The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
COLLoQUIAL NAMES OF COINS.
They Differ According to the Section
of the Country.
Correspondence Galveston News.

Correspondence Galveston News.
Referring to the word '.picayune,' It may
not be embarrassing TO give sketch OF
subsidiary coinage and currency as used in
the past, and the various names under
which it was known.
a good deal of foreign coin in circulation,
mostly Spanish, with some of the old State
coinage of different States occasionally
making it's appearance. One of the most
plentiful of these foreign coins was piece
which passed current for 81 cents. In ohio
this was known as fppenIly bit, q con-
traction, probably. Of tivepenny bit. The
half-dimes of American coinage were also
becoming frequent at THAI time, and as a
distinction between the half-dime and the
fippenny bit the former was contracted to
the word Zip" The dime went under its
lawful name, while the old Spanish double ,I,t.,
and the Spanish and Mexican quarter-dol-
lars We're nearly always referred to as two
bits The latter term, | think srlll OBJ
tains in reference to quarter-dollar Amer
lean pieces In some sections. There was also
a New York State two-bit'' coin. as well as
sometimes called the York 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, Wnie
occasionally an English halfpenny OF copper
was found floating around, generally pass
ing on the same basis "a the American cop
per cent Queen Victoria $ head was then
shown on the English halfpennes.
Later when, as boy, removed with my
mother to Illinois, i met my first stumbling
block in money names There the nppehny
bit was the picayune while the ftp had It's
proper narle of half dime, or cents. But
the larger coins retained the old names, as
did the copper cents. As near as J can
learn the term picayune originated with the
French who had settled St. Louis ana hdd
settlements at points all the way ffom New
Orleans 70 st. Louis and the further North
west and their names for money predoml-
mated in that region.
Still later when i had strayed away to
New York State, / again encountered new
names for money. There everything was
based on the shilling" which represented
II cents A quarter of a dollar was always
two shillings" and all sums under 500
were calculated ON the same basis. When |
asked the price of board \ was told IT
ranged from 16 to 80 shiliings Week I ,,'.
price of q suit of clothes was generally
stated in shillings. That was all right Tor
the natives, but | confess l had frequently
to brush up my arithmetic TO get AT WnaC
30 shilinys, Y shillings, IL sniilhss, vi sVih ~
other high number amounted TO. II was all
clear enough when ii was z. or shiilngs;
but when 1t got above the dollar III required
some "ciphering'' on the part OF stranger
to get correct results.
yer. came into general circulation in the
North about 1850, and was later made IN
nickel being coined In mat metal dDVul t .ilo
same time as the present nickel 5-cent piece.
Some time before the civil war the old
fashioned copper cent was replaced at Inc
mint with the present small copper cents
and the 2-cent pieces Later the nrst nlcheiS
were made but almost went out of cireu-
lation during the war ana We're succeeded
by the fractional currency Or tnat gay, IS
sued in 5, 10, % and oO-cent pins. lnese were
never very popular with the masses, ana
were looked upon by the government as q
temporary expedient. The most popular
designation OF them was shnpiaster
though in Memphis and some other parts OF
the country they were referred to as
''chipken feed.