Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-29
C0PPERS AND NlCKELS,
Uncle Sans Output Of These Sub
siduary Coins This Year.
More Than 100000 in This Kind OF
Money Was Issued.


the fiscal year which has just ended
manufactured 1851, 143 cents and 26,
4S0,213 nickels.
Massachusetts took 5,000,000 cents,
Pennsylvania 100000, Illinois 1900. eco
and New York nearly 10000, 900. These
are the great confusing states and
stand in the same order as to con-
sumption of nickels.
Ten years ago pennies were little
used in California and the South. and
were unknown things in Nevada,
Wyoming and Arizona.
The cent-making machines in the
mint at Philadelphia are constantly
turning out pennies all the year round
Up to date Uncle Sam has turned out
!, 100. 000,0 900 cents, $40, 000,0 nickels,
100, coo. 600 dimes, 2OO,000,000 quarters and
$50, 100000 half-dollars.
Somewhere in the world are 5000, 600
big copper pennies. What has become
of them is a mystery, for. barring a
few in the hands of collectors. they
have disappeared, no one knows where.
Many years ago the government
issued 100000 bronze 2-cent pieces,
and of those over 5000, 600 are still out
standing.
The same is true of the nickel Scent
pieces. of which nearly 100000 are I'M
accounted for.
Slot machines have greatly increased
the demand for coppers, and so also
have the penny newspapers and the
odd prices made popular in dry goods
shops.
Cents and nickels wear out pretty
rapidly, because they are passing con-
stantly from hand to hand, and the
immense numbers of them that pour
into the Treasury at Washington are
carefully sorted over for the purpose
of sorting out those which are too
much damaged to be fit for further
use.
The life of cent is only four or
five years, because it changes hands 10
times for once that a half-dollar is
moved from one persons pocket to
anothers.
All worn-out pieces are melted for
recoinage, and on every $1,000 thus re-
nitted the government loses nearly
$50.
Cents are subject to more accidents
than any other coins. Being of such
small value. very little care is taken of
them, and that is why the Treasury
has to go on turning out new ones at
the rate of 60,000,0 900 to 90,0000G0 per an
mum.
At the Treasury they say that the
cent is Il barometer of business condi-
tons. A heavy storm or a sudden
coming of cold weather-anything, in
short that keeps the penny-spending
part of the population at home-is ac-
curately reflected in the falling off of
the cents coming to the sub-treasuries
for exchange. During periods OF dull
ness cents accumulate at sub
treasures, but when trade reVives they
begin to circulate rapidly again.
Anybody who wants cents may get
them by sending a check to the super
intendent of the mint, who viii ship
them at the expense of the government.
Not a day passes that a good many
counterfeit cents and nickels do not
turn up at the Treasury, most of them
coming from New York and Philadel-
phia, where the business of making
such small coins occupies the attention
of many Italians and Polish jews. The
profits of the industry are small, but
the pieces, being of such small value,
are easy to pass.
Eventually the counterfeits go to the
bureau of the secret service, under the
direction of which they are melted in u
furnace, to be sold finally as old
metal
The pieces that are too much worn
70 be Of further use are thrown into q
receptacle, and every few weeks a,
large consignment of them is sent to
Philadelphia, where they are melted
for recoinage. Quite frequently foreign
coppers turn up. and they likewise go
to the melting pot.