Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-06-26
NICKELs AND CENTS.
How They Are Made and What
They Are Made OF
Fortunes in Outstanding Coins-How On.
Gle Sam Gathers Millions from His
Stamping Machines-Tho Silver
Coming Process


The other DAY the Treasury Department
issued a circular proposing to ship free of
express charges to persons desiring them
niekels and pennies in certain quantities on
receipt of their face value. The offer sug-
gested some inquiries in regard TO the cost
OF these CONS and how it happens that the
Government can ship them at par value and
pay express charges upon them.
The story of the nickel is an interesting
one, says tho New York Star. Very few
people in this country imagine how much
profit Uncle Sam makes out of the stamp
ing of these small coins. The actual cost
of a nickel to the Government is not much
more than three-qaarters of q cent For
merly the metal was fixed, planned and pre-
pared for use in the National workshops
at the various mints, but now the metal is
purchased and prepared by outsiders under
contract. All the Government does now is
to put It's stamp upon the blanks and than
gather in its profit on their circulation.
The total amount Of these coins issued in
year will average about $500, 600. and as
very few of them ever return to plague the
Government, the actual profit to the Ma
tional Treasury can be easily calculated.
NickelS and pennies are, of course, redeem
able by the Treasury in other money when
demand is made, but this occurs only oc-
casionally, and then the coins are sent to
the mint, cleaned up and sent into circula-
ton again.
1t Is about the same story in reference
to pennies. The Government buys the
metal out of which they are made ready
for use and pays SO much pound for it,
when it is cut and prepared for stamping.
Then the mint puts the legal mark upon
the coins and they are turned out by the
will AnA ID Hzll
cent that is coined brings in a profit of
three-quarters of cent to the Govern
ment. More pennies than nickels are re-
turned to the Treasury IN exchange for
other money, but they are sent promptly to
the mint, and soon get into the hands of the
public once again. A bronze penny or a
nickel hve-cent piece does not wear out as
rapidly as dollar bill.
But there is still another source of profit
to the Government in the issuing of these
small coins. One of the most expert of
men at the Sub-Treasury in Wall street de-
clared day or two since that there are
still iu existence somewhere, floating about
the country, punched up in old stockings or
in the hands of curiosity collectors, over
100000 of the old-fashioned copper
cents, about 100000 of copper-nickel
cents, nearly 5OO,0OO,OOO of the present
issue of bronze pennies, 25 000, 900 of nickel
3-cent pieces and about 200 000,0 600 of nickel
5-cent pieces. The total value of these out
standing minor coins is, put in round num-
bers, S120, 1000, 900, and every dollar of this
is absolute profit to the Government.
The coinage OF silver pieces is done main
ly by the National mints, and, strange to
say, there is more profit in the work than
any thing else that the mint does. Under
the present law the Treasury is required to
l.,,rI 4 q n nnn
silver into dollars. This S2,0O0O 900 worth of
silver makes nearly s., ,25o, 900, SO that the
profit on the monthly purchase and coin
age of silver dollars is fully $750, 900. So
the profit on the silver dollars, you see, is
about IS, 9,OOO, 600 year or more, and adding
to it the profit on the pennies and nickels
brings it up to nearly $40, 600, 900. 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 fiattened out to the thickness of the
coin. These silver strips are then passed
through machine which cuts them into
the proper size for the presses, the strips
first having been treated with kind of tai
low to 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 popderous
printing dies they receive the lettered and
figured impression in a manner similar to
that Of paper pressed upon form of type;
at the same time the piece Is expanded in
slight degree and the small corrugations
are cut into its rim. The machiue drops
the completed coin into a receiver and it is
read for the counters hand
The instrument used by the counter Is
not complicated machine by any means,
as one might suppose, It is a simple cop.
per-covered tray, having raised ridges run
ming across its surface at distance apart
the exact width of a dime. From the receiver
the money is dumped on to this board or
tray, and as 1t is shaken rapidly by the
counter, the pieces settle down into the
spaces between the ridges All these spaces
being filed, the surplus is brushed back
into the receiver, and the counter has ex-
actly 1,250 dimes, S125, on this tray, which
number is required to fill the spaces. The
tray is then emptied into boxes, and the
money is ready for shipment.
The dime does not pass through the
weigher's hands, as does the coin of charger
denomihation. One and one-hah grains
is allowed for variation or Tolerance In
all silver coins from one dollar down, anu
the deviation from the standard in the ten
cent pieces is SO triffing that the trouble of
weighing coins of this denomination is dis,
pensed with.