Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-25
latin AMERICAN
INSARE MADE
in AMERICA NOW
Uncle Sans Money Factories
Turning Out Tokens for the
States of South America

Made in the United States might
in all truth be stamped on the coins
OF nearly a dozen of the countries OF
Latin America in which shopper
would try in vain to buy merchandise
bearing that slogan. For though the
United States does not ship great
amounts of goods to the countries be-
tween the Rio Grande river and Cape
Horn, 1t does supply them with a
large part Of their money: and this.
In spite of the Spanish phrases ard
foreign emblems that It bears, Is the
product of Uncle Sans own minis.
The United Stats government, un-
known to many OF its citizens, who
can hardly be expected to know all of
its statutes by heart, the Washington
Star kindly admits. was authorized by
law more than forty years ago to en-
gage In the business of minting money
for foreign countries. Under this au-
thorization the government has turned
out millions Of foreign coins In its
big money-making establishments.
Money Factories Busy.
i 5ust now. according to Robert W.
Woolley. director of the mint, the bulk
Of the work being done In the mints
is either under contract for one
OF our neighbors TO the South, or for
the Philippines, our foster government
across the Pacific. Aside from the
mere matter Of the demand Of the
countries for minting services, the
concentration on foreign work at this
time arises from the fact-however
strange il may appear to the average
man or woman-that we now have
more money in circulation In the
the fact that there are on deposit in
the treasures and sub-treasuries ap-
pr0ximately sac 100000 In subsidiary
silver coins, pieces of less value than
one dollar. Such coins are minted
solely for use in circulation; and are
not ordinarily held as stocks, like
silver dollars, against which paper
certificates are issued.
The ninting work for foreign coun-
tries now under way in the United
States is being done at Philadelphia
for Cuba, Salvador. Ecuador and
Costa RIGA. The San francisco mint
Is at work chiefly on Philippine coin
age. Only at the Denver mint is do
nestle work solely under way, and
there only nickels and one-cent pieces
are being turned out.
Millions Of Gold Pieces.
Since the authorization to coin
money for foreign countries was given
to the minis by Congress In January,
1874, more than 100. 000, 900 pieces of
gold, silver and baser metals have
been minted for countries in North.
South and Central America and the
West Indies, and for Hawaii before
its annexation.
ALI foreign minting by the United
States is done at q price that just
covers the cost. There are two rea-
sons for the government engaging In
the business; 1t puts this country In
a position to do neighborly acts and
il allows us to keep our coming equip
ment and force of operatives busy
during periods when 1t would other
wise be necessary to suspend opera
tons. The decreasing need for mints,
with our vast Accommodations of coins.
the growth of banking and the use OF
paper money is shown by the fact
that of the seven minis that have
been in existence In the history Of
the country only three are now
equipped for turning out coins, the
others having been either abandoned
or turned into assay offices.