Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-19
WHERE GOOD MONEY is MADE
Daily GTist Of Bills and Coins Turned Out
Of Unole Sans Cash Factories.
lob or MAKING PAPER MONEY
yasctnatins Scene I'm Treasury Erint
shop, where Nearly 1000 People
wox1-Process of Changing
H. Bullion Into Coin.

Uvery working day Of the year there is
lprtutsd at Washington an average of more
than SSooo.0oo of new paper money. Every
lday thsre In destroyed practically the same
amount. The presses in the minis n
Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Fran
cisco daily stamp into form about $4,000
OF shining coin. We have then total
of almost 100000 new money created
every day at the money workshops OF the
government
But good money cannot be had even by
/ great governments merely for the making
The sources Of this great stream of fresh
bills and bright coins are carefully guarded.
They are governed by fixed financial prin-
ciples that are above legislation, writes f.
A. vanderiip. formerly assistant secretary
Of the treasury. In the Youths Companion,
and by laws which congress has tried to
frame as nearly as possible in conformity
with those higher financial laws which
must ultimately govern the currency Of all
nations.
An active printer. with the aid Of a young
girl assistant, and working on a simple
handpress OF q type that has hardly varied
since the government began to print
money, or. indeed, since one or two CEN
turtles before, can turn out 800 sheets Of
finished bills In a day, each sheet con-
tanning four bills. There are $50 printers
at work In the government bureau of print
ing and engraving. some upon bonds. stamps
or other forms of government securities,
hut most of them printing money.
Scenes in the Print shop.
Among all the interesting sights at Wash
tngton there Is perhaps none more inter-
esting than the intensely active bureau Of
engraving and printing. There are 2,sss
employees there. whose experience in hand
ling and counting the sheets Of bank note
paper and turning out the finished bills
has given them a dexterity that is fas-
cinating TO see.
OF quite as deep interest as the bureau
itself would be a study of those prtn-
ciples that are back of this rushing manu-
factory-p1nciples. laws and regulations
which govern with absolute certainty the
printing OF each piece OF paper.
At FIRST glance one piece Of paper money
looks very much like another. Each is an
example OF the finest steel engraving. more
slIillfully made and moro difficult to coun-
terfsit than the notes OF any other govern
ment.
There are fve kinds Of paper money
printed. Tho sort that people are most
familiar with is tho silver certificate, for
almost all the one, two and flve-dollar
bills are IN that form. They are printed
chiefly as a matter OF convenience TO the
public. for the public prefers paper money
60 the silver coin. The amount of paper
currency outstanding is between eighteen
and nineteen hundred million dollars, and
of that amount there are about $40. 100000
IN silver certificates and 3477.oOo.OcO in gold
certificates.
Although the government prints gold and
silver certificates 50 freely. there are only
two ways by which they may be issued
ana become a part of the money stock Of
the country. II any person deposits with
the government gold or silver coin. or gold
bullion, the government may issue silver
certificates for the gold coin or bullion:
or II anyone returns worn certificates. like
certificates may be issued to replace them,
the old ones in turn being destroyed.
Life of the Bills.
A dollar bill has an average life OF about
fifteen months. Two dollar bills. not being
quite 30 actively used. last on the average
more than sixteen months. A s. bill lives
ON an average of two years before 1t is
worn out and the government is called
upon 20 replace IL. Ten dollar bills last
about three years and so bills more than
four years.
The amount OF money that goes to the