Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06
Currency That Used to Pass IN
Georgetown and Alexandria.
BEFORE UNCLE sam OWNED A MINT
Making Small Change by Cutting
Large Coins.
CHANCES FOR DISHONESTY

Written for The Evening Star.
Washington city never saw ''sharp-
shin" The old currency Of other days
never bought a drink or paid a loborer
within the limits of the federal city. The
new seat OF government came in as the old
currency went out. Yet its history Is full
of interest The currency question was
burning one In the United States no years
ago. Indeed, much Of the paper currency
had come to be Of such a plight that 1t
seemed fit for nothing else but burning.
The continental paper money which had
largely contributed to win liberty had been
disabled. like most of the soldiers, and
sinking from par to one thousand for one,
had gone out OF use. Says George Tucker:
THE paper money, which. In the first
years Of the revolution, constituted the
general currency of the country, had q
great and varied influence. It was at first
an efficient as well al chief resource. and
enabled the Congress to defray the ex-
penses Of war when they were without
specie or any sure and speedy means of
obtaining 1t. Even after the currency had
deprecated as was evident in 1116, Ii still
was valuable auxiliary to q government
without revenue or the power of taxation;
but II 1t rendered these benefits to the
American people in their collective capac-
ity 1t often proved most Injurious to indi-
viduals. As the depreciation. after 1t be-
gan. continued steadily to advance, until
the paper lost all value. every one was
compelled to pass the money at a less rate
than he had received it In this way 1t
operated as q general tax, and the loss was
in a great measure equalized. But be-
tween debtors and creditors the case was
very different. When this money was used
for the payment of debts as 1t commonly
was from necessity, well as choice. the
depreciation fell solely upon the creditor
class.
The last Of this old issue, of which any
record remains on the books of any asso-
Cation in this neighbOrhood, was that held
by the Friendship Fire Company of Alex
andria as late as 1885. The extraordinary
amount of fines, &C., in the old currency
is thus described IN the history CT the old
Friendship Company:
1II9. Entrance to company fixed at f15O;
engine not to be used to water vessels under
a fine of $500.
"17sO. Patton paid ESQ fine for not attend
Ing to work engine; Fl, 500 received in dues
at the meeting.
'17S2. Delinquents proceeded against, ac-
meetings. There was on hand at the close
or 1885, f327 of the old Virginia emission,
an annual account of which was rendered
until Matthew Robinson died in 1927, when
mention is no longer made Of It,"
After this revolutionary paper money had
passed out OF existence there remained
only for the transaction of business per-
sonal notes of hand and the debris Of q
specie currency, to which all the civilized
nations Of the world. except the United
States. had contributed. Mr.. Roosevelt, In
his Life of Norris" we'll describes these
times. He says:
I'VE had no proper coins of our own;
nothing but hopelessly deprecated paper
bills, mass of copper, and some clipped
and counterfeited gold and silver coin from