The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-16
coLLoouIAL NAMES FOR MONEY.

Coins Have Varied Designations in
Different Sections of the Country.
Referring to the word 'picayune," 1t
may not be uninteresting to give a
sketch of subsidiary coinage and cur
rency as used in the past, and the va
rious names under which 1t was known.
In Ohio in 1874 and previously there
was a good deal Of foreign coin in cir
culation. mostly Spanish, with some OF
the old state coinage of different states
occasionally making It's appearance.
| one of the most plentiful of these for
eign coins was piece which passed 10
| six and one-fourth cents. In Ohio TINS
was known as fipenny bit, contrac-
ton. probably, of fiyepenny bit. The
| half dimes of American coinage were
also becoming frequent at that time
and as a distinction between the half
dimes and the fipenny bit the former
was contracted to the word ZIP In
dime went under its lawful name, while
the old Spanish double of the f1penny
bit was known as the "bit," and the
Spanish and Mexican quarter dollars
were nearly always referred to as two
bits" The latter term, we think, still
obtains in reference to quarter dollar
American pieces in some sections.
ola
two bit" coin, as well as "bit' of the
same coinage, which was sometimes
called the York shilling" The FINE
Tree State shilling coming from Maine,
was sometimes seen, but not much
used. It's value was supposed to be
sixteen and two-third 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 Amer
lean copper cent. Queen Victoria's
head was shown on the English half
penny.
Later when, as a boy, removed with
mother to Illinois, ! met my first STUN
bling block in money names. There
IDG llDtu11y DlI was tiiSt pltely uiiCt "h'iS
the ftp had its proper name of half
dime or five cents. But the larger
coins retained the old names, as did the
copper cents. AS near as I 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 the
further northwest, and their names for
money predominated in that region.
Still later. when ! had straycd away
to New York state, 7 again encountered
new names for money. There every
thing was based on the shilling"
which represented twelve cents. A
quarter of dollar was always two
shlllings," and all sums under ten dol
lars were calculated on the same basis.
When ] asked the price of board I was
told 1t ranged from sixteen to thirty
shillings a week. The price of a suit of
clothes was generally stated in shil-
lings. That was all right for the ma
tives, but I confess I had frequently to
brush up my arithmetic to get at what
thirty-three shillines, twenty-five shil-
lings, seventeen shillings or some other
higher number amounted to. 1T was
oil clear enough when it was two, four
or six shillings, but when 1t got above
the dollar it required some ciphering on
the part of the stranger to get correct .
results.
The three-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 the
present nickel five-cent piece,
Some time before the civil war the
copper cent was replaced
at the mint with the present small cop
per cents and two-cent pieces Later
the first nicl1eIs were made, but almost
went out of circulation during the war,
and were succeeded by the fractional
currency of that day. issued in five, ten,
twenty-five and fifty cent bills. These
were never very popular with the
masses, and were looked upon by the
government as a temporary expedient.
The most popular designation of them
was 'shinplaster," though in Mem
ohis and some other parts of the coun-
ry thew were referred to as 'snbicka,