The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-09-19
THREE NEW COIN DESIGNS
SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
Specimens Of Three Cent, Penny and
Half Cent Pieces Are PIE
pared BY Mint.

Specimens of the three new coins re-
Gently recommended by the house COM
mittee on coinage. weights and meas
ures have been made by the Philadel
phia mint and will be sent to Wahs-
ington for examination by the meme
ton of the committee has been accept
ed by the house of representatives. and
is now pending in the senate where 1t
is expected to receive favorable con-
sideration. The blanks manufactured
by the local mint are of nickel metal
and represent the form of the new g.
cent, cent and half-cent pieces. II
the coinage bills become laws the new
coin will present an interesting de-
parture as far as United States coins
are concerned. While Scent pieces
have been coined formerly by the gov
eminent the introduction of half cent
and pennies in nickel metal will estab-
fish precedent in American numis-
mates. though pennies of nickel were
issued from 1857 to 1864
one of the distinctive features of the
new coins is the shape of the Scent
pieces. Made of practically the same
metal as the nickel scent pieces, 1t
is slightly heavier and larger but in
order that 1t will not be confused with
the scent piece now in use a small
and it will resemble in almost every
respect Chinese coins. No provision
has yet been made by congress for the
inscription to be engraved on the coins
only the fineness and weight having
been provided for.
Aside from the inauguration into the
United States currency of the 3-cent
coins. their introduction is expected
to, play an important part in the es-
tabishing of prices for the colnmodi-
ties of the country. In measure the
coins will have the effect of reducing
the present high cost of living, for, II
is pointed out, many articles now sell
ing for cent, because 1t is the small
est coin, will be reduced to one-half
cent. Again, it is insisted, the new g.
cent pieces will be effective in reduc-
ing prices in cities where that amount
Is exacted for trolley fares
I
introduction into the currency of the
half-cent piece people will cultivate
more respect for the penny In many
foreign countries the smallest coin is
in some instances one-lifth the Amer
lean onecent piece. During the de-
bate in congress upon the ACCESSIBILITY
of making the new coins it was point
ed out that almost every country in
the world has intermediate coins be-
tween the l and scent pieces. nj the
report of the house committee on
coinage, weights and measures it was
stated that the recommendation for the
new coins was made ITO encourage
economic buying, both directly. by af-
fording the means of making smaller
coins, and indirectly, by the psyche
logical effect produced by the existence
'of smaller coins"
1t is the belief of many that with the
coinage of the nickel 3-cent piece var
ious vending machines and other me-
chanical contrivances, now requiring a
scent piece to operate them, will be
reduced to cents The convenient
size of the coin is sure to make 1t pop
ular and in time it may rival the nickel
as q convenient coin for all purposes.
The discontnuance I'm coming bronze
pennies is a departure in coming Unit
ed States currency, The bronze or
copper 1-cent piece has long been re-
garded as fixture and the substitu-
ton of nickel metal will establish an
interesting precedent.
While members Of the coinage COM