The Winslow mail., 1898-04-09
"CHICKEN FEED MONEY.
Tho Days Of F.ppeny Bits, York
Shillings, Picayunes, Coppers.
The Origin in Various Parts of the
Country of the COIloGuial
Names Of Small Coins
Uncle Sanl's Money,

Names Of Small Coins
Uncle Sam's Money,
Referring to the word ''picayune, it
may not be uninteresting to give a
sketch Of subsidiary coinage and cur
rency as used in the past, and the Farl'
Gus names under which it was known
In Ohio in 1914 and previously there
was a good deal of foreign coin IN clrcu-
lation, mostly Spanish, with some CT
the old state coinage of different states
occasionally making its appearance
Cnc of the most plentiful of these for
eign coins was piece which passed
current for 6A cents, In Ohio this was
known as a fpPeny bit, contraction
probably of fivepenny bit. be half
dimes Of American coinage were also
becoming frequently at that time, and
as q distinction between the half dime
and the fppcny bit the formerwas con-
tracted to the word ftp" The dime
went under its lawful namc, while the
old Spanish double of the fippeny bit
was known as the bit and the Span
ish and Mexican quarter dollars were
nearly always referred to as two bits"
The latter term, l think, still obtains
in reference to quartcr-doliar American
pieces in some sections. There was
also a New York state "two Bit coin,
as we'll as ''bit" of the same coinage,
which was sometimes called the ~ ork
shilling" The Pine Tree state shilling,
coming from Maine, was sometimes
seen, but not much used. Its value was
supposed to be 16 2-3 cents. The Old
fashioned big copper cent of American
coinage was plentiful, while occasion
ally an English halfpenny of copper
was found floating around, generally
passing on the same basis as the Ameris
can copper cent. Queen Nictoria's
head was then shown on the English
halfpennies.
Later, when, as boy, removed with
my mother to Illinois, met my first
stumbling block i'll money names.
There the fippenny bit was the plea
yGnc, while the ftp had its proper name
Of half dime or five cents. But the
larger coins retained the old names, as
did the copper coins. AS near IS can
learn, the term picayune originated
With the French, who had settled st.
Louis and had settlements ct points all
the way from New Orleans to st. Louis
and the further northwest, and their
names for money predominatea in that
region.
Still later, when I had straEed away
to New York state, again encountered
new names for money. There every
thing was based on the shilling"
which represented 1914 cents. a quar-
ter OF dollar was always ''two shil-
lings,' and all sums under $100 were
calculated On the same basis. When l
asked the price Of board 1 was told it
ranged from 16 to 30 shil!ings week.
The price of suit of clothes was ger
orally stated in shillings. That was
all RIGHT for the natives, but I confess
| had frequently 70 brush up my arith
matic to get at what % shillings, %
shillings, II shillings, or acmo other
high nun2bc-, anounted to. 1t YVES all
clear enough When it was two, four or
six shillings, but when it got above the
dollar it required some 'ciphering' en-
the part of O stranger to get correct re-
suits.
The threc-cent piece, originally coined
III silver, came into general circulation
in the north about 1850, and was later
made in nickel, being coined in that
metal at about the same time as the
present nickel fvc-cent piece.
Some time before the civil war the
c!d-fashioned copper cent was replaced
at the mint with the present small cop
per cents and the two-cent pieces.
Later the first nickels were made, but
almost went out of circulation during
the war, and were succeeded by the
fractional currency Of that day, issued.
in 5, 10, 25 and 5C-cent bills. These
were never very popular with the
masses, and were loolslltu upon by the
government as temporary expedicnt.
Inc most pelpUlar designation for them
was "shlnplasters, though in Memphis
ard some other parts of the country
they were referred to as chicken feed"
During the war there were many
other substitutes for money, mostly il
the form of cardboard promises to pay
everything from a drink of whisky or
a ride On the cars to a suit of clothes;
from quart of milk or pound of beef
steak to a weeks salary They have
dropped out OF use in most sections, and
in their place Uncle Sans coppers,
nickels. dimes, quarters, half dollars
and dollar Of the daddies'' now reign
snpreme.-John Spangler, in Galveston
News.