The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-04
1em Orleans Montp Marhtt.
CRzscxNf OTTIoE. No. u CAN'T sfxHxf,
Wednesday Evening. March s. 1853.

the money market. Gold opened AZ new 1ork
this morning ct 1924. against 49, the closing rate
yesterday. At 1890 it was 1929; at IL NJ. 1872; and
at P. M it closed at 1871. Sales in this market
have been very light and were almost exclusively
restricted to purchases for the payment OF duties,
while rates have uniformly varied in accord
snce with the fluctuations in prices in New York.
We append particulars of the actual operations
ssfollows,vz: $40 900 ayl32i; $4,000 $4,000, $4,000,
$40 600. $40 600 at 1921 SIS goo at 1872 $1,000
at 1924 to 1873; $4,000, $1,000 and $40 900 at
1873, closing at 1872 9l32s.
r In silver we note the sale Of $500 American
half dollars at $50. ug-f- aeH.fal ..ls.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE The instability of the
New York Gold and Bill market still tends 10 IN.
ing prices change almost on receipt Of every tele-
graphic dispatch received. The Offering supply
Of commercial is Of very restricted character.
however, and the remittance demand cannot be
regarded as much better than nominal, although
rates indicate decidedly upward tendency. The
following comprise the total purchases to-day,
viz A9s000 commercial Sterling at l43; $1,000
bill ladipg do. at-1434,- and rs ,000f. private
bankers Francs at 1924. We quote bank Sterling
at l43l@l444, commercial do. at l42l0l43b
bank Francs at 3.9339S.923. and commercial do.
at 3.974@3.964 - -
DoMEsTIc ExcHANGE-The tendency of rates Of
domestic is still in favor Of drawers and sellers
offerings of commercial sight and ehort sight ex
hibit no increase whatever, while the inquiry on
the part Of remitters is fast becoming active and
general. The following statement includes most
of the purchases by banks and bankers during
the day, viz: $4,000 and $4,000 sight on New
York at par; $1,000 do at premium; t25 600 and
$50, 600 do. at g. l6 premium; $l5 600. $4,000 and
100000 do. at premium; $4,000 sight on Pitts.
burg payable at New York at par. We quote
bank sight on New York at 3 premium; CONNER.
cial do. at t@4 premium. II r..r.r-.
UNCURRKNr NOTES AND BECURITIEs-Transac-
tioDs under the above heading show but little II
any alteration. The market is fairly supplied and
the demand is steady, especially for the better
descriptions. Asking rates of most classes still
tend upward, however, and some buyers stand on,
under the conviction that prices are already too
| high TO admit of much prospective profit. We an.
mex the total sales to day. follows, viz: $4,000
! city ten per cents at So; $1,000 metropolitan po-
lice warrants at SAL, $40 900 do at Sc, $1,000 State
warrants at Sc, $4,000 do. at s6@s64. $1,000 do. at
So, $4,000 and $4,000 six per cent. levee bonds
| at IL.
Messrs. C. E. Grsrdey & Co.,sold at auction to.
day 1000 shares 0pelousas Railroad stock at 81
| y share.
SPECIAL DIsPATCHEs.-We are indebted TO the
Western Union Telegraph Line for copies Of the
| following private dispatches received rom tnat
Te,o York, March 8, IOA.M.-Gold opened at
| 1924. l0:30A. M.-Gold 1923. Cotton market dull.
| Prices unchanged. Sterling l09l0l092 IL NJ
Gold 1872. Cotton market dull and nominal.
Sterling steady. 3 P. M.-Gold closed at Isl ]:
| Cotton market dull and unchanged; sales $500
bales middling 294c.; Mobile 294c.; Orleans
! 292c. Sterling steady.
| liverpool, March 8, 1l:l5 A. M.-Cotton market
frmer. Estu ated sales 5000 bales. Uplands d.;
i Orleans 1910. l:20 P Motion market frmer,
prices a shade better. not quotably higher. EST
| mated sales 5000 bales. P. M.-Cotton market
quiet and steady. Sales to-day 5000 bales.
| Prices unchanged.
| 5-20's Sl2. M.-Consols 92E. 520's Sls.
Hdrre March 3, A. M.-Cotton opens dull tres
ordinaire l41 low middling, ahoat l42. Evening
Cotton market closed frmer; tres ordlnaire l4l5
| low middliDg unchanged.
| THE UNIrKp STATES MINT.-Mode of Assdying
and Testing Coins.-The following interesting de.
scription Of the method adopted in the United
States mint at Philadelphia of assayiug and test
| ing coins Is taken from the Bulletin Of that city,
| According to law, the standard gold of the
| United States is so constituted that in one thou
sand parts by weight nine hundred shall be OF
| pure gold, and one hundred of an alloy composed
| of copper and silver. The process OF assay re-
quires that the copper and silver be both entirely
removed from the gold, and TO effect this two
separate operations are necessary. The hrst Is
for the removal of the copper, and this e done by
the method called cupellation, which IS conducted
in en- assay furnace, in cupel composed Of cal
cined bones.
The separation of the silver from the gold il
| effected by process founded on the property
possessed By nitric acid Of dissolving silver, with
out acting upon gold. But that the gold may not
protect the silver from this action sufficient silver
must first be added 10 make it at least twothird.
| of the mass. The reserved gold coins are placed
| D black leao cr0clDle, anu CONeftu Win DOrdA
| 10 assist the luxiDg and to prevent oxidation Of
the copper alloy. They are thus melted dowr
| and stirred, by which complete mixture Is eject
ed, go that an assay piece may be taken from any
part of the bar cast out
and as the assay piece. II standard, should contain
600 thousandths of gold, there must be three time
this weight, or 200 thoussndths, of silver, ant
this is, accordingly, the quantity used.
The lead used for the cupellation 10 Kept pre-
cd in DteCeS.
should each weigh about ten times as much as thu
gold under assay. The lead 10 now rolled into tn
form Of a hollow cone, and into this are intro
duced the assay gold and the quartation silver
when The lead is closed round them and pressed
| into q ball. The furnace having been properl.
heated and the cupes placed into it, the leader
ball, with its contents, is put into one OF tn
| cupele, and the operation allowed to procee'
| until all agitation has ceased TO be observed il
the melted metal and its surface has become
bright. This is an indication that the whole o
the base metals have been converted into OXIDE
and absorbed by the cupel. The cupellatio
| being thus finished the metal is allowed to coo
slowly, and the disc or button which it forms
| detached from the cupel. The button is then fiat
tened by o hammer and rolled loosely into spirs
or cell, called q cornet. Ii Is now ready for tn
Produced into Q matrass containing about
ounces of nitric acid, at % degrees of Baume'
bydrometer; and In this acid 1t Is boiled for te
minutes. The acid is then poured of, and thres
L
Qrees, is substituted for it, in which the gold
boiled for ten minutes. This second acid is the
also poured of, and another equal charge OF aci
| of the same strength is introduced, in which tn
gold is kept for ten minutes longer. IL Is the
| presumed that the whole Of the silver has bee
removed, and the gold is taken out and washe
in pure water. Lastly, the cornet OF hne gol
thus formed 10 placed in the assay balance, an
the number of thoussndths which 1t weighs g,
presses the fneness Of the gold asssyed,
| ihousandths.
4 The silver and copper mayfboth be entirely di
solved In nitric acid aud II, to q solution thu
made, another of common SALT in water, be adde
the silver will be precipitated in the form OF
white powder, which 10 an insoluble Chord
while the copper will remain unaffected.
Now it has been sscertained that loo parts
weight of pure salt will convert into chloride
silver Just ls4.25 parts of pure silver. Cons
qusntly, the quantity Of salt necessary TO conve
!. into chloride 1000 parts Of silver 10 542.74,
found by the portion.
124.25: 100; 1000: 54274.
A standard solution Of salt is accordingly