The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-19
MIsTAEHs IN THE COINAGE.
Some Of the Government Failures
In Making Money.


AS a rule, the man who objects to I'm
Gle Sans money issues is to be classed
as captious. But just at present he has
more than usual excuse. The new silver
coins are not popular for their looks by
any means. Not only do critics object
to the design, but there has been plenty
OF talk that the work upon the coins is
seriously faulty. That this idea is pref
ty generally spread is shown by the
number of inquiries received at the Sub
Treasures from persons who have heard
somewhere that the new halves, quar-
tiers and dimes are to be "called in" and
who want to know all about it. If these
issues are to be retired, such of the coins
as happen to remain in circulation will
bear premium in short time. The
inquiries have come from widely scat
tered sources, showing that many good
citizens are ready to turn an honest pen
| ny; but there is no official information
to show that there is any foundation
for the current stories.
The bad luck of the Government with
the new fractional currency-bad luck
at least so far as the appearance of the
pieces goes-is perhaps not so serious
matter as the mistakes that have been
made in issuing coins of denominations
for which there was no practical need.
The three dollar gold piece, for exam
pie, came-and went 1t isn't coined
now, and there never was any particular
use for it. Then the gold dollar has
long been out of style. 1t was too
small, of couse, to be handled conven
ientiy. Like the three-dollar coin, there
was some substitute which suited the
public better.
In the way of silver the late twenty
cent piece still fingers in the memory of !
most persons old enough to vote or to
boss a vote, according to sex. TO the !
average American it seldom appeared
to have any virtues. Most of the time
it masqueraded as a quarter, revealing
its true value only at inopportune mo-
ments. A few specimens are still left,
but the Treasury and its branches are
gradually picking up these survivors.
Experience showed very quickly that
except for the sake of variety there was
very little to recommend the 20-cenr
piece. 1t caused trouble even in Cali
fornia. where it was the theory thae it
would be of the greatest use, but where
it upset most comfortable and long ex-
isting elasticity in the price of refresiis
ing beverages at retail. And on the Pa
cific coast matter of that sort touched
the chords of the popular heat at once.
1t was one of the things that made it
plain chat the 20-cent piece would have
to go.
The trade dollar hardly comes in this
class of Government money failures but
it too showed that it wasn't needed.
It's only value now is as bullion, and the
man who finds one can get his siXty-odd
cents for it and get a practical lesson in
silver coinage matters at the same time
OF the small coins in general use the
half dollar is the least useful. Nobody
raises direct objections to it, but the av
efsage manghas q preference for an equal /,
value in quarters and dimes, and this
preference has a tendency gradually to
work the halves out of circulation and
stow them away in Treasury vaults.
The reason is plain enough-the quar>
ters and dimes are more handy, and they
slowly drive the halves out of the busi>
ness.