“Weren’t carlinos minted in Italy?” Mr. Holloway inquired.
“Formerly they were used in Naples, Sicily and Rome,” Mr. Kain said. “The coin obtained its name from the emperor Charles VI in whose time the coin first was issued.”
“And is this coin a real old one?” Fred asked in awe.
“I’m not an expert on such matters,” Mr. Kain admitted. “This silver piece though, very much resembles a similar coin in the British Museum.”
“Then it should be worth a lot!” exclaimed Midge.
“Off hand, I should be inclined to agree. I can’t make out the date,” the bank employee said, studying the reverse side of the coin. “It looks as if it might be 1740 or 1730. I know the coins were made as early as 1730.”
“Gosh, we have found ourselves something!” Fred murmured in awe. “Pass those other coins around, Dan. Let’s see what they are.”
Before Dan could do so, Mr. Kain seized upon another battered coin in the collection.
“This is a very old gold coin!” he exclaimed. “If I’m not mistaken it’s one they call an ‘angel.’”
“What is an angel?” questioned Fred, who never had heard of a coin by such a name.