four (?) berries, starts from the tip of the upper leaf, and points midway between s and o. The stem at the left joins the ribbon for about half its length, that at the right is longer than the ribbon end and quite near its upper half. The bow is large, less angular than in G, and highest at the right. The fraction is low, central; the regula straight and heavy, resting on the denominator, which is closely spaced, and joins the ribbon ends by a fine line or a crack. It is usually found with cracks across CA and the ribbon ends, from R to the lower leaves on the right, and sometimes a light crack through UNITED. Obverse 10, with reverses F and I. The head is much like that of obverse 8, the locks of hair cleanly cut, but the lower three more equally separated and more divergent, the lowest nearly reaching the border; the double curl does not join the sprig, the stem of which has a heavy end, as if retaining a small piece broken from the branch, and rises close over the space between 7 and 9; the leaves are narrow, the two outer at a right angle with each other, the centre leaf leaning slightly to the right, the sprig erect and near the hair. The letters of the legend are much like those of obverse 8, but more widely spaced and nearer the head; T is over the forehead close to the hair. The date is like that of obverse 9, but more widely spaced, and is nearer the hair than to the point of the bust. This die I consider quite rare, and, coupled with reverse F, is so far as I know, unique. Reverse I, with obverse 10. CENT nearly central, the centre-mark scarcely visible on top of N. Twelve ovate and two trefoil leaves on the left branch, eleven ovate and two trefoil upon the right; the trefoils are all nearly on line with CENT; the points of two upper leaves nearly meet; seven sprays of berries outside and three inside the left branch, five outside and four inside the right; the upper spray, of three berries, starts from the side of the upper leaf and points at o. The left stem is short and joins the tip end of the ribbon near u, the right hand stem is long, reaching to the outer circle of the legend, at about two millimeters from its end, and the ribbon end near it is fully as long. The bow is medium size, similar in form to that of reverse H, and widest at the left. The legend is followed by a period; this occurs, in this class, only in reverses I and J. The fraction is high, to the left; the regula straight, joining the ribbon at the left, and nearer the first two figures of the denominator; the space between 1 and oo wide. Obverse 11, with reverse J. The head resembles Nos. 9 and 10, but the middle locks of hair are shorter and the third long lock double at its end; the double curl nearly joins the upright leaf of the sprig. The left leaf of the sprig rises upright from close above the 9, the two others inclining to the right, the lower leaf extending horizontally over and beyond the 3. The legend and date are much like those of No. 10, but the date is farther from the border and within one millimeter of the hair, and four from the point of the bust. The letter R is placed as in obverses 5, 6 and 9. ONE Reverse J, with obverse 11. O nearly central, the centre-mark on top of N. Twelve ovate and two trefoil leaves on the left branch (which is not joined between the two trefoils), and thirteen ovate and two trefoil upon the right; the trefoils on the left are between 1 and c; those on the right on line with CENT; five sprays of berries outside and three inside each branch; the upper spray is long, nearly stemless, starting between the two end leaves, and points between o and s; the upper end leaf on the right points between two at the left; the stems are about equal in length, reaching as far as the middle of the legend, terminating at about equal distances from each end. The bow is of medium size and but little curved at top or sides; the left end of the ribbon is shorter, and less deeply forked than that on the right, which is sharply curved near the knot joining the stem. The fraction is to the right; the regula very light, curved and close to the ribbon end at the right; the numerator is high above the regula, and the denominator nearly as much below it. The legend is followed by a period, as in J, but is here at the end of a spray of berries, and it has been doubted whether it was intended for a period or for a berry. Many of the sprays of vines are without stems. This Cent is most frequently found with edge lettered ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR the letters on different pieces differing in size and direction of reading, but sometimes with vine and bars as on most of this class; occasionally one of either of the Cents of this year may be found with edges plain; though this, I think, is unintentional. With the lettered edge this is nearly as common as 9-H, but with vine and bars it is much more scarce. CLASS 3. THE LIBERTY CAP CENTS. The Cents of this class, which includes obverses 12, 13 and 14, with reverses K and L, derive their name from the cap of Liberty which is here retained upon the staff, in still closer imitation than in Class 2, of the design of the French model, though differing in its treatment. The hair is shorter, flowing less freely, confined by a band or fillet passing over the top of the head but partly concealed by the hair, which is smooth, and as it falls in heavy locks behind the neck, shows the form of the head as in no other variety. The staff, supporting the Liberty cap, passes behind the neck over the left shoulder. These dies though bearing heads nearly identical, may be readily distinguished by the positions of the letters, and by the cracks upon two of them. I have no knowledge of an impression of either No. 13 or 14, from the die in its perfect condition. The reverses have the words CNT within a wreath formed by two olive branches, the fruit of which is borne singly on axillary stems; the stems of the branches below the knot, where they cross, are straight and slender, and are tied with a ribbon which forms a double bow within the wreath. The ribbon ends are long, falling below the stems, and in the space between them is the fraction. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA nearly encircles the wreath, and a circle of beads forms the border. They are struck on planchets of from 27 to 30 millimeters in diameter, and have edges lettered ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR in letters varying in size and in the direction of the reading. This design was continued upon the Cents of 1794, 1795 and part of those of 1796. Obverse 12, with reverses K and L. On this die one millimeter of the staff shows between the cap and the head. The first lock of hair under the cap is faint and indistinct, the lower lock ends in a sharp, hook-like curve, and the lock next above it is short and heavy. The lower end of the staff is in high relief, broad and rounded at its end, tapering toward the throat, less than its own diameter from the bust, and points nearly at one of the beads of the border. The cap, the date, and the first two letters of the legend are very close to the border; the other letters more distant from it. The border contains ninety-five beads. This is the most common die of this class. Obverse 13, with reverse L. This is known as the "cracked die," a crack extending through the E, across the head and neck, passing close to right of 3. The hair is much like that of No. 12. About half a millimeter of the staff shows between the cap and the head, its lower end faintly cut, more than its own diameter from the bust, tapering but little toward the throat, and so faint at its end as to render it difficult to define its exact termination. The cap, the date, and the legend, are more distant from the border than in obverse 12, and more regular in that distance. I and R are high, E low, and TY more closely spaced than in that die. The border contains ninety-five beads. This die is much rarer than the preceding. Obverse 14, with reverses K and L. This very rare die is also cracked, but not as conspicuously as is No. 13; the crack is faintly seen from a bead of the border, across the right top of y to the forehead, and again from the lower lock of hair to the border. The lower lock ends in a heavier, hook-like curl, and those above it are more sharply pointed. About one-half millimeter of the staff shows behind the head, as in No. 13, but the lower end is in higher relief, more tapering toward the throat, nearly as far from the bust as in that, and points directly at a bead of the border, which contains ninetyseven beads. A minute point of difference in these dies may be found in the relative position of the letter I and the beads above it: In No. 12, two beads are directly over it (i); in 13, one is more nearly central above, and one over the left part of it (ï), and in 14, one is central above it (i). This is the rarest die of this class, and I can recall but two impressions from it. Reverse K, with obverses 12 and 14. The left branch has fourteen leaves, eight in pairs and six single, with five olives, one of which is just at the left of the bow; the right branch has sixteen leaves, fourteen in pairs and two sin- Reverse L, with obverses 12, 13 and 14. The left branch has fourteen leaves, ten in pairs and four single, with six olives, two of which are nearly under the bow; the olives upon this branch are mostly smaller than those on the right, but the upper one is larger; the right branch has eighteen leaves, twelve in pairs, three single, and near the top a group of three, with five olives; the two lower leaves at each side of the knot are narrow and in pairs, and the points of two upper terminal leaves nearly meet; the stems cross the ribbon ends as in reverse K, but that at the right is longer, reaching to the inner circle of the legend, and pointing close to the left of a. The ribbon end at the right does not pass through the knot, but leaves the bow well above it, passing in front of the branch and stem, forming with them a small triangle between itself and the knot, and falls just across the regula; the ribbon end at the left falls lower, reaching as far as the middle of the denominator, and well to the left of it. I is high nearly joining the regula, and the border has ninety-one beads. This die is common, as compared with the other reverse. For the convenience of those who may not be familiar with the Smith counterfeits of these Cents, I give upon Plate III illustrations of several of them. The heads are all in low relief, the outlines when examined with a glass appear ragged, and the field rough, as though eaten out by acid, as they probably were. Those oftenest seen are copied from No. 9-G but not so closely that they may not be easily detected by comparison with the plates. [To be concluded.] GOLD MEDAL FOR NANSEN. THE Royal Geographical Soeiety, of England, presented a gold medal to Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the Arctic explorer, at a reception given in his honor at Albert Hall, London, on February 8, ulto. The President of the Society, Sir Clements Markham, was in the chair, with the Prince of Wales on his right and the Duke of York on his left. After a lecture by Dr. Nansen, describing his expedition, the medal, specially struck for the event, was presented by the Prince of Wales. MEXICAN MINTS. Editors of the American Journal of Numismatics: In accordance with my promise I herewith transmit some notes on the dates of the founding of the several Mints in Mexico, the periods of their working, their final suspension or closure, and the mint-marks, or abbreviations used to designate them, with a few brief remarks, arranged chronologically. By a Royal decree dated May 11, 1535, the Queen of Spain authorized the Viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza, to establish a mint in Mexico for the coining of silver and copper, but not of gold. "The dies," says the Royal Ordinance, "for the single reales and of the two and three-reales, must have on the one side, castles and lions with the pomegranate, and on the other side two columns, between which the inscription Plus Ultra, which is the device of the Emperor, my lord; and the half-reales must have on one side a к and an 1, and on the other side the same inscription of Plus Ultra and the columns; and the cuartillas will have on one side an I and on the other a K; and the lettering of all said money shall say Carolus é Yohana Reges Hispanie & Yndiarum, or as much of it as there is room for; and put wherever the device of the columns may be, a Latin м, by which it will be known as having been made in Mexico." I As these coins are without dates, opinions may differ as to the year of their first issue; the following reasons will put that event beyond doubt:- Mendoza wrote to the King, Carlos the First of Spain, son of the Queen, on "December 10th," complaining that the Indians had counterfeited the new money of four-reales and reported the innovation he had made as to the four-reales, and represented the necessity of coining pieces of eight-reales. The King's reply to this letter was dated from Monzon, November 8, 1537, so that Mendoza's letter must have been written in December, 1536, and after the new coinage had been some little time in circulation ; undoubted evidence that the first coin minted in the Americas was struck in Mexico, early in 1536. The Viceroy, Mendoza, arrived in Mexico, October, 1535. I have thought this preliminary introduction might be interesting to those numismatists who have not had the privilege of reading the early History of Mexico in Spanish, and have tried to make it as brief as possible, consistent with arriving at the facts. The following mint-marks have been compiled from the Fonrobert and Fischer catalogues, and from my own collection. The dates are from the Licentiate Orosco y Berra's publication of the reports of the mints, from the Government archives :Mexico, 1536, Federal District: m.m. M, M, м, M.X. This mint has continued in operation up to date.2 Zacatecas, 1810: m.m. z, z, zs This mint is yet working. Sombrerete, 1810: State of Zacatecas; this generally has the name abbreviated to Sombrete, especially on the eight-reales, whereas on the one and half-reales it is given in full. Closed in 1812. I Mendoza believing that the three-reales and two reales might easily be confounded and cause serious loss and injury to the Indians and illiterate people, suppressed the issue of the three-reales and ordered the coining of a four-reales. 2 The latter m.m. may appear strange to many who have not seen it, as it did to me. I have it on an eightreales and four-reales piece of 1733 of the pillar type; the eight-reales has the assayer's initial F and the four reales M over F; the latter is on all the following issues up to 1769 inclusive. The m.m. is thus: M-X 1733 M-X Another issue of 1733 has the m.m. as follows: Me 1733 M. This continues on the eight and four-reales until the close of the type in 1771. The village of Axiquipilco is mentioned in early Histories of Mexico, as having money coined there, but further than that brief allusion to it, nothing is said. |