The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-01-24
The Silver Mint of Japan.

ing processes are continually going on /:
A lump of silver of the necessary tinehcss,
obtained either from the government
mines or by melting Mexican dollars, is
placed in an iron ladle, aud reduced 10 a
molten state by means of "a charcoal fire
and a pair of blacksmith's bellows. 1t is
then poured into a mould, from which it
is taken out 10 the shape of thin rectan-
gular bars, which are Immediately thrown
into tub of cold water. On being
taken out, man seated on the ground
shears of, with PAIR of large 6xei scis-
sors, all jtgged pieces adheriDg to the
angles. They are now handed to another
man, who weighs them one by one, and a
piece is cut of, if necessary to reduce the
bar to its proper weight. The next pro-
cess is that of dividing the bar by fixed
pair of shears into eight equal portions of
the size of ichibus. This is done by u
workman cutting it as accurately as his
practiced eye would enable hun and his
work is tested by weighing, the light
pieces being rejected, and the heavy ones
reduced to their proper weight by the
scissors. The pieces are now heated
white hot in charcoal fire, plunged into
water, boiled and washed in kind of
brine, from which they come out with a
moderately bright surface. They are next
very slightly miIled on the two sides, and
wore deeply on the edges by means of a
nill'd hammer. They are now ready for
stamping. A man places one of the pie
ces on a stationary die, and lays on the
top the other die second man, armed
with huge hammer, gives one blow on
the upper die, aud the coin is struck
The blows are dealt in rapid succession,
and the whole scene reminds one of q
blacksmith's shop. Boys now punch
small stars on the edges by means of
chisels and hammers. The colds are
weighed one by one tor the last time, and
the light ones rejected. The imperial
stamp is added by means of another
stamped chisel and mallet, and the coins
are complete. They are rolled up in
paper packets, weighed and marked with
Il seal, which serves as guarantee of its
contents, and gives it currency as one hum
bred ichibus -...r. r.
, While every operation is performed in
this primitive manner, perfect order pre-.
walls in the establishment every man
goes through his portion of the work in
silence, and with the regularity of clock
work, and many evince considerable skill.
There are about three hundred hands en-
ployed in the building. When the men
enter in the morning they are made to di.
vest themselves of their own clothes and
put on Others belonging to the mint. Al
the end of the days work gong sounds,
when the somewhat curious spectacle is
presented of three hundred men spring.
ing from the ground on which they had
been seated, throwing off their clothes,
and rushed naked throng, to Que end of
the yard. Here they pass through the
following ordeal to prove that they have
no silver on them. Their back hair is
pulled down and examined, they wash
their hands and hold them up to view,
they drink water aud then halloa, and,
lastly, they run to the other end of the
yard, clearing two or three hurdles on
their way after which performance they
are ollowed to put ON their own clothes
and depart. Mr.. Sidney Loo ,ck, her
majesty's secretary Of legat on, from
whose report Of this year these statements
were taken by the Times, believes that
the mint has been only twice entered by
foreigners, and states that the apparent
absence of all restrictions with regard to
touching aud handling the coins, points
to the probability that it is not often open
to the. public but he remarks that even
if 1t were, the manners and customs OF
the country are such as would preclude a
mixed assemblage Of visitors from going
over it and remaining to the end. The
quantity Of silver being coined daily at
the beginning of this year was 50,00O
) momme, which at the rate of % monme,
to the ichibus would give a daily total is
sue Of over 81 600 bus, or about G1 500
The whole of these coins are produced by
the sip pleSt manual labor, unaided by a
single piece Of machinery - echan,c's
tMagdzine.
nA.- Little deeds, like little seeds, grow