May, 1857 News Article On Release Of The "New" Flying Eagle Cents - Enjoy!

From the PHILADELPHIA BULLETIN. May, 1857

ISSUING THE NEW CENT - THE MINT OVERRUN BY APPLICANTS

To-day was the period fixed when the new cents should make their appearance in public, full fledged and ready to take the place of the old clumsy coin which has so long lumbered the pocket of our citizens, and gladdened the hearts of candy loving youngsters. Rumor said that Uncle Sam had in his marble palace up Chestnut street near Broad, untold treasure in the new coin and, what was still better, he was willing to exchange the new pieces, cent per cent, for old and discredited coppers which have so long done good service to the community. And what was better than all, Uncle Sam had announced through his accredited agents, his willingness, on the 25th day of May, 1857. to give out the new bright coin in exchange for Spanish tips, levies and quarters, at their nominal value.

Nine o'clock this morning was the hour fixed for —as Mr. Tittlebat Titmouse elegantly phrased it — "scattering the shiners" — but when the morning sun first reached the caps of the marble columns of the Mint, long before nine o'clock, he cast his (word?) rays upon a numerous crew of persons who were gathered under the portico waiting for the doors to open, that they might get their small silver and their large copper exchanged for the bright little strangers who were so anxiously looked for. Every man and boy in the crowd had his package of coin with him. Some had their rouleaux of Spanish coin done up in bits of newspaper or wrapped in handkerchiefs, while others had carpet bags, baskets, and other carrying contrivances, filled with coppers — "very cheap and filling," like boarding house fare.

The officiating priests in the temple of Mammon had anticipated this grand rush and crush, and every possible preparation was made in anticipation of it. Conspicuous among these arrangements was the erection of a neat wooden building in the yard of the Mint, for the special accommodation of the great crowd of money-changers. — This temporary structure was furnished with two open windows, which faced the South. Over one of the windows was inscribed the words, "cents for cents," and over the other "cents for silver." Inside the little office were scales and other apparatus for weighing and testing coin, a goodly pile of bags containing the newly struck compound of nickel and copper, and a detachment of weighers, clerks, &c.

The bags containing the "Nicks" were neat little canvass arrangements, each of which held 500 of tho diminutive strangers, and each of which bore upon its outside the pleasant inscription "$5." Just as the State House bell had finished striking nine o'clock, the doors of the Mint were thrown open, and in rushed the eager crowd —- paper parcels, well filled handkerchiefs, carpet bags and baskets. But those who thought there was to be a grand scramble, and that the boldest pusher would be first served, reckoned without their host. The invading throng was arrayed into lines which led to the respective windows; those who bore silver had the post of honor assigned them, and went to the right, while those who had nothing but vulgar copper were constrained to take the left.

These lines soon grew to an unconscionable length, and to economise space they were wound around and around like the convolutions of a snake to person of a whimsical turn of mind. The clerks and. the weighers exerted themselves to the utmost to meet the demands of all comers, and to deal out the little canvass bags to all who were entitled to receive them; but the crowd grew space, and we estimated that at one time there could not have been less than one thousand persons in the zigzag lines, weighed down with small change, and waiting patiently for their turn.

Those who were served rushed into the street with their-money bags, and many of them were immediately surrounded by an outside crowd who were willing to buy in small lots at an advance on first cost. We saw quite a number^of persons on the steps of the Mint dealing out the new favorites at an advance of from thirty to a hundred per cent, and some of the outside purchasers even huckstered out the corn again in smaller lots, at a still heavier advance. The majority of those who came out "made tracks" with their bags of money,' and not an omnibus went eastward past the Mint, for several hours, that did not, like the Californian steamers, carry "specie in the hands of passengers."

Those who made their way homeward on foot attracted the attention of passers by by their display of specie bags, and we doubt much whether in the history of the Mint, there was ever so great a rush inside the building, or so animated a scene outside of it. It was in effect, at once the funeral of the old coppers and of the ancient Spanish coins, and the giving of a practical working existence to the new cent.

In the course of a few weeks the new coin will be plentiful enough at par, and the Spanish coins will go out of the hands of the brokers just as they have already disappeared from ordinary circulation, and as regards the old cents, there will be "nary red" to be seen, except such as will be found in the cabinets of coin collectors.