The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-24
MINT IS FACING
| REAL FAMINE IN
SMALL US. COINS

| New York, Nov. 24.-An unprece-
dented demand for small coins-quar-
ters. dimes, nickels and cents-a de-
mand that Is daily straining the re-
sources of the United States Treasury
department, brought F. H. J. Van
Engelken, director Of the mint, to
New York yesterday to see if some
thing can be done to relieve the
scarcity. Today he will meet officials
or all minis here for a conference to
devise ways and means of turning out
enough small coins to meet the de-
| mand
AT the conference will be T. w. H.
Shanahan, superintendent Of the San
Francisco mint; Thomas w. Annear,
superintendent Of the Denver mint; A
M. Joyce, superintendent Of the Phil
adelphia mint; E. D. Hawkins, chief
clerk Of the San Francisco mint, and
Vernon Bowie, superintendent of the
New York Assay Office.
We never before have been con-
fronted by such an emergency, said
MT. Van Engell1en last night, land I
doubt that we will be able to mate
rally increase the production Our
Two large minis now are working "A
hours day, while the smallest is on a
10 hour shift. They are all at maxi
mum capacity, and their energies are
being concentrated on the coins of
which we are SO short.
Will Speed Up Production.
"Our idea in holding the confer
ence is to discuss the operation of the
minis, probably adopting at all of
them suggestions that have proved of
benefit in one mint. We are now at
Tho~
work which we believe this confer
ence will produce we expect to be able
to speed up our production Of small
coins. The problem is growing more
perplexing every day."
What is the reason for the short
age in small coins?' the director Of
the mint was asked.
There is only one answer" he
said. 1.-THE people among whom the
small coins circulate have more of
them than ever before It is the re-
suit of the tremendous prosperity that
is getting down to the people who
use coins of small denominations.
II talked recently with the head of
the engraving department in Washing
ton. He tells me there is a similar
tremendous demand for 81 and 50
bills. and that this demand is in
creasing as the holiday season ap-
proaches None of them is return
ed. They are worn out. Bankers
say they are having great difficulty
in meeting the demand
New Dimes All Gone.
1.-THE issuance of the new dimes re-
Gently interfered considerably with
turning out small coins, and if I had
it to do over again and realized what
tremendous pressure we would be
under to fill the demand for small
coins, would not issue the new
dimes at. this time. We have struck
off 100000 of them, and they have
been fairly snapped up"
Mr.. Van Engelken brought to New
York specimens of the new quarter
and the new half dollar that will be
issued soon. I'VE have expected to
issue both Of these for the Christmas
demand" he said, "but probably their
issue will be put off until this rush for
the smaller coins abates somewhat. A
few quarters may be struck off before
Christmas as souvenirs"
The new coins will be inspected by
the mint superintendent at the con-
ference today The samples brought
to New York by the director of the
mint are beautifully artistic and very
much unlike the quarters and half
dollars at present in circulation. al
though the same size and weight The
half dollar piece was designed by
Adolph Weinman, who also designed
the new dime. The quarter piece
Is the work Of Hermon McNeill Each
Is adorned with the artists concep-
ton Of Liberty, as portrayed in the
figure of woman. tH