Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-16
PENNY'S PURCHASING POWER
It is Limited, But is Mighty I'm
portant to the Split-Nickel
Merchant.
BIG COG IN MERCHANDISING

The penny - an essential cog IN the
system on merchandising which has been
built up IN this country.
ono OF the department stores In New
York City sends rcquisition 20 the
United States subtrcaAury every two or
three weeks for as much as $4,000 IN
pennies, which the business requires. Thls
stare, Ike most others Of its kind
throughout the country, uses the system
Of pricing It's goods In dollars and cents"
instead OF even money Articles VIII be
sold for Instance. NJ t249. 1853 or NM.
and. therefore, pennies must be used in
making change.
But while the penny figures IN trans
actions which IN the course Of a month
aggregate hundreds Of thousands Of dol
lars, thorough canvass disclosed the
fact that the store IN question has for
sale only two articles which can be
bought for I cent each. One Of these IL
q bodkn, which the saelegIn explained,
II most useful for threading ribbons
through lingerie, and the other yard
of stirring cord.
Tho superintendent Of The store said
that moro pennies were given out In
change every day than we're taken IN,
hence the supply has 70 be replenished
frequently.
Inquiry AZ the fInitcd States subtreass
ury furnished clue IN 10 how large
number OF pennies are spent Between
10000 70 10000 IN i-cent pieces pass
through tho subtreasury In New York
city IN the course " a month, The prin-
cipai source Of the incoming supply are
the companies operating slot machines,
the candy makers, Ice cream manufae-
turers and the traction companies. The
demand upon the subtrsasury for pennies
In confined largely 10 tho banks handling
commcrclal accounts and the department
stores,
i Ma Money for Little Folks.
That a large percentage Of the pennies
given out by the stores and ahopkccpern
In change find their way into the hands
of little folk. whose appctites for "swccte'
VIII not DO denied, II q natural deduction,
In fact, II n The small store In the neigh
borhood OF the school house which sells
fall day euckers.7 Gumdrops. lee cream
cones Nhokey-pokeyg and tho nuiSerous
articles which como under the head Of
'siaplog IN the juvenile world. such M
marbles, jaeLa, tops, paper dolls and n
hundred and one other knickknacks,
where the penny really comes into its
own ~ medium of exchange. Also the
penny serves highly important function
by furnishing means Of contributing to
the Sunday school collection box.
Tho tender Of five pennies IN payment
for ride on the street car ID perfectly
legal, but Ia fairness 70 the conductors
tho attention Of passengers should be
called 70 the fact that the pennies must
not bo dropped into the coin box. but OK
changed for nickel. as each coin
dropped into the box registers fare.
Pennies are given out al The subtresss
ury about MS fast ss they are taken In.
They arc received subject to count-that
isf all tho smooth. battered. foreign and
counterfeit coins are deducted from tho
amount credited 10 the bank or concern
turning the pennies IN. The work Of
counting 10 done by machines. The coins
are tied In racks. each weighing about
thirty-tbree pounds and fifteen ounces.
Forty OF these bags viii represent a slim
Of 5000.
FFO1it IN d0tumANs
The coinage OF pennies has boon a
nice source Of profit 10 Uncle Sam since
the nmall-aized coin now in circulation
vas adopted. A pound OF copper, which
IN normal times sells for about ~ cents,
will produce almost d dollar In pennies.
The difference between tbs cost OF the
metal and The face value Of the coins
into which Il is nodded Ii pocketed BY
Tho government. and every year forms n
part OF tbs revenue of the Treasury
department. The government IL under
obligations 10 redeem pennies at their
face value. but few are presented for ro
demption. The liability involved In the
possibility Of redemption ID regarded a.
very indefinite ono.
The 1-cent piece, according 20 treasury
officials. Ii countcrfcltcd more than any
other coin. The reason for this u that
tho penny. despite the importance of
! is function Ia commerce. Is seldom
closely scrntinlzed. and Il Is easy, there
fore. 10 pass the counterfeit coins, The
government experts have no difficulty in
detecting counterfeit pennies. no matter
how perfect the coins may be nodded.
! an they submit tho metal to an essay
test which IA infailIble. After they have
become slightly worn most anybody can
pick out the spurious coins II they take
J the trouble TO examine their pennies
, carefully.
Making counterfeit pennies n profitable
10 long M the person who engages in
the enterprise n not interrupted IA his
labors by the secret service authorities
for the Same reason that the government
makes profit from their coinage Owina
20 the sharp advance IN the price OF cop,
per metal since the war started thls
profit has been materially reduced. and
this fact. together, with the activity dis
/ played by Alr William J. Flynn. chlel
. Of the United states secret service, ar.
enpntn for a decrease IN The number ol
counterfeit pennies Pat lnla circulation
Within he last few mnnlha
piher unsefapnluus persona have dls.
enysred that Perfectly good pcnns
when flallens'i out Ga The elao Of MCKEE
! eilhsf nv being fun over b. 4 street cal
Z - hammered nat on an anvil. can II
used "a prefatr shs colin hoNes IN public
teisphoue haoths. The telephone enm
pAnlsa have Esihsrsd np thousands Al
ne mniilaied pennies. zach representing
call en- ekleh iasf eeNla has lsass
I stanta1 4NsE NI.aaKa