The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-11-07
NICKELS AND CENTS.
How They Are Made and What
They Are Made OF -
Fortunes In ontstand,ns Coins-now I'M
Gle Sam Gathers Millions from His
Stamping Machines-The Silver
Coming Process.

The other day tho Treasury Department
issued a circular proposing to ship free OF
express charges to persons desiring them
nickels 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 tho
Government can ship them ut par value and
pay express charges upon them.
TIL story OF the nickel Is IN interesting
one, says the 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 q nickel to the Government is not much
more than three-quarters OF o cent. For
merly the metalwas fixed, Ilanned and pre-
pared for use in the National workshops
at the various mints, but now the metal ID
purchased and prepared by outsiders under
contract. All the Government does now 10
to put its stamp upon the blanks and b
gather in its profit or their circulation.
Tho total amount of these coins issued in
o year will average about 1900, 0OS. and as
very few Of them ever return to plague the
Government, the actual profit to tho Ma
tional Treasury q be easily calculated.
Nickels and pennies are, Of course, redeem
able by the Treasury in other money when
a demand is made, but this occurs only oO-
c%aslonally, and then the coins are sent TO
tho mint, cleaned up and sent into circula-
ton again.
It 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 q pound for it,
when it is cut and prepared for stamping.
They the mint puts the legal mark upon
the coins and they are turned nut by the
million. What do they COST Well, every
cent that is coined brings in q profit Of
three-quarters of q cent to the Govern
ment. More pennies than nickels arc 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 o
nickel tive-cent piece does not wear out as
rapidly as a 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 q 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, 100000 Of the pld-fashioned copper
cents, about 20,OO0,0OO OF c%opper-nickel
cents, nearly 5O0,0OO,UO0 of the present
issue Of bronze pennies, g, 100000 of nickel
Scent pieces and about 200, 900, $50 Of nickel
5-cent pieces. Tho total value of these out
standing minor coins is, put in round num-
is absolute profit to the Government.
Tho coinage of silver pieces is done main
~ by the National mints, and, strange to
say, there is moro profit in the work than
my thing else That the mint does. Under
the present law the Treasury is required to
bry and coin ut least S2,0O9,0W worth of
silver into dollars. This 2,OOO,0 GOO worth of
silver makes nearly S2,250,00O, SO that the
profit on the monthly purchase and coin
age OF silver dollars is fully $4,000. So
the profit on the SILVER COLLARS, you see, Ia
about :9,000,W0a year or more, and adding
to it the profit on the pennies and nickc!s
brings it up to nearly $40, OGO, 1908. OF course,
there mist be taken gu. OF that the expen-
see of the mint, but they ore q comparative
ly small sum.
The process OF coming silver pieces is an
Interesting ono, and is tho Same practically
for dimes and for dollars. The silver bull
ion is first melted aud run into bars. These
in turn are run through immense rollers
and tlattencd out to tho thickness of the
coin. These silver strips arc then passed.
through O machine Which cuts them INTO
the proper size for the presscs, the strips
first having been treated with a 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, IL are fed to the die
by automatic machinery. As the smooth
pieces 80 pressed between the ponderous
printiI.- dies they receive the lettcred and
figured Impression III a manner similar to
.tt:at Of paper pressed upon q form of type;
ut the sanie time the piece is expanded in q
slight degree and the small c%orrugations
are cut into Its rim. Tho machine drops
the completed coin into q receiver and it is
ready for the countcr's hand.
The instrument used by the counter Is
not a complicated machine by any means,
us one might suppose. It is q simple cop
~per-covcrcd tray, having raised ridges run
nlng across Its surface at q distance apart
the exact width Of adime. From the receiyer
the money is dumped on to this board or
tray, ard as 1t is shaken rapidly by the
counter, the pieces settle down into the
spaces between the ridges. Allthese spaces
being filed, the surplus is brushed back
into the receiver, and the counter has ex-
actly 1850 dimes, SIPS, 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 larger
denomination. One and one-half grains
is allowed for variation or '~'tolerance" in
all silver coins from ono dollar down, and
the deviation from the standard in the ten
cent pieces is SO trif1ing that the trouble Of
weighing coins of this denomination is dis
pensod with.
Knnd,s Shnm