Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31
SCARCITY OF THE HUMBLE PENNIES
The Good Sunday School Boxes Gather
Thorn In and the Grasping Slot Machine
Hides Many From View.

lAftfiI Vow
The New York Sun asks: What be-
comes of all the pennies? Where are
the hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of cents that the Philadelphia
Mint turns out every year? In bust
ness circles, where fractional currence is
in demand, great deficiency of pennies
is apparent. The Mint and sub-trcas-
| ury offices IN various parts Of the coun-
try can hardly keep pace with the de-
mand
The scarcity of pennies is due to two
reasons-the vast number Of automatic
selling machines in use, and the APP
preaching holiday season. With the
holidays, retail trade in almost every
! line becomes brisker. OF late years it
has become the custom to fix prices on
the odd cent-99 cents instead Of dol
lar. This, of course, makes big de-
mand for pennies for use in making
change. The large uptown drygoods
stores use enormous quantities Of the
little copper coins during the three
weeks before Christmas One firm last
year bought $4,000 worth of pennies
1000 900 pieces-from the Mint and still
ran short. This year it has ordered a
larger supply.
| During the summer season, with all
its picnics, excursions and other schemes
to lure the money from sweltering
humanity's pocket, the penny-in-the-
slot machine consumes an enormous
number of pennies. Every excursion
boat, every picnic pavilion has one or
more weighing, perfumery, chewing
| gum, cigarette and what not machines.
These all draw their quota of pennies.
Gradually, then, as the season progresses
the pennies in circulation are with
drawn, and by September LIST the scarcity
is felt.
Then, coupled with the greater de-
mand for the holiday trade, the de-
| cheney of pennies becomes serious. The
weighing machine consumes more pen
mics than any Of its fellows. The chew
ing-gnm machine comes next in popu-
lar favor.
A machine in good place, where
thousands of people pass daily, will
take in from 5000 to 5000 pennies a
MONTH When it is recalled that there
are thousands Of such machines, il can
easily be seen how important Il factor
they are in contracting the circulation
of the copper cent. Collections are
made from the machines weekly. OF
course the companies owning them can
not pay out all these pennies, so Uncle
Sam is called upon.
As the offices Of most Of the concerns
owning automatic devices are in New
York, the sub-treasury here is the Gems
trail point where the pennies are taken
to be exchanged for bills. On an aver
age 100000 pennies-$1,0 900 worth--are
handed in to the cashier every day.
After they are counted the amount is
paid back in bills of any denomination
desired. No charge is made, but all
mutilated and foreign coins are thrown
out. A month ago the inflow of pennies
was SO greet that SO tons, Or 1,l04,000,
We're accumulated
Of this $4,000 has been distributed
at the rate Of $4,000 day. The accu
mutation of pennies here is explained
by the fact that, while all concerns that
collect pennies turn them over to the
New York sub-treasury, all that need
pennies buy them from the Mint. This
is done because the government delivers
them anywhere free of express charges.
The matter has become SO serious that
it has been brought to the attention OF
the treasury department
1t has now been decided that the
various sub-treasury Offices shall, like
the minis, pay out and deliver pennies
free OF charge at any point. Boston,
Baltimore and several other cities where
there are sub-treasury offices now sell
pennies and deliver them free of cx-
pressage. AS rule the pennies are col.
lected all over the country from the
machines by the express companies
This saves having offices in every city
and obyiates the necessity of paying the
salaries and railroad fares of large
corps Of collectors.
Most of the pennies now being re.
ceiyed at the sub-treasury are now being
sent to the Mint at Philadelphia fol
cleaning. During the past week $50 00C
worth has been sent over The process
is a simple one First the pennies arc
placed in diluted sulphur acid. Then
they are covered with sawdust and put
in a revolving hopper When they
come out the pennies are as BRIGHT 4:
when first coined After being cleaned
they are returned to circulation.
The Sunday schools accumulate man,
Vi dllNt ilClIJ III
) the holiday famine Hundreds of thous
ands Of pennies 50 into the collection
plates. Church societies and boards 81
foreign missions turn in great quantitie:
| Of pennies every week. A few years ag(
the supply in circulation became 81
| small that pennies commanded a pre-
: MUM, and religious organizations addeG
to their normal income BY selling on
! their stock OF pennies at price abov,
/ the face value
The handling Of the incoming anC
outgoing pennies at the sub-treasur,
) here is a serious undertaking. Fou
i men are constantly employed in count
| ing them and in picking out the multi
: atcd and otherwise unavailable coins
j A fifth has nothing to do but to receiy
il and pay out pennies, but it takes all hi
: time. Two vaults on the first floor O
G the sub-treasllry are devoted to the SAT
Z keeping Of pennies, When counte,
they are placed in bags holding 900 q
Il $40 worth. Five of these bags ar
I placed in large sack and sealed ur
# Fifty dollars worth Of pennies weigh
j. 80 pounds. A dollars worth weigh
k 1872 ounces ayoirdupois.
d Not only must the counting be per
II feetly accurate, but the sitting out q
Il foreign and mutilated coins requires Iii
" scrutiny Of each individual piece All
ii the old nickel cents are also kept out 4
S. circulation. How many of the rare one
a cent pieces are found Coin collector
If have placed premium on them, an
g the average American is aware Of til
" fact. Gounterfeits occasionalycome il
y One interesting specimen lately receive
i, at the sub-treasury bore a perfect cour
i terfct Of the reverse face Of cent, d,
e cept that the words lone cent, Wei
p Supplemented with the word mot o
50 the diverse was the motto, "Constit