Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

After reports that an unknown number of the approximately 150 million new George Washington dollar coins left the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia without the "In God We Trust" inscription, the Running Numbers Quality Inspection Team was quickly deployed to the facility. A self-guided tour yielded the following facts:

$2,000 Salary of the first mint director, David Rittenhouse, who was born in Philadelphia April 8, 1732. Nearly 60 years later, the U.S. passed the act that established the first mint in Philadelphia on April 2, 1792. Little did they know they'd get a surprise inspection in their 215th year.

$100 Minimum estimate — as estimated by a kid standing next to it — of the total worth of the silver coins inside a 4-foot glass tube that stands in the mint's foyer. When I asked, a nearby security guard told me it's closer to $3,400. Then he eagle-eyed me and listened for change jingling in my pockets as I walked out the door.

86 Number of lost-time accidents reported at the mint in fiscal year 2000. After the number was reduced to just five in 2004, following the "Safety Makes Cents" program, the mint was given the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's "Star Level," the highest award, on April 12, 2005. We'll see how safe the mint stays now that they're into making their coins deity-free.

50 Percent of production time spent on pennies, which are called "cents" by the squares at the mint. Tour placards note that "if you lined up edge to edge all the cents we produce in Philadelphia in one day, they would stretch all the way to the Jersey Shore and back!" And I didn't think money could possibly get any dirtier.

$2 Denomination noted on a drawing of a Bugs Bunny coin — displayed toward the end of the tour — that was conceived by Kristie Stevens on Bring Your Child to Work Day, when kids were asked to draw coins featuring their choice of subject. Personally, I prefer Ashley Closson's rendering, which has the inscription, "Mandy Moore, Singer of the United States." Hey, it looked better than the Norman Schwarzkopf medal they had on display. Yeek.

Can I get your digits? I want to hear about the numerals you need to see. Let a number runner know at runningnumbers@gmail.com.