THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 65 



This mint also produced the oak-tree and pine-tree shilHngs. Du- 

 ring the reign of William and Mary, copper coins were struck in 

 England for Carolina and New England ; and for Maryland Lord 

 Baltimore caused silver shillings, sixpences and fourpences, to be 

 coined in London. In 1785, Connecticut and Vermont established 

 their own mints for copper coinage, and New Jersey followed in 

 1786. The Act which established the United States Mint was 

 passed in 1791, and the building was commenced in Philadelphia 

 the following year. The first purchase of metal for coinage there 

 consisted of 6 lbs. of old copper, and the first cents struck for circu- 

 lation bear date 1793. The original mint was moved in 1831 to. 

 its present quarters on Chestnut street, and till 1835 was the only 

 mint in the United States. In that year branches) were established 

 at New Orleans, at Charlotte in North Carolina, at Dahlonega, 

 Georgia, and in 1854 another branch was opened in San Francisco, 

 the coinage of each oi which is denoted by an initial letter upon the 

 face of the coin. Philadelphia, as the parent mint, uses no initial. 



In 1794 the regular coinage of dollars began, and the coins of that 

 year sell now for $100 each. It was an adaptation of the Spanish 

 milled dollar or "piastre," a coin very popular wherever the Span- 

 iards went The Spaniards took the German name " thaler," which 

 was acknowledged under Charles V. as the coin of the world, and 

 pronounced by the North Germans as " dahler." It was corrupted 

 eventually into dollar, Charles V. being entitled " Emperor of Ger- 

 many. King of Spain, and Lord of Spanish America." 



The Numismatic Society of Montreal has done much to shed 

 light on the history of Canadian coins, and a catalogue published 

 under their auspices by Mr. Sandham, is a standard authority on 

 the subject. Dr. Leroux has also contributed to this research by 

 means of an illustrated work, and Mr. R. W. McLachlan has brought 

 out the most complete compilation in his recent volume. I must 

 here quote from it a passage of interest in connection with the early 

 French settlements. Speaking of the French American, and especi- 

 ally of that of 1755, which bore an impression of the golden fleece, 

 he says : " Many were the Jasons in those adventurous days who 

 set out for New France, expecting to return with the much coveted 

 auriferous prize. But ik^o. fleecing of the poor habitants indulged in 

 by some of the governors and intendants were the nearest approach 

 to the Golden Fleece which they ever obtained. To this cause more 



