The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-03
PENNIES IN HONOLULU.
Not Yet Used I'm business, but Oh
tanned I'm the Postomce.

tanned I'm the Postomce.
Honolulu Star.
The insidious penny has made a landing
on these shores AT present SIS actions are
pretty well confined to the postoffice and its
circulation limited to the different DEPART
ments of that edifice. bat pocketbool1s that
a year ago were never shamed by carrying
any meaner metal than gold and silver
often contain nowadays a stray penny. the
copper cent of commerce." little known
and less valued this side of the Rockies. but
dear TO the heart of every New England
housewife.
Penny wise and pound foolish has
never been an Hawaiian motto. IL has been
look out for the nickeIs." not the cents.
Copper coinage is not unknown. There have
been several editions of pennies of various
sizes used for trade and advertising pur-
poses, and sailors have brought the bullier
copper coinage of Europe into port They
have all been regarded as more or less OF a
curiosity. however. and never seriously en-
tertained as money.
When the Kalagaua coinage was adopted
the ''nimble dime the collection box
coin.' as some Wit has dubbed it, was the
lowest value considered. As in the days
of Leadville and Deadwood. when nothing
less than quarter was passed i'm currency
or so recognized. nckels were introduced
here from the outside world. In the west
ern half of the United States the nickel
has been usually recognized by the traveller
the equivalent in purchasing power OF
the English penny or the French ten
centime piece. Street toys. cheap drinks
and slot machines were operated or pur-
chased with the nickel In one country. the
penny in the other.
The thrifty Englishman split his penny
into four farthings and marked his goods
at shilling and IL pence farthings yard,
or pound. as the case might be, knowing
well that IT sounded and looked far less
than shillings, and soon the equally thrift
~ merchant and citizen OF the Eastern
States took up the same procedure. Two
ers TO one at s.. Marked down" 10 Sll.4s
seemed much cheaper than S1l5O.
The superfluous pennies We're first given
to children for their banks then saved ior
the family purse Cheap car fares helped
along the circulation with Scent fares. The
West stolidly refused TO lose its reputation
for open-handed liberaIity and general
breadth, and the only compromise Effected
was to sell certain minor articles at two or
three for a nickel Even to-day San Fran
cisco is but little affected by the penny ex-
In the earlier days. before Uncle Sam
played letter carrier for the Hawaiian
islands, two 2-cent stamps accompanied by
a nickel would bring l-cent stamp from
the window in change. Now the law de-
mands that monetary change be given, and
the scantiness of the local supply caused a
requsition to be Issued to Washington.
This has gradually scattered, and another
requstion is now on the way in the shape
of a sack of pennies.
These are issued principally from the
windows of the money order and registry
| departments, and after a short circuit come
back to the stamp window again. Occa-
sionally few pennies are passed over the
| counters of local stores by customers and
| are placed in the stamp drawer to be taken
| later to the postoffice again: Some Of them
| get lost and others relieve the strain on the
| parent uncle and sisters beau. who can
respond to the appeal of give me nickel
with greater alacrity, and a lower coinage
| is deity introduced. Still others rattle with
the assurance OF silver into the collection
boxes and are only shamed by open
plate. None Of the stores have at present
commenced introducing pennies.