, 1876-04-04

fGsofHlS u tTcuLE HAAFH WHICH Ito now 10r
thc grst time. can carry ous, We wish Him
every Sheccgs.
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AMERICAN Silver COINS.
Tho nilycr coinage of Tho United States is
rapidly becoming complicated. It's history
Is interesting. Tho first pan for national
coinagc was that Of RouERT mud douvEnSEun
hlonRls in 1882. But III 178c tho Congress
OF the Confederation adopted syssom Of
national coinage prepared by Mr. JEFrEHsoH.
This act designated tho names to bo given to
tho coins md liked The weights aud fineness
Of each coin. The eagle or $40 piece was to
contain 24cl grains Of fine gold; dollar was
to contain 375a grains Of fine silver. Tho
smaller coins were to have proportionato
weights OF gold or silver. Tho proportion
was about l to 1o. It was not, how
ever, until after the organization Of tho
Union that the coinage received attention.
In l792 laws wero enacted for tho eatao-
lishmens OF mint, mud tho weight
Of the eagle was hxod at 80 grains
Of tho hneness Of o1G'1o00, and tho
dollar to contain 4l0 grains, tho hno-
ness to be LASS parts silver in total OF l,G6a.
The cont WINS to have 2G4 grains Of copper.
A year Inter the cent was reduced to 2o9
grains. and In a7ee tho weight Of tho cent
was further reduced TO lo8 grains. Tho
COLLAR was maae tue unit OF Federal money,
and with the gold and silver coinage Wero
mado legaf-tendera. In 1854 the weight OF
the eagie was reduced from 210 to 258 grains,
and tho degree Of fincucss changed to $40.
Tho want OF uniformity IN tho dogree OF hne-
ness OF the American coins. and that IN This
respect they differed from the coins of other
countries, resulted In 1897 In tho enactment
OF other laws prepared by tho then Director
OF the Alint, hlr, Il. hl. PATTERSON. By this
law the standard Of hnenesa for both silver
and gold eoins was fixed at ooo-1000. Tho
weight OF the silver dollar was reduced to
4l2t grains. The minor coipB wero OF pro-
/ porttonato weight with tho silver dollar and
tue gold eag'e. subsequently provision "aa
made Tor tie colnage OF VI and 95 gold
pieces and 3-cont silver coin.
IN 1893 WIS enacted tho grent change in
the silver coinage OF the United states. Tho
American silver coinage had greater value
aa bullion than they had as coins, and, coa-
seqnentlyt were gathered up and exported,
and the United States were flooded with tho
worn, dofacod, and debased ooins OF other
countries, especinlly Of spain, which were In
general use. 10 remedy this, and to stop
tho expectation OF silver, Congress- in 1853,
enacted that the hneness OF inc silver coin
snou.a re'na,n az ooo,tooo' anu tho "e1ent OF
the suses oona1 8noo'u foma'n ~ 4ls3 grams ;
tne "eignt OF Inc nal1-aona1 snoula DO 10
ouceu IRON zoo{ 70 LUZ efalns' ana Of tne
enhuof col'S III .ke p1opos'3on' t1es1ous 70
.nas 1l-ae tae n,aus naa 'u~ays " c".teo sllset
AK Wy po,eon uspoals'ns .1e oaAlon; cosa"
ase 4ot lnou'4aulas -, "as' w 'no W. " 1ooo'
s1oppeu' 1no oose,nnent .eecl''n8 .ae
He'sn'otaso VI plont os'ween .t .ne 'uuo u 'no
me.at ana '!e saue u 'ne co'l'' ~nlsn was
lnen etun TO aoous o per cont oolo ana
4.se, .nan ssooo ~ wv .els@.oa u ~ 10 =
~ loo'- e'tsof ",es "os.n VIZ pes ouaee 60
III eolo' a'o taneeu 15o'n .na' saso up 10 va
p.t ouaeo unsIl u 4a'o, "n'n ~ l.s sA1uo naS oo'
" s0o s'e.n4ty u ~i'oo pei oaaoe'
".eu aus.t Nv @.'Sr o., ~ re- 1unse' % ~ uosetn'
sAt p4oaa'ee @4u IL 4tf't1 ooi'1is or l.e
J.nss slnal1 'oaS %, . 0..''l ~ ~ ~" sellne ~
Aou o.,. ~ ~ -, % ~ ronoo pci oua's, ~ VI
s's .a5o a,o!* 80, Isao1m ,.onsy. -.
NV " 4ooo aee.1tea .ua1 .no n~1 1,aona6s ;, uno
o'ue, 4iae.4on1a puts VI 1no Sitser aotaR y,
au'u1o ~ loness w 'oeal-'enaer neyono 'as
sun oi @o' inoy naa previously oeen
Assa''oaaes 4of A'1s "'nouns' ...
In 1873 the coinage acts were again con
so'ldated and revised. The standard OF golt
and SILVER COINS Is liked at o-lo hneness. Ill
gold dollar fs declared as tho unit OF valuc
and its weight fixed ut 25.8 grains Of I'LL
hneness. The other coins arc quarter ant
haH OF IN eagle, double eagle' and three
aouaf piece, all OF gold Iheso azo made
legA'tender to any amount. The silSe
COINS afo " trade dolar' Weighing Az
Fainsi . half-do!lar' weighing lp@''
eralns' with 70 ", aud ~ cent pieee
OF weight proporttonAte to the hnlf