12 



THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



example being followed by the differ- 

 ent states of Greece. 



The first metal money was coined 

 by placing a lump of metal on a die, 

 on which was engraved the religious 

 or national symbol to be impressed. 

 A wedge or punch placed at the back 

 of the metal was held steadily with 

 one hand and struck by a hammer 

 with the other, until the metal was 

 sufficiently fixed in the die to receive 

 a good impression. The impression 

 was a guarantee of the weight of the 

 piece. From the nature of the pro- 

 cess, the earliest coins had a lumpish 

 appearance. The original coins of 

 Asia Minor were of gold, those of 

 Greece, of silver. The earliest coins 

 bear emblems of a sacred character, 

 often embodying some legend regard- 

 ing the foundation of the state. 



Silver was first coined at Rome 

 about 281 B. C, the standard being 

 the Greek drachma. The earliest of 

 Roman coins has on the obverse side 

 the head of Rorna. 



The earliest gold coins seem to have 

 been issued about 90 B. C. These 

 pieces bear the head of Mars on the 

 obverse, and on the reverse side an 

 eagle standing on a thunderbolt. 



The high prices given for ancient 

 coins have led to numerous forgeries 

 from the fifteenth century down. 

 Against such imitations collectors re- 

 quire to be always on their guard. 



It is not only coins of the ancients 

 that are valuable in collections, but 

 there are many coins of recent dates 

 which, when sold, bring many times 



their face value. For instance, take 

 our own coins of the United States, 

 and there are many pieces worth at 

 least one hundred times as much as 

 coins 1500 years old. So it is with 

 the copper cent of 1793 and 1799 and 

 the silver dollar of 1804, which is one 

 of the coins least found, even in large 

 collections. 



T. O. Young, North Scriba, N. Y. 



Shot a Great Owl. 



Henry E. McKensie, of Port Ewen, 

 N. Y., while hunting, a short time 

 ago, shot and wounded a bird that 

 proved to be a great owl, a bird rarely 

 seen outside of British America, its 

 natural habitation. Its wing measure- 

 ment is five feet ; it stands two and a 

 half feet high, and has a head about 

 18 inches in circumference, surmount- 

 ed by two large horns. The only in- 

 jury done the bird, by the shooting, 

 was a slight wound about the left 

 wing. It was taken to Port Ewen by 

 Mr. McKensie, where he has it on ex- 

 hibition. About two hundred people 

 visited his residence for the purpose 

 of viewing it during a single day, and 

 everyone pronounces it the greatest of 

 the owl species ever seen in that sec- 

 tion of Ulster county. Many people 

 who have visited Central Park, New 

 York city, and seen the many curious 

 owls there, say that nothing like it 

 either as to size or resemblance is on 



exhibition. 



♦+♦ 



Have you shown a copy of our 

 paper to your friends ? If not, do so 

 and help to extend our circulation. 



