Different size coin sacks used by the U.S. Mint in 1907

CaptHenway

Trying to organize the artwork for my book on 1922 cents and going through some U.S. Mint documents sent to me by Roger Burdette in response to my question as to what size coin bags were the 1922-D cents issued in, I found this interesting document from the Mint's archives giving the Philadelphia Mint's "Sewing Room's" report on bags produced in December of 1907. Gold was only bagged in $5,000 totals, regardless of the denomination of the coins inside, but silver could be bagged in $1,000, $100 or even $25 totals. Nickel coinage might be $50, $20 or $5. Bronze coinage might be $10 or $5. I suspect, but cannot yet prove, that $20 bags were also in use by 1922.

Elsewhere I found a document from 1914 describing how multiple $10 bags of cents were to be packed in a keg which was then sealed for shipment to a Sub-Treasury. From there they could be distributed to individual banks.

However, the banking system may have had its own system of bags. Yet another document talked about the used coins that were shipped to the Federal Reserve Banks and/or the three Mints when the Sub-Treasuries were shut down in 1921, because the Federal Reserve System made them redundant. Some used cents were shipped to the Mint in $50 bags, and when the Mints shipped these coins back out in the same bags over the next few years (rather than release new coins) some of the recipients complained about the size of these bags.

ricko

Meticulous record keeping back then.... Labor tracking and materials not so defined anymore. Interesting document. Cheers, RickO

OAKSTAR

Photo copies, real handwriting, signatures and carbon copies, can't beat it!

Being a gov't employee, the sick leave, vacation holiday line caught my eye. $40.75 The document is month ending December 31. So I guess the $40.47 was vacation or holiday for Christmas. The math also looks right. Wonder of they used one of these or their brain? Great document, thanks sharing! 👍🏻

CaptHenway

Here is the document from Roger Burdette about how the Mint shipped coins in "casks" (not kegs) to the Sub-Treasuries. Sorry about the poor quality of the carbon copy. Such is the life of a dedicated researcher.

Onastone

@CaptHenway said:

Gold was only bagged in $5,000 totals

That would be worth over $150,000 a bag today I think.

Elsewhere I found a document from 1914 describing how multiple $10 bags of cents were to be packed in a keg which was then sealed for shipment to a Sub-Treasury.

I can't imagine how heavy those kegs had to be...