The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-05
TIE MINT.
rts Operations DuripE tho Past year.

veil as those of the several branches, during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1867, has just
been published. It contains many items OF
considerable interest TO the public at large, and
more especially TO Philadelphians, in whose
midst the principal coining establishment OF
the country is located. l9.
The deposits of bullion at the Mint and
hranohes during the nscai year were as follows:
cold $4,000 200; silver, S2S 9Ol Total deposits,
an soo lOl; deductipg from tins total the rede-
.os,,s of bullion, or bars made at one branch
- ,l,e Mint and deposited at another for coin
90 the amount will be s3I 310iS. This amount
exceeds the deposits of the preceding year by
81 025, 800. a.. 80 -,., -
foliows:-Gold coin, pieces, l,469,4s2; value,
S82l7lSS Impaired and nne gold bars,
S SSScyb S7! bars s7 % and bronze
coinage pieces, 80 568, 600; value, Total
number OF pieces struck, 54,llO,9S4 Total value
The distfibution Of the bullion received at
the Mint and branches was as follows:-At Phi
aa ae9 iss Fine gold bars S76s7S silver sposits
and purchases. S350,476 silver coined, S352,87l;
silver bars, s46l0; lcopperand bronze coin;
age. value 81 S79 $40; total deposits of gold and
silver, Sl0,3 ,3l2,SS6; total coinage, Sl2.SO9.Ogl.
AT the Branch Mint, San Francisco, the gold
deposits were SIS. 100 $685. gold coined, $lS 225U0G
silver deposits and purchases, S8l9,43i; silver
coined, so3I0O silver bars value, Sli6OI9; total
deposits and purchases $l9 lO,OS7; total coinage,
TSe Assay Office in New York received during
ion incudiGg purchases, sG5S,99i; number OF
6ne gold bars stamped, 4l76i value $ll.4I 25s;
The operations of the Branch Mint at Denver,
Colorado, are confined by law TO the melting,
assay ing, and stamping of bullion, returning
the same to the deposition in the form of
I,srted bars, bearing the Government stamp OF
RR,aiobr md fineness Of the gold aud silver con-
tained. The number of bars stamped was 2ll;
value, Sl296l6.
To meet the large demand for five cent nickel
copper coins at the South, the Director recon-
mends that the Branch Mint at New Orleans be
authorized TO coin such pieces. the BTancn
pIaced in condition for melting, assaying, and
casting into impaired bars the precious metals.
About the same amount of bullio "a was de-
rived from the mines of the United States as
during the previous year. Notwithstanding tne
fact that emigration 70 the mining regions mas mas
the expenses OF living aud mining nave been
kept very high, while the risks and uncertain
ties which always attend gold mining have
been correspondingly increased The mining
districts however, Will soon begin to experience
the benefits arising fron the rapid approach OF
railroad communication with the east. The
Director recommends the repeal OF the laws
one-half OF one per cent, and coinage charge
Of the same amount, or at least the reduction OF
Them to one-half the amount
Or. Linderman states that, when he took
charge of the Mint In April last. it was in q
very unsatisfactory condition.. The refractory
nature of the nickel. copper alloys had worn
the machinery greatly. In three months, over
lOO working dies were used and broken. Re-
pairs were commenced in August, aud were so
lar completed that operations could be resumed
IN Octooer. Every department Is now in good
ConGltIon, except that some new machinery is
needed.
Tue redundancy of inferior coios arises from
the fact that the banks and other moneyed in
stitutions prefer clean coins, and instead oi
gatnerlng up the old and sotled ones Whlcn are
where there is NO limit by law upon their coin.
oge. The Director recommends that the profits
hScrning from the coinage OF M ap0 me
old coins whenever they shall be otered. Tn,
metal thus received to be worked into neV
Rotn. The profits arising from the mlnO
coinage, and paid into the Treasury OF tn
United States for the fiscal year, amounts Il
the Director states that. of all the many mil
Hons that have been coined here, in gold ant
silver. a very small proportion now bears tn
Stamp Of the United states. And when tn
eoyereigns, francs, or thalers come back to us
we treat them in the same way; SO that a busy
commerce keeps the coinage new ana goou
and lightens the loss which might otherwise b
Yexatious and burdensome. All the coinag
ought to be kept clean and legiele; and Whel
riSed and enabled 70 take them back and Civ
new pieces in their stead.
With regard to the proposed uniformity y, u y
on the 3lst of December, 1852, q letter on thi
subject was addressed to the Treasury Deparl
ment from the Mint, in which the precis
ground was taken, which has lately been agree
upon by the Paris Conference. II was,
effect, as follows:-A French coin OF 70 franc
would be worth in our present money. S4'6z'
British SOVEREIGN. new Is worm mi SaSS 90 the. he
two, but also as TO our tye-dollar% % piece. SUI
posing them all % 0P tne 6o 6aSI
by 40 cents and the new fve-dollar piece b
l76 cents. The shilling In money of accoun
would be Is cents, and the franc 20 cents.
should also have definite relation to the ne
gold coinage system of Austria, Prussia, an
the German States. The Ira OF Italy has loI
been in unison with the franc of France. III
weight of the half eegle would be ia 020 grain
instead of 100 grains, as at present.
With respect 10 foreign coins, the DirectC
further states that the silver sol of Peru, whiC
fs the succesgor of the peso or dollar, is found
be of standard ineness, ana the avergae weig
0f802 ounce troy. The dates observed are 1854
1856 The. Mexican silver peso, or dollar of Ma!
milan, of the date 1856, averages 902l% tho
sandths fine, and 1881 OF. 4l9% grains
weight, upon trial of considerable quantit
These Two reports are furnished by the Ass
gold piece of Maximillan, called 100 pesos"
the date 1866, and weighing 0S8 OF. or So
grains. We had not the opportunity Of assayi
1t, being held as O curiosity but the weight
dicated that the doubloon hneness of 875 b
been retained. On this assumption we plac
II in the table.
The result of a recent assay of single go
pieces OF France, of the dates 1868 to 1867, a
mint marks of Paris and Strasburg, is impo
ant In It's bearing upon the question of intern
tlonal coinage, for If such an interchange Is
good faith in regard to the fneness of their coll
otherwise the matter viii soon come to an en-
We md the nneness varying from 1886 to S99
and averaging 1902. This has generally be,
the result for many years. and is not Wh
should be expected. The average ought to
wv, as required by law The British coins q
Kept up TO the mark
The coinage at the Mint and the seve
hos III ntv, NI,..