Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-25
The Coinage of the Government.

The Coinage OF the Government.
The United States mint was established in
1872. The first cents were coined in 1893;
the first silver pieces in 1894 and the first
gold pieces in 1875. From that time to June
3d. 1861, the whole amount of the coinage of
all kinds, was S799,923,362. OF this amount
s637, 7Gl ,629 came from the mint during the
time between June 80, lS49 and June so.
1861, California gold having begun to flow to-
wards the mint at the commencement of this
period. The increase during those years was
chiefly in gold coins, although the coinage of
cents was largely increased after 1857. The
amount of cents coined during the year 1856,
was 81, JOG; for the year ending June 80,
1858. it was S234.oO0.
The whole amount of the gold coinage
during the period specified was S6G9, ll6,-
4O6; silver, SIPS, l59 ,4S2; copper and nick
el, s., G47 ,473. The whole amount of the
money coined at the mint from 1892 to the
end Of 1895 was S7l ,4S5 in gold, S37G,6S3 in
in silver, and Sll 373 in "copper" total $685.
54l. The smallest amount coined in any one
largest amount III one year was SS3,693, 76S,
during the fiscal year ending in 1861; and
nearly S6l 100000 of this was gold, the lar
gest amount Of gold in any one year. The
largest amount OF silver coined a single year,
was S9,077,f7I, in 1853 when the Spanish six
and twelve cent pieces were taken out OF cir
culation, and transformed into American
money. The largest amount of cents in one
year was in IS59-60, $342 900.
At the present time, it is said, cents cannot
be coined at the mint as fast as they are want
ed; and yet although they have been pro-
duced in unusually large quantities during
the last five or six years, and are still manu-
featured at the mint as fast as the machinery
there can turn them out the cents are not
much in circulation. Two or three years
ago they would accumulate in some Of the
shops and publishing offices in vast guam
titles. 1t was difficult to change them for
any available currency. 1t is not SO
now, although there are more of them
in the country than ever before. We suppose
there are some people foolish enough to hoard
them. Three cent pieces, also, which were
very abundant two years ago, are scarce.
They are seen now and then, but they may,
ere long, be classed with the rare curiosties
and hunted up for exhibition. These too are
boarded, we presume.
Those people who now hoard cents and three
cent pieces, do it, probably, in the belief that
they are much more valuable than the regular
paper currency. We suppose they do not
understand that cents and three cent pieces
are not worth what they pass for, and that
they are not legal tender for the payment of
debts amounting to more than thirty
cents. A person may hoard three cent
pieces to the amount of hundreds of dol
lars; but he cannot pay debts with them OF
use them at all in business transactions, be-
yond the amount specified, if others refuse tc
take them; and with cents the case is still
worse. Such boarding is foolish business
These small coins were made to circulate a:
change; and they were made to pass for NOR,
than they are intrinsically worth, in order tt
keep them in circulation; therefore let then
TRIBUTE TO ROGER SHERMAN BALDWIN,
The members of the New Haven bar met on
Friday last, to pay tribute to the memory o
Gov Baldwin. Hon. Ralph L. Ingersoll the
oldest member Of the bar, presided. Resolu
tons were passed, expressive of regret at thu
death of Mr.. Baldwin, ''who has been fol-
many years without a superior at the bar OF
this court and that of the state at large" ant
cherishing the memory of the deceased, zen
deared to us by lis public as well as private
relations, his extensive learning, his love OF
justice, his answering integrity, and the uni
form consistency and urbanity that have adj
orned his character as jurist, statesman
and phllanthropist." Hon. Z. X. Foster
Encouragement of Connecticut, and other
gentlemen seconded the resolutions in terms
of eulogy, and subsequently Mr.. Ingersoll
presented them to the Superior Court, Judg,
Seymour. Mr.. Ingersoll spoke of the de-
ceased as his school-fellow, and his associate
at the bar for fifty years, bearing witness t.
his courteous and kindly treatment of the
speaker and of all men. Judge Seymour ex
pressed his concurrence in what he had
heard, and ordered the resolutions to be en-.
tered on the record.