Telegram-herald., 1889-06-06
NlCKELS AND CENTS.
HOW Taey Are Made and WAas
ghcy Are Made o.
1arsuass ia osliss--Uaisg Sel2s-A Ae~ II
&c S-1o G4sisers As1lt.os froEaa H.
Sl4ups2z Machines fhs SILVER
CesA1isz 1.resc2ss-

TIE o.ae~ asy the Treasury nenarfsnent
tss4ea Z ere--4r frepssleg p sfip tfe9 -
express charges ~ sars-as desiring t-s@
1lez zels 411 pennies - eerta-1 Q-@ 3ttss q
roeegpl ol lAelr E~se galGe- TIC o-leF s~s
gsst1l so-ne inquiries - rcgar1 - tl@ s'st
of these lasls And aeE il rs e2s t-at tls
osVeE azleGt els Sap taea- - .a-l N--s-e ~--
p2y express ea4rees uHea t.-e-a
TIE sLrg ~ t4a u.-e-l IS .-a --iefsstias
oae, s4gs tAe Aew > ORA Star very te"
pe9rls -u t-s country imagine LA m4tl
prelt unele S4m makes o4f of t1e stamp
laE u these sual colls le -Fla~l cost
II 4 nicael - ms Government ls nol ElAt1
more than thras-g. .44E-ers 81 a een1 fer-
mer-v tie uet-i was "a q, l-Ali4s~ ana pre-
pared for use ia tae NallonlI WORKSHOPS
- tne various u-nts. bar new We metal -
purchased and prepared oy o4lsiCers Oaiaer
contract. An the Government does now -
- pat iEs stamp upon the bianAs ana lhAn
galaer ia It's profit GA thelr elrc4l@i-oa-
The totai amount or these coins issued IN
a year win average about 900 100. and IS
very IL - q them ever retura 10 plagae the
Government. the actual profit 10 the Ma
t.on4l Treasury can be easily calculated.
Nlezels aud pennies are, OF course, redeem
able by tie Treasury ia otaer money when
= demand IS made, but this occurs oaiy oc-
caslonally. ana then the coins are sent -
the mint, cleaned up and seEu into clrcul2-
ton again
Il Is about the same story IA reference
70 pennies The Government buys the
metal out Of which they are made ready
for use and pays so much pound fer il,
when il is cut and prepared FOR stamping.
Then the mint puts the legal marx upon
the coins and they are turned out by the
million. What Do they cOsti Wei, every
cent that is coined brings ia prolt Of
three-quarters Of cent 10 the Govern
ment More pennies than nicAe.s are re-
turned TO the Treasury IA exchange for
other money. but they are sent promptly 70
the mint, and soon get into the hands Of the
public once again. A bronze penny or =
nickel iiye-cent piece does not wear out as
rapidly IS "a dollar bill
But there is sull another source Of profit
10 the Government in the issuing OF these
small coins. One OF the most expert OF
men az the Sub-Treasury IA Wall street de-
clarcd day or two since that there are
still in existence somewhere, floating about
the country, punched up in old stockings or
In the hands OF curiosity collectors, over
100. .OO0,0OO Of the old-fashiOned copper
cents, nearly 500,OO0,OO0 Of the present
issue of bronze pennies, % 100000 Of nickel
3-cent pieces and about 100000, 600 OF nickel
5-cent pieces. The total value of these out
standing minor coins IS, put in round num-
bers, S12O, ,OOO. 600, and every dollar OF this
is absolute profit TO the Government.
The coinage OF silver pieces is done main
" by the National mints, and, strange 20
say, there is more profit in the work than
any thing else that the mint does. Under
the present law the Treasury is required 10
buy and coin at least 100000 worth Of
silver into dollars. This ;2.000,000 worth Of
silver makes nearly s., 600, SO that the
profit on the monthly purchase and coin
age of silver dollars is fully $500 So
the profit on the silver dollars, you see, is
about $1,000, 600 "a year or more, and adding
10 it the profit on the pennies and nickels
brings it up 10 nearly Sl0,OO0,0O0 OF course,
there must be taken out OF that the eXpen-
ses OF the mint, but they are comparative
ly small sum.
The process OF coming silver pieces is an
interesting one, and is the same practically
for dimes and for dollars. The silver bull
ion IS FIRST melted and run into bars. These
in turn are run through immense rollers
and ffattencd out 10 the thickness Of the
coin. These silver strips are then passed
through q machine which cuts them into
the proper size for the presses, the strips
! first having been treated with a kind of tai
low 10 prevent their being scratched in
their passage through the cutters. The
silver pieces are then put into the feeder Of
the printing presses, and are FED to the die
! by automatic machinery. AS the smooth
pieces are pressed between the ponderous
L 4
figured impression in a manner similar 10
/ that OF paper pressed upon a form of type: /:
1 al the same time the piece is expanded in a
/ slight degree and the small corrugations
are cut into its rim. The machine drops
I the completed coin into a receiver and il is
ready for the counters hand.
The instrument used by the counter is
/ not n complicated machine by any means,
as one might suppose. II is simple cop
/ per-covered tray having raised ridges run
I ning across its surface at 2 distance apart
the exact width ofacine. From the receiver
The money Is dumped on 10 this board or
/ tray, and as II Is shaken rapidly by the
/ counter, the pieces settle down into the
1 spaces between the ridges. All these spaces
I being filed, the surplus Is brushed back
/ into the receiver, and the counter has ex-
+ actly 1850 dimes, Sl25. on this tray, which
/ number is required 20 fill the spaces. The
I tray is then emptied into boxes, and tie
money is ready for shipment.
The dime does not pass through the
weighcr's hands, as does the coin Of a larger
/ denomination. Oae .and one-haIf grains
+ is allowed Tor variation or tolerance" in
al silver CONS from one dollar down. and
I the deviation from the standard IN the ten
( cent pieces IS so trihing thar the trouble OF
/ weighing coins Of this denomination is dis