The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-24
CENTS AND NICKEIs.
An Enormous Number Redeemed
Each Year.
Boston HeraIdl


Uncle Sam is busy just now count
ing out his pennies. He is closing up
accounts for cents and nickels re-
deemed during the fiscal year which
ends June 30, and he finds that the
monthly average has been about 500.
600 pennies and 10000 scent pieces.
Out of this great number of small
COINS five in every 100 have gone to
the melting pot at the Philadelphia.
mint the balance being restored to cir
cuIatlon among the people.
Ihe treasury during the last year
manufactured 79,611,143 cents and 26.-
4SO,2l3 nickels. New York state took
nearly 100000 of the pennies, Illi-
nois about 100000. Massachusetts
100000 and Pennsylvania 100000
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 practically I'M
known in Nevada. Wyoming and Ari-
iona, but today they circulate every
where.
Cents and nickels wear out pretty
rapidly, because they are passing con-
stantly from hand to hand, and the
immense number of them that pour
into the treasury at Washington are
carefully sorted over for the purpose
much damaged to be At for further use
They arrive in bags from banks all
over the country, for redemption in
more convenient money, and the first
thing TO be done Is TO count them. This
process is performed by nimble- fin
gered persons, mostly women. who ac-
complish the task with a rapidity lit
tie short of marvellous.
The counter takes a newly received
bag of npnnfRS Mt -
them-a double hundred. say-upon her
table, and with two or three quick
motions spreads them out so that they
lie fat, no one of them upon another.
Then with dett fingers she throws
them, Two at a time, from the table
into her left hand, which is held be
meath the edge to receive them. Her
eye meanwhile scans every piece. and
If there is a counterfeit in the lot it
can hardly escape her notice. Usual
~ it viii betray itself by a difference
in color, but if not thus detected, its
ring as it drops into the palm with
the other coins gives IT away.
When a counterfeit is found the
counter picks up a big pair of shears
and cuts the bogus coin in two, laying
the halves aside in a little box with
others like them. Not a day passes
that a good many bad cents and nick
els do not turn up at the treasury,
most of them coming from New York
and Philadelphia, where the business
of making such small coins occupies
the attention OF many Italians and
Polish Jews. The profits of the indus
try are small, but the pieces, being of
such small value, are easy TO pass.
Eventually the cOunterfeits. cut in
halves. go TO the bureau of the secret
service. under the direction of which
they are melted in a furnace, to be
sold finally as old metal
The pieces that are too much worn to
be of further use are thrown into a
separate receptacle. and every few
weeks a large consignment OF them is
sent to Philadelphia, where they are
melted for recOinage. Quite frequent
" foreign coppers turn UP, and they
likewise. go to the melting pot.
Some foreign copper coins are about
the same size as our cents, and will
pass for the latter pretty we'll. for
lack Of scrutiny fact which on one
occasion induced an ingenious Terson
TO import several bushels OF Austrian
pfennigs for circulation in this coun-
Try. They circulated fairly well. but
the author Of the scheme soon found
himself in prison
Ninety-five per cent of the pennies
and nickels are in sufficiently good
condition TO go out again in circula-
ton, and for this purpose they are put
up in paper envelopes and cloth bags.
Bags that contain $50 or more are sewn
up, tied and tagged. with a wax seal
over the string for additional security.
the initials OF the counter and a note
Of the weight OF the sack gives a
guarantee OF correctness.
. Some or the money is packed in pa
per rOuleaux, called cartridges. one
woman being kept busy all the time
in rolling on q round stick for this
purpose little sheets OF paper. each OF
them printed with the amount repre-
scented by the contents. II a hank
cashier anywhere hands you a car
fridge marked Five Dois: dimes.
treasury, L s" you may know that