New-York tribune., 1917-11-27
Billion One-Cent
Pieces Coined In
The Last Decade
Famine in Useful Money
Token" Brings TO Light
Interesting Mint Statistics

Various parts Of the country arc
now complaining of famine IN
pennies despite the fact that the gov
ernment, according TO compilation by
the National City Bank, has coined
about 1,OOO,OO0,OO0 one-cent pieces
in the last ten years. In fact, the
coinage of one-cent pieces in that
period forms more than one-third of
the total output since the beginning Of
our present form Of government, as
the number Of pennies coined between
1898 to the end of the fiscal year 1916
was 2,sO4 100000.
In the single fiscal year 1916 the
number Of one-cent pieces coined was
1O1 .23O,317, while in the high record
year 1910 the total number turned out
was 152.S46.21S. The average since 1907
has been nearly 10O,oo00oO per year.
II the number of one-cent pieces
eminent to date were all in existence
and circulation, it would allow 81 for
each individual. But it is quite prob
able that out Of the two and three
fourths billion one-cent pieces coined
by the government not more than
about two billions are now in existence,
or at least in circulation. making the
present average per capita for all :he
people Of the United States about
twenty one-cent pieces.
Half.Cent Pieces Dropped.
The coinage of one-cent pieces be-
gan with the first years operation OF
the mints, the total number coined in
the first period for which details are
available Q793-5) having been 1866
O33. In that same period there were
coined l42,524 half-cent pieces. The
half-cent piece seemed to gain in pop
uarity in the Immediately subsequent
period, for the number coined in the
period lS04-l0 was about as great as
the number of one-cent pieces coined.
From that time on, however, the half
cent piece apparently lost popularity,
for the mints soon suspended their
manufacture, though there were occa-
sional issues Of limited numbers down
20 1850, at which time their coinage
terminated. The number of one-cent
pieces coined averaged less than lO,-
00O. 900 per annum down 10 about 1850
when there came rapid increase, the
number coined in 1857 being about
100000, in 1860 over 20,000,0OO, in
1864 81, ,00O, 900. Following the close Of
the Civil War the number again
greatly declined, being in 1870 less
than 100000.
Other Minor Coinage.
A all Of tn one-cent pieces now issued
by the government are Of bronze. In
the very early periods they were OF
copper, then for comparatively short
time of nickel, though the proportion
which the copper or nickel CONS
formed of the total is very small, the
entire number of copper one-cent COINS
issued having been 156,2s9,OOO, nickel
200 ,772,0 900, bronze 2,446,7ll,O0O. :,
The minor coinage" OF the Onited
States, including in that term the hall
cent, onc-cent, two-cent, three-cent ana
five-cent coins, aggregates about 4,OUO,-
100000 in number. OF the two-cent
coins there were issued 45,60l,OOO; OF
the three-cent coins, 31,37s, 900 made OF
nickel and 42,770,000 made Of silver,
and of the fve-cent pieces the total
number issued has been. Of nickel S9l,-
$4,000 and of silver 97,604,000.
All "token" coins issued by the gov
ernment are now OF bronze or nickel,
all of the one-cent pieces being OF
bronze. all of the ive-cent pieces
nickel. The use of silver for the manu-
facture of the minor coins was discon-
tinued in 1874.
Profit in Mintage.
The face value of the "token" CONS
issued by the government (the one-ccnt
pieces and five-cent nickels) is much
greater than the value of the metal
which they contain. In fact, the proht
on the manufacture of these coins, to-
gether with a slight profit on the man
ufacture of the minor silver coins lten'
twenty-five and fifty-cent pieces) Is
more than enough to pay the running
expenses of the mint.
The character, number and value oil
coins turned out by the United States
mints between 1898 end 1916 were AS
follows: