The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-16
FACTS ABOUT COINS.
Government Loses Money Preparing
Gold Currency.
(Boston Herald.)

NboSl0n f1SEdfu-1
y strange thing about our coming svs-
tenn is that the government loses money
in coming gold, but makes big profit in
coming pennies. For instance. in a $40
gold piece there is exactly so worth of
gold and 10 per cent of copper-put in to
harden the precious metaI-besides the
cost Of minting. A silver piece of money
IS about half profit, but the penny paws
Cncle Sam best of all. as the blanks are
purchased ar the rate of 1890 per mil
| lion. That is. the United States govern
nent obtains for Z $40 cents the copper
blanks which by the process of stamping
are transformed into 81 worth of pennies.
What becomes of the millions of pen-
MES coined each year by the Government
demand the mint at PHILADELPHIA must
! Keep on turning out new pennies at an aY-
erage rate of 100000 per month This
useful little coin has its beginning, of
course, in a copper mine. BY the process
OF smelling the copper Is separated from
the iron or lead or silver in the ore and
IS pought by agents, who sell it to firm
IN waterbury, Conn.,, who are under con-
tract TO supply the government with cop
per blsnks-that is. pennies unstamped
AT Waterbury the new copper IS melted
ana mixed with tin and zinc, according 10
recipe prescribed by the treasury de-
pertment at Washington. and then hard
ened into bricks These are cut into
s1iceS the thickness of a cent and the
strips are passed through machines with
punches that work UP and down with
enormous pressure and stamp out the
little round disks just the size of a penny
Inese blanks are put UP in strong boxes
ana sent by express 10, the mint at Phila-
oeiphia, where they are stamped with the
on the other.
In us was coined a New York cent.
The diverse bears bust supposed to
ton in the costume of the continental
army. encircling it is the motto. Non vi.
! VIRTUE Wei The reverse has the figure
on s Laoerty, seated on PEDESTAL holding
IN her right hand a staff surmounted by
a liberty cap and in her left the scales of
Justice. Around the coin are the words
Neo Eboracensis. with the date in the
exergne, T7SS.
The Vermont cents were coined for four
successive years. One variety has on the
diverse an eye with rays extending frors.
it which are divided. by .fhirteap Stars.
around the coin are the words Quartz
| Decfma Stella" reverse. the sun rising
from behind the mountains. a piow in the
Ioreground. with the legend Vermont
Ersium Res Pubhca," with the date I7S5
Another type has on the diverse a poor
" cut head with the words Vermont
with the date l7SS- Another with the same
legend reads EFT Lib Inde, 17sS.
The Connecticut cents bear date TX.
lis6 and 17S7- The diverse has a head
with the words ''Auctori Connec'' ON the
reverse figure of Liberty holding a staff
I
other. surrounded by the motto "Iude ct
LID and the date. There are many va
rieties of this cent. ali Of which are very
poorly executed.
Without date is a cent having on one
slde the motto "tnanimity is the
Strength of Society encircling a hand
holding a scroll. on which is inscribed
our Cause is just Reverse. fifteen
stars in the form of triangle: on the
stars are indented the initials of the sew
erai states. Kentucky heading the column.
RMS was struck at Lancaster. England
IN lisl for circulation in America and was
called the Kentucky cent.
o o
In laSl the commonwealth of MasSarhl.-
SettS ordered from its mint a copper COR
having on one side an Indian with his
DOW and arrow. near his forehead 4 star
and around the coin the word common.
wealth on the other side the Anericar
eagle. holding in his right talon an olive
branch. in the left A bunch of arrows ~,
ITS breast shield on which is Inscribed
the word Cent. and around the edge az
the coin Massachusetts. ISL, Half
cents OF the same type were struck This
coinage was continued Tor two years buf
upon the adoption of the constif1Itio,, ~
the United States. which prohibited the
several states from coming money. the
mint was abolished. The mint was est an
hShed by vote of the MaSsachuserts as
sembly IN 1sSS. and S7e00o in cents ana
haf-cents was ordered to be made Part
OF the WORKS and machinery for the mint
was erected At Boston Neck and part IN
Dedham- - Al