The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-08-16
HOW MONEY Is MADE.
4 Visit to II United States lflnt.--TurnlnE
Ont the yellow lioys.


refined aud assayed, the gold is turned
over to the meter and rofiner to be made
into ingots. Copper is used rs alloy in
the proportion Of nine Of gold to one OF
copper, the standard Of American coin
being 900 fine. To ascertain the amount
Of copper to bc added, the gross weight
is multiplied by tho hncness OF the gold
and divided by 900, which gives the
number Of standard ounces, or in other
words, what it would weigh is 900 fine.
Tho difference between the gross and
standard weightsis the amount of copper
to be added. The "melts," as they are
then termed, are sent to the ingot fur.
naces whore they Nro melted md run
into ingot molds, where the metal hard.
ems instantly. The iDgots are then
plunged into a picklc-tub containing n
solution of sulphuric acid which removes
tho impurities on the surface, and a
triiling proportion of copper. The first
and last ignots in each melt, which are
reserved for assaying, are chippcd mt
either end before picking. From the
pickle the ingots are cooled in tank Of
water. At one end OF each ingot is n
hollow place like that OF n glass bottle
caused by the mir in the bottom OF the
mold, and this end is topped of i'll ma
chine. The bars arc then fled to re-
move tho rough edges, and each "melt''
is placed i'll separate box and goes to
the weighing room, aud is weighed. A
"mclt" Of gold contains about 1850
ounces, and OF silver about 1000.
The ingots, when ready for the coincr,
arc for so gold pieces twelve and one
half inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, and one and one-lalf inch thick;
for eagles, half and quarter eagles, for
half dollars, dimes, ETC., the bars vary
according to the size md thickness OF
the coin. The coincr takes these ingots,
or bars, and runs them between two
heavy cylinders, which leduccs tho
large gold and silver bars to strips three
Nnd one-half feet long, ono md onc-half
inches wide, and one fourth Of M thick.
They are then taken to the annealing
furnace, and placed in long copper pipes
and heated to cherry color, then cooled
i'll tank Of water, then broken down
again, and their length materially in
creased ut tho expense of their thickness.
Again they aro annealed, then creased
or waxed, and nre finally ready to be
punched out Thclong strips arepassed
into q machine which cuts out of the
band OF gold and silver blanks tho size
of the coin desired. These may be do.
scribcd MS gunwads, since the manner of
cutting them is so similar. Tho machine
is very powerful one, and punches out
the blank coins as easily rs shoemaker
uses his punch. One machine can cut
about 10000 pieces day. The blanks
arc then turned over to room full OF
women, who adjust tho weight. Each
woman sits before n small scale into
which each piece is placed. The scale
weighs to the thousandth part OF M
ounce. II tho piece is too heavy the
woman files it little; If too light she
rejects it, and it is remeltcd. Each
woman wears Il leather apron into which
the filings so, and they aro thus saved.
When thu blanks are adjusted to the
proper weight they go to the milling
machine. Tho milling does not, as gem
orally supposed, consist in corrugating
the cdgc OF n coin like file, but in rails.
ing the edge on the two sides Of coin.
This is done by passing it through
very ingenious machine, and the gun
wad is still smooth on its edge and sur
faces, with raised limo on each side
bordering its edge. Againit is annealcd
to make it soft and mallcablc, for other
wise it would be brittleand fly to pieces.
Only one process is now left to com.
plcte the coin, and this need take only
a moment to describe. The finishing is
done by one machine, which seems to
me the perfection OF mechanism. It is
called the coming press, and there are
six OF them i'll ono room. One is unusu-
ally handsome in appearance and i'm.
mGnsc in size. 1t is used exclusively on
double eagles, and happened to be Mt
work. With ono motion of the machine
the coin was struck on both sides and the
file edge placed around it, and 50 per.
feet is its working, that tho only sound
heard was the clicking and iingling Of
the perfect coin rs they fell, about sixty
Il minute, into the sheet iron box be-
meath. It's motions are not unlike those
of IL printing press, but its power may
be imagined when it is contrastcd with
the latter, which prints on paper while
the former cmbosses on metal. The
blank coins are placed in an upright
tube connected with theprcss. and apair
OF agile iron fingers slip ono coin ut n
time from the bottom and push it under
the stamp which contains the die for one
side of the coin, the reverse being on
the "bed." The lever comes down with
IL force that would crush railroad iron,
and yet without noise, and the same
agile fingers that push the blank coin
under the stamp push the finished COIN
ont. The press weighs $4,000 pounds,
and cost n dollar for every pound. Its
name is Ajax. When the coin is finish
ed, it is delivered to the treasurer in
bulk, uucomtcd. 1t is, however, weigh
ed, and has to be accurate to the weight
of grain. The coin is net counted I'M.
til it il paid out over the counter. The
deliveries to the treasurer are termed
drafts, aud after weighing each draft it
it put in n canvas sack by itself and
slowed away in the trcasurer's vault, to
bC paid out on checks and find its way
into circulation through the various
channels of finance and trade.