of coins -- "plugged", adj., 1773; "plug", verb, 1785 & 1789; "sweated" 1797

[Joel S. Berson]

Further disputing the date for "plugged", bringing it back to 1773,
but restoring it to where it belongs (the U.S.)

Also two early -- and perhaps *new* --  senses of "plug", verb, for
coins, one that means "to restore to its original value" and the
other that means "to debase".  Thus questioning the OED definition of
"plugged", adj., as *only* "Of a coin: having a portion replaced with
less valuable material."

("Chamber of Commerce", in (2) below, is perhaps a useful interdating.)
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(1)  "plugged", adjective, 1773:

Philadelphia, August 30, 1773.
LOST,
Sometime between ... on the road leading from Philadelphia to Bristol ...
A BUNDLE of paper currency and gold coin, made up in a piece of fine
vellum [description of the stamp sealing the "bundle"] ...
the money is [paper plus]a heavy half Johannes, and two quarter
ditto, one of them plugged ...

Pennsylvania Packet, published as The Pennsylvania Packet; and the
General Advertiser [Philadelphia]; Date: 08-30-1773; Volume: II;
Issue: 97; Page: [1]; col. 3.  [This issue contains a Supplement; the
article is on the "true" page one.]  EAN.

"plugged", adj.",  antedates OED3 July 2009 sense 2, 1883-- (and
Victor's 1822); new sense "restored to its original value".

This quarter Johannes was presumably plugged to *restore* its value;
its owner would be unlikely to advertise that he had a counterfeit,
*debased* coin.  The alternate meanings are unambiguous in the two
quotations for "plug", verb, below.
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(2)  "plug", verb, 1785, sense "to restore to its standard weight and
value, by the addition of a quantity of the metal of which it is
standardly composed".

Charleston Chamber of Commerce,
October 17, 1785.
RESOLVED;
THAT the Members of the Chamber of Commerce will not receive any GOLD
of less weight than the Standard fixed by an Act ... entitled an Act
to ascertain the weight and value of the several Gold and Silver
Coins in circulation in this State, and to punish persons who shall
counterfeit, or alter or attempt to pass the same knowing them to be
counterfeit.
...
RESOLVED,
That the Monthly Committee be directed to agree with a proper person
to plug Gold Coin to the standard fixed by law ...
... [below the list of coins]
The Committee of the Chamber of Commerce have agreed with Mr. Goudie
... to plug all light gold brought to him ... at two pence per grain
for the gold, and three pence per piece for all light Gold not
wanting more than six grains, and for all above that six pence per
piece, to stamp his name on the plug, and warrant the gold equal to
the piece plugged.

Charleston [South Carolina] Evening Gazette; Date: 10-27-1785;
Volume: I; Issue: 93; Page: [3]; col. 2.  EAN.

"plug" [a coin], verb, sense ("to restore") not in OED3 April
2010.  [Three instances in this quotation.]

"chamber", noun, P2, "Chamber of Commerce", interdates OED3 (August
2010)  1731--1862

[This advertisement appeared more than 20 times in South Carolina in
1785, and reached the Essex Gazette, Newburyport, Mass., in January 1786.]
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(3)  "plug", verb, 1789, sense "to debase by replacing a portion with
less valuable material."

The public are cautioned against imposition by Gold Coin, plugged
with base metal.

Connecticut Courant, published as Connecticut Courant [Hartford];
Date: 04-13-1789; Issue: 1264; Page: [3]; col. 3.  EAN

"plug" [a coin], verb, sense ("to debase") not in OED3 April 2010
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(4)  "plug", noun, "piece added to a coin", 1785.

Under "plug", noun, July 2010, I do not see a sense related to coins,
although there are a number of other technical and specific
senses.  However, I may have missed something.  Certainly the entry
does not contain the word "coin" anywhere.  Should a sense and/or
quotation be added?  If so, I offer from the 1785 quotation in (2) above:

"to stamp his name on the plug".
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(5)  Other early instances of "plugged" found via EAN are:
      1790 March 13, Pennsylvania Mercury, page 2, col. 2.
      1797 December 18, The Time Piece [N.Y.], page 2, col. 3
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Joel

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