The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-07-19
ANTIQUATED MONEY
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT HAVE
NEVER BEEN. REDEEMED.

Many Small Notes Are stin Treasured as
Curiosities "A Little Comes In Every
Year-IIow Counterfeits Are Stamped.
Facts About Scrip.
"Say, mister, are these any goodY' in
quired n tilnid looking youngster of
Doorkeeper Brady at the sub-treasury
the other day as he hauled out half
dozen pieces of ragged, dirty paper.
A close inspection showed that they
were pieces Of fractional currency, or
"shinplasters." such as played so inn
portant part as a circulating medium
before the resumption of specie pay
ment
The young man was directed 10 the
small change room, where he again
asked the same question of r. G. Half,
who is in charge of that department.
Mr.. Half took the soiled and crumpled
bits of paper in his hands, smoothed
them out and with the hasty touch Of
an expert singled out one of the pieces
and turned around to block Of wood
behind him that looked like butchers
chopping block He laid the selected
piece Of paper on the block and gave It
a whack with a steel instrument; then,
turning 70 the young man, he said:
"These five are good, but that one is
counterfeit"
As he spoke he handed back the bad
token, and across the face was the word
counterfeit cut clean and clear. The
steel instrument with which he had
struck the paper was a sharp stencil die
that cut the tell tale word so clearly
that the bit of currency never would be
current again, and any fool could see
that it was worthless.
"Do you want these redeemed" CON
tinued Mr. Half, as he pointed to the
five grimy slips on the counter
Yes, sir. if you please stammered
the youth, as he eyed with panied sur
prise the mutilated piece returned to
him. Mr.. Half put two bright silver dol
lars and a silver quarter ON the counter,
which the boy picked up in a hurry, as
though he were finding them in the
street
LOTS OF MONEY LOST.
DO you get much of that old frac-
tional currency nowf somebody said to
Mr.. Half as the boy went out.
mo" he replied; eve get very little
now-not more than 81 800 a year. The
amount coming in for redemption is
growing less and less every year. 1t used
to come in here by the bushel basketful
But for many years now we only receive
it in driblets. We seldom get as much
at n time as that young man just brought
in"
"But it has not all been redeemed,
has it,
No, indeed; and, what is more, very
large amount win never be redeemed.
| There is now outstanding in old frRc-
tional something like $15,OO0,0O0 And
of that it is estimated that not more
than $3,0OO,OOO to $5,OOOOOO will ever
come in.
But where is the rest and why will it
not come in for redemption
"A great deal of it has been worn out
by the wear and tear of twenty odd
years Any quantity Of it has been
burned upin the fires that have occurred
since the time it was issued, and IN
numerous other ways it has been lost or
destroyed Then there are some people
who hold all they can get to use in send
ing small amounts by mail, finding it
handy, Then, too, the old currency is
now so scarce that people keep the occa-
sional pieces that come to hand as curl
osities or pocket pieces. A great many
coin collectors have crisp, un, rculated
specimens of it in their collections
know one wealthy gentleman in the city
who carries in his pocketbook, wrapped
up with the greatest care, four clean,
bright speeimens--a fifty, a twenty-five,
a ten and five cent piece He said it
was the first money he ever earned. 1t
was paid to him in these identical pieces
brand new from the press, and he has
kept them ever since for luck. l do not
believe you could buy them from him to-
day for 81 900 apiece. He calls them his
reserve capital, and if he ever loses a
million or more, as he is now reported to
be worth, he will have his ninety cents
reserve to fall back on"
DETECTING CoUNTERFEITs.
! A good deal of the fractional currency
that is brought to the sub-treasury foI
redemption turns ont to be counterfeit,
AMI the moment it comes into that place,
no matter from whose hands it comes, il
is hurried to block and stamped "coun.
tel felt" with the stencil cutting die
They ask no permission, but just go and
do it. The same rule is followed, too, in
the rotunda where the bills of larger de-
nomination come in. Sometimes men
get very angry when their bills are hand
ed back to them mutilated in such q
Il l,nf q ha
Not long ago the South Ferry com
pany sent up to the sub-treasury bun
die of the fractional currency represent
ing about 500. 1t had been discovered
back of partition in the old ferry house
where it had been either slowed away oi
misplaced, and was found when the ole
building was torn down to make room
for the new structure.
Mr. Half shutfied through the pile and
not only pronounced it all counterfeit
but discovered that some of it had beer
brought to the sub-treasury at least
twenty years ago, as the marks of the
old stamps used as long ago as that to
mark counterfeit paper money were still
plainly visible on them. Each piece wal
subjected to the cutting process, and vii
probably not be presented again for re
demption.
All the fractional paper currency thai
is redeemed at the sub-treasury is SEN
to the treasury at Washington, where i
is placed in the crematory and burneC
up, and all that is left of it is a sort o
Stag, a single pound of which may repre-
sent a million. The rest floats off il
smoke New York Evening Sun.
The paradise of railway travelling
must ~ Lower Hungary, where the com
panies are planting hedges of Proyenc
! rtaaa