The Russellville Democrat., 1876-05-04
Home and Farm
Silver Coin.

The prospect of an early return to the use of silver coin for ex change in small transactions, make the following statement in regard to silver coin. and the sup ply of that metal interesting:
 In 1873 the coinage acts were consolidated and revised. The standard of gold and silver coins is fixed at nine -tenths fincncss. The gold dollar is declared as the unlt of value, and its weight fixed at 25.S of ninetenths iineness. The other coins are q quarter and d half an eagle, a double eagle and a three dollar peicc, all gold. These are made legal tender to any amount. The silver coins are q trade dollar weighing 40 grains; a half dollar weighing 1929 grains, with twenty-five, twenty and ten cent pieces, of weight proportioDate to the half dollar. These are q legal tender in any sum not exceeding five dollars in one payment. The weight of the American half dol lar is half that of the five franc silver piece of France, Belgium and Switzerland, of the fivc-lire silver coin of Itally, and oftEe same weight as the new silver torin of Austria. The bill just passed by the house of rcpresen tatiyes, and now pending in the senate, makes the silver dollars legal tender to the amount of fifty dollars, and the half and other smaller silver coins a legal tender to the amount of twenty five, in any one payment.
 At present the law makes gold a legal tender fer any amount; national treasury notes q legal tender for any amount, except where stipulated in the contract; silver coins legal tender to the amount of five dollars; fractional currency is receivable in cX change for postage or revenue stamps and other dues to the Uni- ted States, in sums not exceeding five dollars; nickle and copper coins legal tender to the amount of twenty five cents.
 The causes of the decline in the value of silver are, first, the immerse productions and disc0y- cries of the III tll, and second, the demonctIzati Il of silver by nearly all the countries of the world, but more especially Germany. Silver was until within d short period a q legal tender in all the states of Europe except England, and in some of them as in Germany, the standard of values. Twenty years ago the coinage of France was al most exclusively ln silver The discovery of gold in Australia, following that in California, un- settled the relations of silver and gold. The commercial value of gold in silver was reduced, while the coin value continued. The result was an immense gold coin age, which to q large extent eX pelled silver, and gold coin took the place of silver, which found it's way to the east. Germany had an immense silver colHagc, which since the war has been demonetiz ed and gold made the legal stand ard. Germany has silver to sell. France, Belgium, Italy and Swift zerland have agreed to limit their silver coinage to certain amount annually, preparing to exclude it altogether as legal tender. Ja pan has discarded silver, as has Holland. China will be forced to do the same thing India has been the great ultimate receiver of silver, but India has a surfeit of it. It has declined 50 seriously and is exchangeable for gold at such heavy discount as compar ed with previous rates, that it is no longer received thc:c except as bullion. Russia must eventually adopt the gold standard, as Aus tria is preparing to do. In com parative brief time, silver will cease to be legal tender in all parts of the world. It will serve in small amounts as a token of currency, but Tn other respects be merchandise. In the meantime the production of silver is excess iye-without precedent in the his tory of the world-and this pro duction promises to continue for an indefinate time.