and bronze, bristle with lance and spear, helmet and shield. On one of these coins Jove is seated and bearing an eagle, defying Alexander of Macedon, while on the obverse the same mighty conqueror impersonates Hercules. The oldest coin here is supposed to date back to 550 B.C. It is well to mention the fact that coins were never dated until the fifteenth century; and previous to that time the ages of coins can only be determined by the legends upon them, as answering to the page of corroborative history and the art era to which they belonged. No. 9 bears on the obverse the Macedonian horse, a favorite animal, which the then war-loving Greeks are said to have deified. At this period the haughty royal families began to chronicle in coin their line of descent. The kings of Macedon claimed Hercules for an ancestor, and in proof thereof the lion’s skin was a royal insignia. An old historian says, “The kings of Macedon, instead of the crown, the diadem, the purple, bear upon their effigy the skin of a lion.” Several pieces of money in this case, upon which are heads of Alexander, have rings in them, and were worn by gracious dames as ornaments. The value of this series of coins is priceless, as furnishing portraits of the heroes of that period which can be received without question as accurate, for the art patronage of the kingdom was regulated by the strictest laws. Alexander was especially jealous of how the future nations should regard his physique, allowing only three artists, during his reign, the privilege of drawing, painting, or modeling his head.[11] To such royal guardianship may be attributed the perfection to which Greek art attained; and it may well be a matter of regret that the same firmness in this regard was not universal. The last coin of this series is a small bronze coin, and was issued by Perseus, the last king of Macedon.

PERSIAN.

In this case is a collection of Persian coins, very choice, and of no mean workmanship, and, of course, portraying the faith and rites of the fire-worshippers. One era is distinctly Greek in style, and marks the period of Greek supremacy. The oldest gold coin known to the collector is the gold Daric of King Darius, with the head of the king in bold relief; and all Persian coins are so called in remembrance of this monarch. Their money was very fine, so the word _Daric_ has become incorporated into numismatic terminology to designate any pure gold coin. Nos. 58 to 67, inclusive, of this series, are silver coins of the Sassanian kings.

EGYPT

is also represented in this case, as is proper, for that nation had no coinage until it was taught the art when conquered by Alexander. Here are some very attractive data of Egyptian history, and from these coins are obtained the only portraits of Arsinoe, Cleopatra, and others.

THE SYRIAN COINS

are embraced in the division called “Greek monarchies,” and in them are found many coins not only important in history, but of the very finest Greek art, from the third to the first century B.C. In this period the Syriac and Hebrew coins become intermingled, a fact abundantly sustained by the Jewish shekel of Simon Maccabees. The legend of this interesting relic is in the language of Samaria; on one side the budding rod of Aaron, legend, “Jerusalem the Holy;” on the other, a cup of incense or pot of manna, and the inscription, “Shekel of Israel.” This shekel is well preserved, and is one of the most prized coins known. (See Plate and Case XV., marked “_Selections_.”) In this collection are some coins from Bactria, considered priceless by savans. These are trophies of recent British explorations, and are judged to be of sufficient importance to call forth from an English professor an extended treatise on the “Antiquities and Coins of Afghanistan.” They are exceedingly rude in workmanship, and nearly all of baser metal, the most important being a small, square, brass coin, in the case marked “_Selections_.”

ROMAN COINS.

The collection of Roman coins in this Cabinet numbers nearly one thousand, and an acquaintance with it is invaluable for object teaching, as in it is the condensed history, not only of the glory of Rome, “Mistress of the World,” but of her customs, faith, conquests, wealth, culture, divisions, and _downfall_. Through this entire section of time—one-third of the known history of the world—Roman art, though high, never reached the exalted purity of Greek lines. In their finest coins we see no Phidias, no Myron, no Praxiteles, but they deteriorate and fluctuate visibly when in or out of contact with the influence of the Grecian mind.

GREEK REPUBLIC

will be first in interest, both historic and artistic. It is conceded that to the Greeks the world owes the introduction of the art of coinage, and though centuries numbered by tens have passed, some of the old Greek coins equal many modern productions in purity of lines, and surpass nearly all in poetic sentiment. On the first coins no earthly potentate was allowed to be pictured, no deed of heroism portrayed. The glory of the gods was considered the only appropriate theme for impressions on the surface of bronze, silver, and gold. The coins of the republic embrace a large variety, as nearly a thousand towns were allowed the privilege of coinage. Upon this varied issue are preserved nearly all the legends of Greek mythology. Upon the coins are the heads of Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Bacchus, Apollo, and Diana, with many sacred animals, and the work is to-day the standard of artistic perfection. Of course, the collection of this ancient period cannot be extensive. In this case there are, however, more than one hundred and fifty specimens, and these present a study so attractive and so intense that it is almost impossible to imagine what classic poetry would be without it.

Nos. 4, 5, and 6, are silver coins of Ægina, which have on the obverse, for a device, the tortoise, emblematic of the security of the island amid the waves, and the protection of the gods of the sea. On the reverse are the marks of the punches only, probably denoting the value of the coins. These are claimed to belong to an era seven hundred years before Christ. No. 28 is a silver coin of Athens, with a head of Minerva splendidly drawn upon the obverse, while the reverse presents a large owl, the bird sacred to the goddess of Wisdom. The devices upon this coin indicate its age to be from twenty-one to twenty-three centuries. The Greek proverb of “taking owls to Athens” referred to this coin, which was necessarily of great importance to the tradespeople of that city.

FAMILY COINS.

These comprise about one hundred and seventy-five, of which one hundred and twenty-six are in the collection. They were struck to record the heroic deeds which first introduced any notable ancestor to fame, and hence are to-day family charts of respectability for many of the patricians of Rome, albeit some of them have plebeian roots. Be that as it may, they are as much the trusted patents of aristocracy as is the “Book of the Peerage” of England. Here are found the same distinctions between patrician and plebeian which mark all countries, the patricians being always designated by a symbol of warfare, while the plebeians were indicated by the tools and instruments of common trade. The more noticeable of the coins are as follows: No. 16, Acilia; the reverse a female leaning against a pillar, with a serpent clutched in her right hand, indicating the wisdom or courage of some ancestor. No. 20, Æmilia; on the obverse of this curious coin is a figure kneeling by the side of a camel, presenting an olive branch, from which depends a fillet or ancient diadem; on the reverse, a figure guiding a triumphal chariot, a scorpion in the field. Josephus tells us of an invasion of Arabia, and that Aretus, the king of the country, purchased peace of the Romans for five hundred talents. The diadem hanging from the olive branch chronicles the entire humiliation of Aretus, and the scorpion doubtless indicates the month of the Roman triumph. No. 30, Aquillia, a small silver coin; the reverse shows a woman kneeling before a soldier. The motto below the figures (or in the _exergue_ of the coin, as is the art term) is “_Sicil_.” This commemorates the suppression of a revolt of slaves in Sicily, which was achieved by Manlius Aquillia. No. 41, Calpurnia, the family of Cæsar’s noble wife; reverse, a horseman riding at full speed, a head of wheat above him; legend, L. Piso-Trugi. The coin recalls the fact that in the year 507 B.C. there was a famine in Rome, and Calpurnius Piso was dispatched to Africa to buy corn. This seemingly small service is magnified upon a large number of coins. Nos. 95 and 96, Hostilia, a coin with a sacrifice to _Pallor_ and _Pavor_ (fear and trembling), offered by Tullus Hostilius in some great emergency. No. 97, Julia; obverse, a helmeted head; legend, Cæsar; reverse, a warrior in a chariot drawn by two horses.

No. 98, Junia; obverse, head of Liberty; reverse, Junius Brutus guarded by lictors, and preceded by a herald, showing that an ancestor of Junius Brutus was the first consul of Rome. Nos. 181, 182, Tituria. The reverse shows two soldiers throwing their shields upon a prostrate female, illustrating the famous story of the “Tarpeian Rock.” Reverse represents the Romans carrying off Sabine women—a witness in coin of the fact that the family of Tituria trace their ancestry from the Sabines. To do justice to this case is impossible, for here are coins relating to the ancestors of Antonia, Aurelia, Cornelia, Fulvia, Horatio, Lucretia, Lucilla, Sempronia, Titia Valeria, and many others familiar to the readers of history.

This era of coins terminated about the time of the birth of Christ, when the

IMPERIAL COINS

were introduced. In noticing these, little save the labels on the case can be given.

_Division II._

Julius Cæsar to Trajan, inclusive. Beginning 49 B.C., and ending 117 A.D. A simple catalogue of the illustrious names on these coins would convey an idea of their importance. All the victories of Cæsar are marked by coinage; but out of the two hundred belonging to this case reference need only be made to No. 24, a beautiful gold coin, with the undraped head of Augustus, exquisitely severe, the interest attaching chiefly to the legend, “The Son of God,” referring to the deification of Cæsar.

_Division III._

embraces from Hadrian to Elagabalus, 117-222. In the reign of Hadrian much coin was issued, though it did not bear marks of the disasters and revolts that signalized the foregoing. That he was a merciful ruler is indicated by the coins, especially one—Hispania; the reverse showing the emperor raising Spain—a female figure—from the ground. His travels are also illustrated in coin.

_Division IV._

From Severus Alexander to Claudius Gothicus, 222-270. These coins indicate the vicious effect of the rulers immediately preceding.

_Division V._

From Aurelian to the end of the Western Empire; includes 270-475. A brilliant succession; Aurelian’s busy reign, ending in assassination; the war-like Probus, the slave-emperor; Diocletian’s despotism and vindictive persecution of Christians; the usurpation of Carausius; the happy reign of Constantine the Great, Julian, Theodosius, down to Julius Nepos. These are a few of the historic names and events presented in this division.

_Division VI._

covers the period of the Byzantine or Eastern Empire, and a lapse of eight centuries; but the coinage is not comparable with that of other eras, nor were events of so stirring and heroic a character. A general decay, painful to contemplate, marked this long lapse of time, which began near the acceptance of Christianity, and extended through the dark ages.

“THE TEMPLE SWEEPERS.”

A small case attracts no little attention, because it contains a single coin; and the interest does not decrease when the inscription is read: “Struck in the Philadelphia Mint, at least two thousand years ago.” The late Assayer of the Philadelphia Mint, Mr. W. E. Du Bois, under title of “The Temple Sweepers,” wrote, not long since, a valuable sketch of this coin, made in the City of Attalus Philadelphus, Asia Minor, and for which William Penn called his city, because the ancient one was a monument of “brotherly love.” Diana was the patroness of Philadelphia.

“On one side, then, we have a head; not a king’s nor an emperor’s; as yet the free city had a pride and a privilege above that. It is a female head, an ideal, representing the city itself; or rather the dwellers in it, the _Demos_. Here in this head and title, we have the radix of Democracy.

“This is all we can gather from the obverse. On the other side we have a larger variety: a running female figure; a dog also on the trot; a legend of some length and of more significance.

“The half-clad figure is that of the goddess known to the Greeks as Artemis, to the Latins as Diana; and otherwise called Selene, Phœbe, Delia, or Cynthia.

“She was the favorite divinity of the cities of Asia Minor. Once the patroness of chastity and purity. Goddess of the chase.”

The legend on the obverse of this coin explains its name: “Friends of Philadelphia’s [her] Temple Sweepers.”

ORIENTAL.

Oriental coins are not as attractive as other varieties, though there are special coins among them which have no rival in historic importance. Antique coins from the East were usually without device, and, their legends being rudely inscribed in a dead language, proved frequently to be sealed fountains to the thirsting antiquarian. Therefore in cases marked “Oriental” the visitor is undetermined where to begin to study, and often decides to give it but little time.

Those having for device the sacred peacock are from Burmah; there is, however, in the division marked “Selections” a very curious coin belonging to that country, which certainly formed a part of its earliest currency. It is a common gravel-stone, encased in a circling band of brass.

COINS OF SIAM.

The coins of Siam are much sought for. Some of them, known to European travelers as “bullet money,” are lumps of gold or silver, hammered by rude implements into a doubtful roundness, and a few Siamese characters stamped irregularly upon them. The sacred elephant is found on a large proportion of their money. A Siamese coin in the Cabinet, of modern date, is quite handsome in both workmanship and design. On the obverse is the sacred elephant in ponderous proportion, which delights the eyes of the devout, and the reverse presents a group of three pagodas, finely drawn. In the case marked “Selections” is a Siamese coin of gold, comparatively modern, called “Tecal,” corresponding in some respects to the “Shekel,” or “Oxen,” of biblical fame.

CHINESE COINS.

On the south side of the first section is a case of seven hundred coins of the Celestial Empire. With but few exceptions these coins are bronzed. Dynasty succeeds dynasty; usurpation, insurrection, are all writ in bronze. The Chinese assert an uninterrupted coinage for forty-one centuries. The manuscript attesting this is in the case, and was prepared under authority. Large numbers of their coins were considered charms, sufficient to protect the owner against fever, or even the more dreaded horrors of spiritual menace. In this connection it may be said that the Chinese had an exalted reverence for the coin-charm, and a small coin was often placed in the mouth of the dead (now, if a Chinaman dies in California, a small silver United States coin is placed on his tongue). These coins were covered with cabalistic characters, symbolic animals, birds, etc. Two worthy of notice in this regard, and said to be of the oldest issue, are Nos. 1 and 2. The first might be mistaken for an iron safe-key; the second is known as the “razor coin,” its form and almost its size being that of a razor.

In another case, appropriately labeled, is the Chinese porcelain money. They are the only people who have made porcelain a “legal tender,” though it would appear that almost every part of the three kingdoms of nature has been laid under contribution. The specimen here may be mistaken for the popular Chinese sleeve-button, bought in any bazaar for a few cents. The Chinese, as did also the Africans, utilized the small sea-shells for trade. In the same case are some of the variety legalized. Ten small shells made one “cash.” This is a small, round, copper-bronzed coin, with a square hole in the centre. The Chinese dames of high degree wore such strung around their throats. One thousand of them are equal to our dollar. The Japanese, however, _outcount_ their neighbors, as they have a bronze coin called the “One-hundredth,” of which just seven thousand make one Spanish dollar.

Shell money of pure gold, “or gold beaten into small solid shells, was made by those natives who supplied the Portuguese slave-traders with slaves,” and was called by the traders “Spondylus Macutus,” from which, some contend, came the _slang_ term “spondulics.” Forty of those small coins, each worth about a dollar of Spanish money, was a high price for a slave.

There is also in the Cabinet a valuable collection of African ring money. These ornaments are very massive and pure, comprised of elaborately carved “signet-rings, armlets, anklets,” etc. One article, more novel and valuable than the others, is a pipe of fine gold, bowl and handle of curious bas-relief figures, and a heavy, square-linked chain attaching a large medallion, on which is the head of a monarch poorly drawn.

The Chinese government, like all despotisms, is very jealous of its coining prerogatives; yet it does not fail to appreciate an advantage when offered, as is evident to us by the following:

Proclamation for general information: