The New York herald., 1871-12-04
LlcaT AID IMPERFECT COIN.
IRON the New orleans rimes, Nov. 3!

from the New Orleans Times, Nov. 2s.l
Having been apprised tnat there had been some
correspondence between Messrs. Townsend Lyman
4 Co, bankers and brokers, and Mr.. Charles Cln.
ton United States Assistant Treasurer at this port
relative to the rejection by Custom House officers
Of slightly worn and imperfect United States coin,
we applied to Mr.. Clinton for information on the
subject, when he kindly submitted to US the follow.
ing &T9G4NIA sN 6eNNG El
CHARLES CLINTON ESQ.,, Assistant Treasurer, united
States, New Orleans:-
DEAR sIR-In our sales Of coin recently we have
experienced great annoyance by the return to Us
from buyers OF slightly worn CONS, which, we are
Informed by the Custom House Oriicers, rejected
slgnty discOl0red or covered more or less with
rust are rejected both bv our banks and the Custom
House Tor similar reasons. For SO long these
CONS have been lnterchanged without trouble mat
new order or things calls for some ex lanauon
% rom y0ur once, IN order to satisfy the business
mutliated nave been Tor years commonly rejec ed,
but those 70 which we refer are pieces which,
tlon-liave slightly lost In weight. The rusty and
discolored coins, we understand, are rejected
loss In weight value. More recently we have nad
several coins returned TO US Perfect in appearance,
cianed to ne short" These Aw we nave nave examined
carefully, ana are convinced that II the weight IS
wrong; as IL appears 10 be, the mint winch Issued
inc coin Is AZ lanit In such case, where the coin
pears no evidence OF having been tampered witn
aud ~ NOT worn, can the Treasury department.
properly dlsown ITS own cnild7 Again. where appa-
renty no provision is made for retirement OF worn
or dlscOlored coins, Or rather, no effort made by
the general government to retire such upon nrst
appearance Of wear, ought the general government
through It's Treasury olccrs TO refuse them for du.
ties from the people, VINO arc holders upon the fa III
OF the gcvernment stamp, and who may, six months
ago. nave received them IN the same condition from
the government itselfs Please throw some light
upon TINS matter and answer for US the many COM
pants made daily al our counter and Oblge, very
respectfully your obedent servants,
TOWNSEND, LYMAN h co.
tHaN. UNITED STATES TREASURY,
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. l5 1871.
Messrs. TOWNSEND, LYMAN 4 Co., New Orleans
GENrLEMEN-I have received your letter OF the
4th inst In relation to recent rejectlons OF light
rusty ana dscolored coin by me customs officers OF
this porG for The alleged reason tnat this olce de-
clines 10 receive such coin from them. AS IL mas
peen ior years aad still is the acknowledged custom
nluiilated either by punching. soldering.
hllng or sweating, your reference 70 sucn
CARA TO genuine CONS when have become
light through ordinary wear in handling. ! would
STATE that this office does not REJECT Tor Slight loss
as you seem 10 believe unless the loss OF from
TO three per cent on the lace value OF the
having oeen tampered with, anu do not show a loss
III weight OF more tnan per cent are received as
current and this standard Will exclude but very
lew coins Which have not been reduced Dy some un-
lawful means, such as turning, hling or sweating.
The appearance OF coin after having been submitted
70 the sweating process, being so very similar TO
that Oflegltmately coin. 1t becomes necessary
TO exclude such coin when 1t shall iail below GER
tam standard therefore the weight test becomes an
important one In determining the value OF all coin.
AS The law does not define how much coin
may lose IN wclsht aud slill be legal tender Tor
the value expressed upon It's iace-whch from
the nature OF the case Il very difficult problem
70 solve, inasmuch as any speclIied allowance
might and PROBABLY wOud. simulate unlawl III
pracJces IN the debasement or new and full weight
com, and as each Treasury Office Is IN \ measure
responsible for Its own transactions the above limit
mas been fixed as at once Inc most just and eqll-
aoie Of any that can De established between The
issues Of COIN In Relation to iscolored and rusty
coins, would say there can be no question as TO
the propriety and justice OF rejecting Them un-
merchantaOle, thus placing the expense uf clean
lhs them and OF any loss incident thereto upon
those who have been the cause OF such deacelnent.
For instance II. for the sake OF safety, United
States coin is buried and thereby becomes dscol-
Ored Dy rust cOrrOsi0n, or IT, for the sake oil de-
basement experiment or other reason, 1t Is ex.
posed the acids ana thereby It's appear.
ance Is changed, see no reason why the govern
cannn snco,o AZ s own expense clean sucn coin
COINS found To be considerably light, although ap-
In that condition, and think YOU nave puI to ac
quaint yourselves with the many effective means
there used TO detect even the slightest variation In
the weight OF any single piece or Dox oil pieces 10
dispel anJ such impression YOU may now have. BY
law an allowance OF one-half grain labout cenrsj
Is made Tor variation IN the issue OF double eagles
and eagles and OF Oncquarter gram In the Issue or
pieces and venture lhc assertion that never viii
greater deviation from the standard weight ne found
Ia new coln Trusting II WIN appear TO you that
tRs Office ana Will, lar IL consistently cam
adopt such shall test the interests
OF the government aud this community, aud al the
HHH CHARLES CLINTON,
Assistant Treasurer United States. :.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT., 1.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. q, ISL
SIR-YOurs OF the 18th instant In reply to that of
Messrs. Townsend. Lyman y Co., on the subject OF
sa S %a 10 ane me-
terfeit and such OF the light ana deaced coin as
owes ITS elimination or deacement to fillng, sweat
vnn IN ~ vSta ata
thai there can be no question to the right or pro-
pricty OF the government 10 refuse to receive It. As
W such OF the light and deiaced coin, however, as
owes Its diminutlOn or delacement to natural wear
during the process OF prolonged circulation, the
government Is bound BY any principle OF law or
justice to redeem It, regardless OF the extent OF
y k0oW 0a as Is 'as @ ana as
Assistant Treasurer at New YORK CITY, through whose
office the bulk OF our coinage passes, to reject
coin, however light IT the d1mlnutl0n Is the result
OF natural wear and use; in some of the other lnIe-
pendent Treasury oifices different practice has
obtained, but NO general rule on the suJect has
yet been adopted and the DrepOnderance OF the
evidence as 10 past practice seems 10 be in favor Of
ever, SO much light com mas made its appearance
ana been presented to our independent treasury
officers, anu the loss resulting from Its recolnage
has been SO great, wnle the practice OF sweating
anu that OF fling and rereedlnR tile periphery, have
been reduced to such q science as TO almost defy
detection, that different and general rule seems
to be demanded both for the purpose Of purifying
Our coin circulation aud for the protection OF the
An nyestgas0a r Q, rna sGe ms laws Oh
onstratc that they have by law fixed limit, be-
yond which no allowance Is made for natural aDra.
sion, ana cann0t doubt That among some at least
OF these Powers the subject was lully considered
with view to the justice OF the limit prescribed.
both to the government ana the private citizen,
Moreover, believe Congress would long since have
made o similar provision II the subject mad been
properly brought before It, This propose to 90 at
lis coming session. The intmation on the part OF
Mess s. Townsend, Lyman Go. that some OF the
coins in question must have been light a. the time
OF their coinage, or mat the mint at which thev
were coined Is responsible for their hgnt weight, Is
untcnable as the law provides ample and sufficient
safeguards for tho speedy detection and punish
ment OF the coming aud issuing by officers or the
Mint or any OF its branches oi any light pieces.
SuppOsinQ, then, tnat all the United states
colnage Is originally Of standard weignt
may not the department win equal
propriety prescribe regulations for its re-
ceptlon and redemption, as IL now does for the
reception and redemption OF It's currency. Ii has
long since been q rule 10 deduct prOpOrtlonate
amount from badly mutilatcd notes, and VINO ques.
uons elmer the prOpriety the right These Tcgu-
t<<s., mn .atN VA~