New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-13
KEEPING UP SUPPLY OF CENTS AND NICKELS.
Many WORN OUT ANNUALLY SO THEY HIVE TO
BE REDEEMED CURIOSITIES IN COINS.

Cents and nickels wear out rapidly because they
are passing constantly from hand TO hand. and the
immense numbers OF them that pour into the
Treasury at Washington carefully sorted for
the purpose OF throwing out those which are
much damaged and worn 20 remain IN further
circulation These coins arrive IN bags from banks
all over the country for redemption IN more con-
venient money. and the first thing that Is done IS
nimble fingered persory. mostly women. who
complish the task with rapidity little short OF
marvellous. and this is the way they do it:
The counter takes newly received bag Of cents.
pOurs Quantity-a double handful say-upon the
table in front Of her. and with two three quick
motions Of her hands spreads them out that
they lie fat, no one Of them upon another. With
def fingers the manipulation throws them. two at
a time. from the table into her left hand. which
she holds beneath the edge OF the table. Her eye
scans every piece. and II there is counterfeit IN
the lot Il seldom escapes her trained touch and
sharp eye. Usually the counterfeit betrays itself
by a difference in color. but II not thus detected
its ring as It drops into the palm with the other
coins discovers it.
When counterfeit IS found the counter with a
big pair OF shears cuts the bogus coin In two
halves laying the pieces aside IN little box which
is reserved for this purpose Not a day passes
that a fairly large number Of bad cents and
nickels 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 copper counterfeitins IN
dustry are small. but the pieces. being OF such
small value pass without much trouble Eventual
" the counterfets. cut IN halves. transmitted
to the Secret Service Division OF the Treasury
under whose direction they are destroyed and
melted in a furnace. to be finally sold as old
metal
The pieces that are too much worn TO be Of fur
Their thrown into separate 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 70 the melting pot Seine
Of these foreign copper coins OF about the same
size as our cents. and will pass for the latter
pretty well for lack Of scrutiny-a fact which on
one occasion induced ingenious person to i'm
port several bushels Of Austrian kreutzers for
circulation in this country. They circulate fairly
well. but the author of the scheme soon found
himself behind prison bars.
Ninety-fve per cent OF the cents and nickels are
in sufficiently good condition to out again into
circulation, and for this purpose they are put up
In paper envelopes and cloth bags Bags that con-
tain $50 in cents or more are sewed up, tied and
tagged, with seal the string for adj
ditional security the initials OF the counter and
a note Of weight Of the sack giving a guarantees
OF correctness. Some OF the money is packed IN
paper rouleaux called cartridges. woman
being kept busy all the time rolling on a round
stick for this purpose little sheets of paper.
each Of which bears its surface In printed let
tiers the amount rel resented by the contents II
bank cashier anywhere hands one a cartridge
marked Five dolls; dimes; Treasury. U. s." one
may know that It is not necessary 70 verify the
contents
The counters are expert that II Is considered
no great feat for OF them TO count and do up
in bags or cartridges 80 900 pieces in six hours in
cidentaIly rejecting every counterfeit. foreign or
mutilated coin.
When twenty-cent piece turns up goes TO
the melting pot because the United States is no
longer minting or circulating that kind Of money;
and the same applies TO the nickel with the big
"" which found dangerous. because when
gilded il could be passed for s. gold piece Old
fashioned copper cents used for minttng new
bronze cents. with the addition OF some tin and
zinc TO make the necessary alloy, and the same
thing is done with the OIdtine copper half cent
Cents are subject to more accidents than any
other coins. Being Of small value, little care Is
taken Of them and that is why the treasury las
to go on turning out new ores at the rate OF
100000 a year. Slot machines have greatly in
creased the demand for these small coins and so
have the penny newspapers and the odd prices
made popular in drygoods shops AZ the Treasury
II is said that the cent Is barometer OK business