The weekly news update featuring Lincoln Penny
To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa's Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of August 1, 2022. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and I'm your co-host, Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone, Let's go to press.
For the week of August 1, 2022 your sponsor will be is Itzel’s Ice Fishing Supplies. This week’s special, 25% off of Ice Augers. That’s Itzel’s Ice Fishing Supplies stop by today to stock up on all of your Ice Fishing needs.
"On schedule!", said Santa when asked how things are back in the workshop, now that summer break is over. You could tell how elated he was at the status of the production schedule. He also wants all to remember that we are now in the second half push as it is just about 5 months to Christmas! All production in the workshops and factories are back up to full capacity and the warehouses are buzzing filling up the delivery satellites.
Edward Hinklemyer is reporting that Flight Control and the Reindeer Handlers are to begin the reindeer workout schedules. Each reindeer will be on a rotating schedule with a two hour training each day until further notice. Also, he wishes to mention that Miranda the Mermaid will be returning to North Pole City this week. The Department will once again be expanding security details to the North Pole City Hotel and will be patrolling the area when she arrives.
The Division of WWW/PR is finishing up their summer break and will be returning to their offices soon to get back to work on the website. With Miranda the Mermaid coming to North Pole City, they are hoping to schedule some time to work with her to get her web page updated and made active on TAOLF.com.
This week in the North Pole, we will still be having warm weather! It will be in the 50's all week again. It will be sunny as well with no rain expected. Be sure to keep cool and hydrated!
The portable station did not work out too well this year at the campout. When we fired up the system for the first time to do a broadcast, internal components blew and the entire system went offline. The station engineers brought it back to the station to try to get it working again, but there was too much damage inside the unit. It is currently being rebuilt and we hope to try using again in the future.
In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt complained that U.S. coinage lacked artistic merit and a private artist, such as sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was chosen to prepare new coin designs. At Roosevelt's instructions, the Mint hired Saint-Gaudens to redesign the cent and the four gold pieces. He completed all but the cent before dying in 1907 before the cent design was approved. A new designer Victor David Brenner, was chosen and the process continued. 1909 was the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. President Theodore Roosevelt, in order to commemorate Lincoln, decided that the cent piece should bear Lincoln’s portrait. According to some, it was to to get in on the numbers of privately manufactured souvenirs were already being made; others though because Lincoln was his idol and he could help commemorate him.
This was the first time that a real person had appeared on U.S. coinage (outside of the commemorative Columbian half dollar, which featured Christopher Columbus). Prior to this, only animals and fictitious figures like the Native American on the Buffalo nickel and Liberty on the Morgan silver dollar had been seen on U.S. coins.
Eventually, with the design accepted, they went into production. The Penny had Lincoln on the front with "In God We Trust" on the top with "Liberty" to the left of Lincoln and the date on the right. On the back, “ONE CENT†is large and top-center, with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA†just below it. These words are surrounded by two stalks of wheat. Near the top is the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM†and as part of the original back side design, Victor David Brenner included his initials near the lower rim, below the wheat.
The 1909 pennies were called wheat pennies or Lincoln pennies and were minted in Philadelphia and San Francisco. In Philadelphia, 100,697,618 wheat pennies were minted. In San Francisco, only 2,309,000 were minted and were struck with an "S" under the year. They were 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc and a mass of 3.11g with a diameter of 19mm.
On the morning of August 2, 1909, long lines formed outside Treasury facilities across the United States. Some were able to get as many coins as they wanted, but eventually the pieces were rationed. At the New York Sub-Treasury only 100 pieces per person were allowed; at the Philadelphia Mint were allowed only two each. Outside the Philadelphia Mint, some sold them anywhere from 5 cents to a quarter each.
Brenner's initials, immediately became a source of controversy and cents without Brenner's initials were in production by August 12, 1909. Nearly 28 million Philadelphia VDB cents were struck, the San Francisco mint cents or the 1909-S VDB had 484,000 released for circulation. They then struck all the others without the VDB.
This then makes 5 versions of the 1909 penny.
Minting of the wheat Lincoln penny began in 1909 and extended to 1959, when it was replaced with the Lincoln Memorial penny to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the wheat penny.
Wednesday begins the annual summer sale sponsored by the North Pole City Commerce Association in North Pole City. Special flyers will be distributed on Wednesday and when you visit the various businesses in town ask them to stamp your flyer. If you get stamps from all the businesses on the flyer, you will get a prize from the commerce association - a 2022 ornament for your tree. Take your completed flyer to the NPC Commerce office to get your ornament by August 10th.
The steam engine that runs under North Pole City taking elf commuters all over town went down the end of last week when it started losing pressure between Holly Drive and Tinsel Avenue. Repairs are currently being made to the "Iron Reindeer" and it is scheduled to be back in service on Wednesday morning. Until the train starts backup again, there will be a shuttle service on the streets running the "outer" circle of the city with expected stops every 20 minutes.
The NPC Sports League would like to thank all for attending the NPC Reindeer Games and camp this year. The games and events were a great success.
They are also thanking everyone for all the help out at Polar Bear Lake in putting the items for the Reindeer Games into storage for next year.
In community events this week we will begin with coloring book day on the second. Coloring has been a pass time and coloring books have been a popular gift over the years. It has also become the latest wellness and relaxation trend that helps people find happiness "between the lines". Coloring pages will be available in all the cocoa pubs in town. Join in and color your heart out.
The fourth is Santa's favorite day- besides Christmas of course! It is chocolate chip cookie day! Mrs. Claus' Kitchen will be distributing chocolate chip cookies all day in city center and in the workshop cafeterias! Come get some on Thursday and don't forget the milk! Milk will be provided by the NPC Hotel.
We will also be having a sandcastle building contest sponsored by Miranda the Mermaid in city center to celebrate Sand Castle Day on Saturday the 6th! Come out and show off your creative side!
WELF-NPC would like to wish a very happy 450th birthday to Joshua "Snowball" Yeardly. Joshua has been a toy painter in the workshop now for almost 300 years an loves the color or blue. Every chance he gets, he volunteers to paint all of the blue toys in the workshop and he is the owner of the bright blue cabin you see out at Yeardly village when you visit. We wish you many more happy years.
This is Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone with the reminder: Often, the best way to relax is just to go back to work..
Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.
