Evening star., 1898-02-26
"CHICKEN FEEDp CURRENCY
The Days of Fippeny Bits, York Shillings,
Picayunes and Ooppers.
The Origin in Various Parts OF the
Country OF the Colloquial
Names of Small Coins.
John spangier in the Galveston News.

John Spangier In the Galveston News.
Referring to tie word 'picayune," 1t
may not be uninteresting to give a sketch
of subsidiary coinage and currency as used
in the past, and the various names under
which 1t was known.
In Ohio in 1874 and previously there was
good deal of foreign coin in circulation,
mostly Spanish, with some of the old state
coinage of different states occasionally
making its pearance. One Of the most
plentiful of these foreign coins was piece
which passed current for 81 cents. In
OHIO this was known as fppenny bit, a
contraction. probably. of fivepenny bit. The
half dimes of American coinage were also
becoming frequently at that time, and as a
distinction between the half dime and the
nppenny bit, the former was contracted
to the word "fp." The dime went under
It's lawful name, while the old Spanish
double of the fppenny bit was known as
the bit and the Spanish and Mexican
quarter dollars We're nearly always re-
ferred to as two bits" The latter term,
l think. still obtains in reference to quar-
ter-ooiiar American pieces in some sec
tions. There was also New York state
two bit coin. as well as 'bit' of the
same coinage, which was sometimes called
the YORK shilling" The pine tree state
snllhng, coming from Maine, was some
times seen, but rot much used Its value
was supposed to be 16 2-3 cents The old
1ashioned big copper cent Of American
coinage was plentiful, while occasionally an
Eneiish halfpenny of copper was found
noatlng around, generally passing on the
same basis as the American copper cent.
Queen Victoria's head was then shown on
the English halfpennies
Later, when, as a boy, I removed with
my mother to Illinois, 1 met my first
stumbling block in money names. There
the hppenny bit was the picayune, while
.ne up hao It's proper name of a half dime
a Iar
the oid names, as did the copper cents. AS
near as 1 can learn, the term picayune
originated with the French, who had set
tied st. Louis and had settlements at
points all the way from New Orleans IN
81. Louis and the further northwest. and
.heir names for money predominated in
that region. -
Still later. when 1 had strayed awav fo
new York state, 1 again encountered new
names for money. There everything was
passed on the shilling" which Represented
~ ~ q, Genus. . quarter Of a dollar was al
ways two shillinss," and all sums under
PLY were calculated on the same basis.
men asked the price Of board was told
II, y ranged from is to 80 shillings a week.
an, lt priee OF suit Of clothes was gener-
any stated In shillings. That was ali right
Ioi the natives, but I confess l had fire.
quentiy TO brush up my arithmetic to ge,
a., at what 80 shillings, % shillings, II shil-
inss, or some other high number, AMOUNT
ed 70. 1t was all clear enough when II was
=, or shillings, but when it got above
the dollar it required some ''cipherine'' on
the part OF a stranger to get correct results.
Inc scent piece. originally coined IN sill
yer, came into general circulation in the
nortn about 1850. and was later made in
nickel being coined in that metal at about
piece. INCL "7eene
some time before the civil war the old
i6shioneG copper cent was replaced at the
the mint with the present small conner
cents and the 2-cent pieces. Later the first
nickels We're made, but almost want out of
clrcniatioH during the war; and were sue
ceeded by the fractional currency of fiat
e1y, day, issued In D. 10, D and 5O-cent bills.
Ihese were never very popular with the
masses, and We're looked upon by the gov
ernment as a temporary expedienr. The
most popular designation for them was
shinplasters." though in Memphis and
some other parts of the country they were
referred to as Chicken feed.'
during the war there were many other
s9bstt9tes se for money, mostly in the form
OF cardboard promises to pay everything
from drink of whisky or s. ride on the
cars to suit of clothes; from quart of
milk or pound of beefsteak to a weeks
salary. They have dropped out of use in
most sections. and in their place UncI.
Sans coppers, nickels. dimes, quarters.
haif dollars and dollar of the daddies" now
reign supreme.