The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-10
NO WAY TO GET
LOST PENNIES
WHERE THE 1oooooooo TURNED
OUT EACH YEAR GO is A PUz-
zLE EVEN TO TREASURY
OFFICIALS

What becomes OF the vast volume
Of copper pennies that are turned out
each year by the Government? They
are never called in and redeemed like
some kinds OF currency and coins, but
they seem to disappear as fast as they
are stamped and put in circulation.
IL is unusual II the date on any OF
the pennies i'm a mans purse nj the
end OF the day is over ten years back.
yet the Philadelphia Mint, which coins
all the copper pennies. sends out IN
some years as many as $1,000, 600
worth OF them 10 the trade centres
100. 900. 600 one-cent pieces. II laid fiat
edge To edge. IN a row they would
reach more than l 600 miles. And still
there are some sections Of the country
where the penny is little known.
In many OF the mountain districts Of
the South the york shilling" l2h
cents. Is still spoken OF in trade. but
no one ever hears the one-cent mem
toned. In many towns in the South
and West the tradesmen offer nothing
for a penny. a five-cent purchase is
the smallest that can be made. But
Of late there have been more defands
for pennies from the West and the
Government experts have declared
that this is a sign OF increased frug-
ality.
In the East, the chief use of the PEN
ny outside OF filling the child's bank
and buying the morning paper. is for
the purchase % chewing gum and one
cent candies. This is a habit which is
Increasing in New York City every
year. All the railroad and ferry termln-
ais and the Subway and elevated sta
tons are lined with penny-in the-slot
machines. and they reap an enormous
harvest every day. SO accustomed has
the public become TO their use that
many OF the more important stations
and waiting roofs have as many as n
dozen of these machines which have
10 be emptied az least once a week.
Many staid citizen has found him
self asking the ticket seller in the
Subway or elevated for pennies in
change for his dime in order to pat
ronize one Of the machines. Sometimes
they do not work and he inwardly
swears that he will give up the habit,
but next day he is pretty sure 20 be Mt
il again II he has a penny in his pock-
Il.
The increase in the number Of penny
-the-slot monographs and moving
picture machines in New York I'm the
last few years shows another way TO
which the public has taken TO get rid
of its pennies. Many Of these machines
are now appearing in ferry terminals
and railroad stations. and "empor-
lung are now open on many of the
importut streets of the city i'm which
there are scores Of these machines,
with young women carrying rolls OF
pennies passing to and fro TO make the
required change.
Uncle Sam takes I'm many pennies
for stamps and postcards, and many
Of them flow into the contribution box
ties. But all these ways in which the
penny is put 10 use does not explain
where they eventually go or what
makes them disappear in such vast
quantities every year. There have been
long and learned discussions over
where all the pins 60 to, but the penny
problem IS one which seems even more
bamlng.
One does not throw pennies about
as he or she does pins. and despite the
admonition to see a pin pick ii up
many are passed by where steps will
be taken 10 gather in n penny found
lying about Even the Government
coinage experts do not give a salts
factory answer 10 the problem. They
give the following reasons for the dis
appearance OF the Falllnl
through cracks into holes and dark
places: used In various arts and
crafts; locked up for years in child
ren's banks, etc. but these explana-
ti0rs DO not seem satisfactory wher
number of new pennies coined eacf
| year g. taken into consideration.