The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-25

sSNyiour ana hau grams OF Tn
iour-tenths grains OF the halfeage, or flye-dol
| lar piece, one hundred and twenty nine grains
OF the eagle, or ten-dollar piece, two hundred
and ffty-eight grains of the double-eagle, o.
twenty-doilar piece, five hundred and sixteer
grains which coins shall be a legal tender in al
payments at their nominal value when not be
low the standard weight and limit of tolerance
| provided in this act for the single piece and
when reduced in weight, below said standard
and tolerance, shall be a legal tender at valua
tlon IN proportion to their actual weight; and
any gold coiu of the United States, if reduced in
| weight by natural abrasion not more than one
| half OF one centum below the standard weigh,
prescribed by law, after circulation of twenty
years, as shown by its date.of coinage, and at a
Iatitbie proportion for any period less than
twenty years. shall be received at their nominal
value by the United States treasury and its Off
GERS under such regulations as the Secretary Of
me treasury may prescribe for the protection OF
the government against fraudulent abrasion or
olner practices and any gold coins in the treas
ury of the United States reduced in weight be-
low this limit OF abrasion shall be recoined.
SEC. 10 That the silver coins of the United
States shall be trade-dolar, a half dollar, or
flity cent piece, quarter-dolar, or twenty-five
cent piece, a dime, or ten cent piece; and the
weight of the trade-dollar shall be four hundred
and twenty grains troy the weight of the half.
dollar shall be twelve grams grammes) and one
nall OF gram, (gramme) the quarter-dollar
anu me dime shall be, respectively, one-half and
one,fifth of the weight OF said halfdollars; and
SAD CONS shall be a legal tender at their nomi-
hal value for any amount not exceeding five dol
lars IN any one payment.
SEC. Is That the minor coins of the United
States shall be a five-cent piece, three.cent
piece, and one-cent piece, and the alloy for the
HYe and three cent pieces shall be of copper and
nickel, to be composed of three-fourths copper
and one-fourth nickel, and the alloy of the one
cent piece shall be ninetyflve per centum of cop
per and five per centum of tin and zinc, in such
proportions as shall be dete rmined by the Drec-
tor of the Mint. The weight of the piece of five
cents Shall be soypntV siyta hun-
dreths grains troy Of the three cent piece,
thirty grains; and of the one. cent piece, forty
eight grains which coins shall be legal tender,
at their nominal value, for any amount not
exceeding twenty-five cents in any one
payment.
SEo.7. That no coins, either of gold, silver
or minor coinage, shall hereafter be issued from
the mint other than those of the denominations
standards, and weights herein set forth.
SIC, Is. That upon the coins of the United
States there shall be the following devices and
legends Upon one side there shall be an i'm.
preston emblematic of liberty. with an inscrip-
ton of the word Liberty" and the year OF the
coinage, and upon the reverse shall be the figure
or representation Of an eagle, with the inscrip-
tions United States of America" and "E Pluri-
bus Unum,n and a designation of the value of
the coin; but on the gold dollar and three-dollar
the figure of the eagle shall be omitted and on
the reverse OF the silver trade-dollar the weight
and the ffneness OF the coin shall be inscribed
and the Director of the Mint, with the approval
VI
motto In God we trust' to be inscribed upon
such coins as shall Admit of such motto and
any one of the reyoing Inscriptions may be
on the rim of the gold and silver coins.
SEC. 10. That at the option of the owner,
gold or silver may be cast into bars of fine metal
or OF standard fneness or impaired, as he may
prefer, with stamp upon the same designa-
Ting the weight and fneness, and with such
devices impressed thereon as may be deemed
expedient to prevent fraudulent imitation, and
no such bars shall be issued of a less weight
than five ounces.
Sec. 90 That any owner of gold bullion may
deposit the same at any mint, TO be formed
into coin or bars for his benefit but it shall
be lawful to refuse any deposi. of less value
than one hundred dollars, or any bullion so
based as to be unsuitable for the operations
of the mint; and when gold and silver are
combined, il either metal be in such small
that it cannotIbe separated advanta-
geously, no allowance shall be made to the
depositor for its value.
SEC. 81. That any owner OF silver bullion
formed into bars, or into dollars of the weight.
of four hundred and twenty grains, troy,
designated in this act as trade dollars, and
no deposit of silver for other coinage shall
be received; but silver bullion contained in
gold deposits, and separated therefrom, may
he paid for in silver coin, at such valuati on
as may be. from time to time established by
the Director of the Mint.
SEC. %. That when bullion is deposited in
any of the mints, it shall be weighed by
the super intendent, and, when practicable, in
the presence snn,, s Of the depositor to whom
description and weight of the bullion but
when the bullion is in such a state as to re-
quire melting, or the removal of base metals,
before its value can be ascertained, the weight,
after such operation, shall be considered as
the true weight of the bullion deposited The
fitness of the bullion to be received shall be
determined by the assayer, and the mode of
melting by the meter and refiner
SEC. 80 That from every parcel of the
bullion deposited for coinage or bars the SUPER
Intendent shall deliver to the assayer suffi-
Gent portion for The purpose of being assayed
but all such bullion remaining from the opera
tions of the assay shall be returned to The
superintendent by the assayer.
SEQ. "a. That the assayer shall report to
the superintendent the quality or flneness of
the bullion assayed by him, and such inforIna-
tion as will enable him TO compute the amount
of the charges hereinafter provided for TO be
made to the deposition.
SEC. %. That The charge for converting stand
ard gold bullion into coin shall be ene-fifth of
one per centum; and the charges for con-
verting standard silver into trade dollars, for
melting and refining when bullion is below
standard, for toughening when metals are
contained in it which render 1t unfit for coinage,
for copper used for alloy when the bullion is
be low standard, for separating the gold and
silver when these metals exist together in The
bullion, and for the preparation of bars, shall
be fixed, from time to time, by the director, with
the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury,
so as to equal but not exceed, in their Judgment
the actual average cost to each mint and assay
office of the material, labor, wasage, and use of
machinery employed in each of the cases afore-
mentioned
SEC &c. That the assayer shall verify all
calculations made by the superintendent of the
value of deposits, and, If satisfied of the correct
ness thereof shall counrersgn the certificate re-
auired to be given by the superintendent to the
depositor
SEC. 81 That in order to procure bullion for
the silver coinage authorized by this act the
superintendent, with the approval of the
Director OF the Mint, as to price, terms, and
quantity, shall purchase such bullion with the
bullion-fund. The gain arising from the coinag,
of such silver bullion into coin of a nominal
value exceeding the cost thereof shall be cred
tied to special fund denominated the silver
profit fund. This fund shall be charged with
the wastage incurred in the silver coinage, and
with the expense of dis tributing said coins as
hereinafter provided. The balance to the credit
of this fund shall be from time TO time, and at
least twice year, paid into the treasury OF the
United States.
SEC. o. That silver coins other than the
trade-dollar shall DO paid out of the several
miats, and at the assay office in New York City,
in exchange for gold coins at par, in sums not
less than one hundred dollars and it shall be
lawful, also, to transmit parcels of the same.
from time TO time to the assistant treasulers,
depositaries, and other officers of the United
States. under general regulations proposed by
the Director of the Mint, and approval by the
Secretary of the Treasury but nothing herein
contained shall prevent the payment of silver
coins, at their nominal. value, for silver parted
from gold, as proved in this act, or for change
less than one dollar in settlement for gold de-
deposits: Provided, That for two years after
the passage Of this act silver coins shall pc paid
at the mint in Philadelphia and the assay office
in New York city for silver bullion purchased
for coinage, under such regulations as May be
proved by the Secretary of the Treasury.
SEC 90. That for the purchase Of metal for