Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23
UNCLE SANS CHANGE COUNTER.
How the New Silver Coins Are Being Dis
tributcd to the People.


tributcd to the People.
Culver CHANGE OF THE NEW PAT
~ terms is being dispensed at the rate Of
thousands OF dollars daily over what may be
called the charge counter Of the nation at the
treasury. 1t is done up pret.ily in little paper
roleaux, each containing IS in dimes, quarters
or halves. Also it is put up in coarse muslin
bags holding ESQ each, with paper tags at
tached. On every such tag is marked the
weight, which should be 2 pounds l2IS ounces
for new and unabraded coins, together with
the date OF weighing and the signature a., /"
which stands for Jerry Jones, the official
weigher. Ordinarily such subsidiary pieces
are not given out over the counter in sums of
less than Is, but to satisfy popular curiosity
and also for the sake of getting it into circula-
ton, every one is permitted for the present to
procure the freshly designed silver money in
as small quantities as may be desired,
The new coins are brought from the Phila-
delphia mint, where they are all made, in
wooden kegs In each key are five sacks hold
ing $1,000 each. They are delivered by the
United States Express at the basement door on
the east side Of the treasury, and are wheeled on
small trucks to the counting room. In this
apartment deft-fngered young ladies sit at
tables with stacks of gl1ttering silver in from,
OF them. They take a double handful at a
time, quickly spread out the bright pieces in a
single layer over the board, and pick them off
the edge by the numbers necessary to fill the
rouieaux. For making these rouleaux, small
paper tubes are prepared by the messengers of
the division in their leisure moments. The
rapidity with which they are filled and closed
at the ends is astonishing. Finally they are
placed in drawer-like boxes. each of which con-
tains exactly $500. So accurately are they
made to hold just that amount that the absence
OF single coin would be likely to make the short
age visible Every such paper roll of silver is
weighed after being filled, in the same way as
the bags are.
1t is interesting to stand behind the change
counter upstairs in the cash room and see how
the business is carried on. The official in
charge is enclosed within a sort of wire cage,
surrounded on every side by stacks of money
In every shape. Piled on the floor are the bags
OF silver and boxes filled with rouleaux, Just as
they have been brought up by the elevator
from the counting room beneath. Besides the
smaller coins there are bags of silver dollars,
each containing $50 or 500, rouleaux holding
ten silver dollars each, nickels in muslin bags
OF S25 and paper bags of 81 and SIS. and pen
nies in muslin bags of SIS and paper bags Of 81.
At the left of the paying teller is a drawer
divided into compartments exactly the size Of
greenbacks and filled with bank and treasury
nation. The aggregate sum at hand seems
enormous, but people come in such rapid sue
cesslon to the window that presently the supply
OF small bills runs low. In response to an order
conveyed by a messenger two packages are
brought, each foot cube and neatly done up in
brown paper with label. The official in charge
OF the change cuts them open with his penknife.
In one OF them are found 4, 900 81 notes, and in
the other as many 81 notes. Whenever the tel
Ter needs more cash Of any kind he simply fills
out a blank and signs his initials. The vault
clerk delivers to him the money and charges it
against him.
All the fractional paper currency that comes
In Tor redemption is handed directly over the
change counter, new money being given for it.
One day last week package Of it containing
SH.I3 was received in this way-the biggest
single consignment that has reached the treas
ury for year. The little notes, neatly done
up In bundle, were old and worn that the
engraving on them was hardly distngnishable.
Some curious story might have been told about
them doubtless. Perchance they formed por-
ton OF some miser's heard. hidden away ever
since the war. Amy one who has a portion of a
bill and has lost the rest can get fresh and
whole one for it by applying at tue same
counter. Ihree-hfths OF ten-dollar note is
worth SO. Two-fifths is worth IS, but a less
fragment must be accompanied by an affidavit
telling how the balance was destroyed. Among
the coins sent in from banks are a good many
mutliated and foreign ones. They are thrown
out In the counting room. All old copper cents
are kept and sent TO the mint for recoining.
Likewise 1t is with the nickel scent and bronze
2-cent pieces,