The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
WHERE ARE THE COINS?
But ONE HALF-CENT PIECE EVER
REEDEEMED BY UNCLE SAM.
Sent in Recently by n st. Louis Man
New Issue Might be Coined In
Honor of Louisiana Exposition.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 19.-The first half-cent
piece has been redeemed. More than a
century after the first one was coined and
almost fifty years since their issue was
discontinued and they disappeared from
circulation. the first half-cent piece ever
presented to the government for redemp-
ton. was recently forwarded by a St.
Lotus resident and redeemed by the treas
urer of the United States with accompany
ing red tape worthy of q more preten-
tious amount.
The last annual report of the director of
the mint. Page 81. shows that not one Of
the 7.9S5,222 half-cent pieces that were
coined and issued. representing S29,926.11,
had ever been presented for redemption.
For almost half a century each annual
report of the Treasury Department has in
Guided them among the outstanding" oblI-
cations of the government. This coin, the
most diminutive denomination ever made
by this country. was it's first issued coin
and also the first whose denomination was
discontinued. The United States mint was
established in 1892; the first coins TO be
issued were copper half-cents and cents, in
1898; the half-cents were the first product.
Half Of the total number issued Swere
coined pervious to 1910, after which year
their coinage, with few exceptions, was
limited. None was coined for circulation
from 1872 to 1924, and form 1896 to 1913. Their
coinage. with that of the copper cent, was
discontinued in 1851. On account of their
limited issue during the last years of their
coinage they were practically out of cir
culatiOn when it was stopped, and since
then they have entirely disappeared from
the channels of trade.
The needs of adopting this fractional
part of our lowest value computing factor,
for a coin, were many at the time and par
ticularly because numerous colonial half
cents and British farthings Of the same
commercial value were then in circulation,
and many articles were priced and sold in
half-cents. With our country's progress,
values rose, the need for half-cents disap-
peared and their use, following the first
decade of the country, was almost entirely
confined to multiples. While all other dis
continued types and denominations of
United States coins have found oblivion,
the half-cent is the only one that treasury
reports do not record redeemed. This singu-
lar and unexplained fact has been the
a0o vi AAC10Nnl AhA III qQCAJ
mint and treasury officials. Large quanti-
ties of half-cents are to be found in the
stocks of coin dealers. The most common
dates are sold at a good premium and a
number are very rare. This coin is to-day
a curiosity to many, Young America in
particular. 1t has always been interesting
to the collector and many with no interest
in collecting. enjoy possessing one of the
old half-cents for a pocket-piece.
The st. Louis gentleman who claims the
distinction OF having the first half-cent
piece redeemed, greatly prizes the little
voucher calling for zone cent" which was
sent to him with that amount of current
coin in exchange for the two half-cent
pieces he had forwarded. So much interest
can be found in this odd denomination that
it has been said If Uncle Sam would per-
NIT its revival for some notable souvenir or
commemorative issue hat ten million
pieces could be sold at five cents each,
eclipsing the sale and profit of any other
special cion. and it would prove a great
advertisement of the event the issue was
intended to commemorate. y government
appropriation of $4,000 would cover a TO-
100000 half-cent issue and at 5 cents each
the returns would be $4,000.
The Columbian exposition of 1898 had two
commemorative coins. Why not the Louisi-
ana Purchase exposition? An artistically
designed bronze half-cent should prove a
good companion for the Louisiana gold dol
lar, and would probably be a phenomenal
seller. The coinage of the gold dollar has
been resurrected, why not the half-cent?
1t is reasonable to suppose they would
never reach circulation, and, like their pre-
Gecessors, never again bother Uncle Sam.
CUR BEIGH.