The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-05-04
MONEY OF THE PAST.


FlPPENNY BITS, YORK sHlLLlNGs,
PIcAYUNES AND COPPERS.
An Interesting Sketch Of Subsidiary CON-
age, "Shinplaster" and "Chicken Feedo
Currency That FIourished Before Our
Present System.
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 vari-
Gus names under which it was known.
In Ohio in 1874 and previously there
was a good deal of foreign coin i'll cir
culation, mostly Spanish. with some CT
the old state coinage OF different states
occasionally making its appearance.
One of the most plentiful of these for
eign coins was a piece which passed
current for 81 cents. In Ohio this was
known as fppenny bit-a contraction,
probably, Of five penny bit. The half
dimes of American coinage were also
becoming frequent at that time and as
distinction between the half dime and
the fppenny bit the former was con-
tracted 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, I" and the Span
ish and Mexican quarter dollars were
nearly always referred to as ''two bits y
The latter term, think, still obtains In
reference to quarter dollar American
pieces in some sections. There was also
q New York state ''two bit'' coin, as
we'll as 'sbit" Of the same coinage.
which was sometimes called the "York
shilling.'' The Pine Tree State shilling,
coming from Maine, WAS sometimes
seen, bet not much used. It's value was
supposed to be l6 2-S 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 American cop
per cent. Queen Victoria's head was
then shown on the English halfpennles.
Later, when as boy / removed with
my mother to Illinois, I met my
first stumbling block in money names.
There the fppeny bit was the picayune,
while the ftp had its proper name Of a
half dime, or 5 cents. But the large
coins retained the old names, as did the
copper cents. AS near as l can learn,
the term picayune originated with the
French, who had settled St. Louis and
had settlements at points all the way
from New Orleans to st. Louis and che
farther northwest, and their names for
money predominated in that region.
Still later, when bad strayed away
to New York state, again encountered
new names for money. There everything
was based on the shilling which
represented 12H cents. A quarter of a
dollar was always 's2 shillings," and
all sums under 500 were calculated on
the same basis. When I asked the price
of board, was told it ranged from 1G
to 80 shillings.a a week. The price of a
suit of clothes was generally stated IN
shillings. That was all right for the
natives, but confess had frequently
to brush up my arithmetic to get at
what S3 shiili0gs, % shiIlings, II shil-
lings, or scme other high number,
amounted to. 1t was all clear enough
when it was 2, or 6 shillings, but
when it got above the dollar it required
some "ciphering'' on the part OF a
stranger to get correct results.
The cent piece, originally coined in
silver, came into general circulation in
the north about 1850 and was later
made in nickel, being coined in that
metal about the same time as tho pres
ent nickel 5 cent piece.
Some time before the civil war the
old fashioned copper cent was replaced
at the mint with the present small cop.
per cents and the 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. 20
and SO cent bills They were never very
popular with the masses and were look
ed upon by the government as tenn
pcrafy expedient. The: most popular
designation for them was ''shinplas-
ters," though in Memphis and some
other parts of the country they were re-
ferred to as "chicken feed
During the war there were many other
substitutes for money, mostly in the
form Of cardboard promises to pay ev-
erything from drink Of whisky or g
ride on the cars to suit of clothes;
from quart of milk or pound OF
beefsteak to weeks salary. They have
dropped out of use in most sections and
in their place Uncle Sans coppers,
nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars
and 'sdollar of the daddies' now reign
supreme. Spangler in Galveston
News.
Periods OF RoadmakinS.
In an interesting article On ''Ancient
and Modern Highways" by G. L. Whit