\[ACT OF MARCH 3, 1795\]

An act providing further for the Mint and regulating the coins of the
United

States.

SECTION 1. Provides for additional officers of the Mint

and prescribes their duties.

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SEC. 2. Requires an official oath and the giving of secu-

rity.

SEC. 3. Defines their compensation.

SEC. 4. Authorizes temporary appointments by the Presi-

dent.

SEC. 5. *And be it further enacted,* That the treasurer of

the mint shall, and he is hereby directed, to retain two cents

per ounce from every deposit of silver bullion below the

standard of the United States, which hereafter shall be

made for the purpose of refining and coining; and four cents

per ounce from every deposit of gold bullion made as afore-

said, below the standard of the United States, unless the

same shall be so far below the standard as to require the

operation of the test, in which case, the treasurer shall retain

six cents per ounce, which sum so retained shall be accounted

for by the said treasurer with the treasury of the United

States, as a compensation for melting and refining the same.

SEC. 6. *And be it further enacted,* That the treasurer of

the mint shall not be obliged to receive from and person,

for the purpose of refining and coining, any deposit of silver

bullion, below the standard of the United States, in a smaller

quantity than two hundred ounces; nor a like deposit of

gold bullion below the said standard, in a smaller quantity

that twenty ounces.

SEC. 7. *And be in further enacted,* That from and after

the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the

officers of the mint to give a preference to silver or gold

bullion, deposited for coinage, which shall be of the stand-

ard of the United States, so far as respects the coining of

the same, although bullion below the standard, and not yet

refined, may have been deposited for coinage, previous

thereto, any law to the contrary notwithstanding; *Provided,*

That nothing herein shall justify the officers of the mint.

or any one of them, in unnecessarily delaying the refining

and silver or gold bullion below standard, that may be

deposited, as aforesaid.

SEC. 8. *And be it further enacted,* That the President of

the United States be, and he is hereby authorized, when-

ever he shall think it for the benefit of the United States, to

reduce the weight of the copper coin of the United States;

*Provided,* such reduction shall not, in the whole, exceed two

pennyweights in each cent, and in a like proportion in a

half cent; of which he shall give notice by proclamation,\*

and communicate the same to the then next Congress.

SEC. 9. *And be it further enacted,* That it shall be the

duty of the treasurer of the United States, from time to

time, as often as he shall receive copper cents and half cents

from the treasurer of the mint, to send them to the bank or

branch banks of the United States, in each of the states

where such bank is established; and where there is no bank

established, then to the collector of the principal town in

such state (in the proportion of the number of inhabitants

of such state) to be by such bank or collector, paid out to

the citizens of the state for cash, in sums not less than ten

\* Weight changed by proclamation of the President, January 26, 1796.

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dollars value; and that the same be done at the risk and

expense of the United States, under such regulations as

shall be prescribed by the department of the treasury.

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