The herald., 1895-12-08
NEW COINS FOR THE OLD
Big Business in Small Pieces of Money
at the Treasury
The Story Of Redemption Told by tho Chief
of the Coin Department In the New
York Subtreasury

"Chink, chink, chink chink, slide"
The sound Is made infinitely quicker
than it takes to write or speak the words.
1t is heard in the minor coin department.
in the treasury building, where all day
long the chink, ohink, chink Of nickels
and pennies is sounded as they are counted,
weighed and tied securely into bags ready
for the calls for small coin that are con-
stantly coming in.
"There really are no pennies said r.
c. Half, chief of the department., to an in
terested visitor the other day. "Pennies
arc English coins, and we have cents, but
common usage has made the word ours,
and we seldom say anything else. We have
three men who do nothing but count pen
MES all day from o'clock in the morning
until pollock in the afternoon, stopping
half an hour for luncheon.
"There are Eve counters kept constantly
busy, the work varying o little according
to the proportion Of pennies and nickels
brought in during the day. 1t takes three
minutes to count /, 200 coins. The pennies
are put up in bags containing $40 each.
The same number Of nickels is also put in
to bag. The whole process takes five
minutes, including cutting the string to
the old bag, counting and putting the
coins into the new one, tying that and
fastening on q tag giving the amount and
the counters initials, which Is necessary
In case of error, which is in this way traced
back to Its proper source.
"You see," said Mr.. Half, "the man
takes two coins at each count. That Is
quicker than taking one and easier than
three or four. He counts one for every two
pennies dropped into his hand, SO that
when he has counted 100 he has 200 PEN
MES, or 50. The counting is not done with
the lips. 1t would not be possible to move
them quickly enough to keep up with the
rapid movement Of the fingers.
"When man begins counting he can
count ten bags day, or ten times ], 200
coins. By the time he has had six months
experience he can count 60 bags day.
"The white pennies, mashed or mutt
lated coin, or even those that are soiled or
corroded are thrown aside and sent of to
be melted over. The idea is to keep as
clean money as possible in circulation.
When the count of each bag Is concluded,
the mutilated coins thrown out must be
replaced by good ones. This does not in
clude plugged, counterfeit or foreign coins.
These are returned to the senders to be
made good.
"There is a greater demand for pennies
than for nickels. This is owing largely to
this oatchpenny business, charging 40
cents instead Of so cents, etc. One large
dry goods firm up town which sells a great
many small wares gets in regularly about
$500 in pennies day for making change
The FIRMS bankers come here about once
in two months and take away S., 900 In
pennies, which they keep in their vault
and hand out to this one firm as they are
needed
"Other dry goods houses como here d.
rectly for their pcnnies, which they use in
quantities Of from $500 to $500 week.
"There is $3.50 in pennies that has just
come In from an ice cream firm, waiting
to be counted. One days record Of our
work shows %, 060 taken in in pennies and
1859 in nickels. We seldom take in less