Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-02-07

StFuek-SOme OF the Provisions OF
sac Coinage Act of 1873.
4 plan for an American coinage was
submitted to Congress in January 1882,
and the establishment of mint was ap-
proveds in February following. In 1855
Congress adopted the plan of national
coinage, and in 1856 decided upon the
names and characters of the coins: the
gold coins were to be eagles and half
eagles, the silver coins dollar, half
dollar, double-dime and dime, and the
copper coins cent and half cent. In
October of the aforementioned year an or
dinance for the establishment of mint
was framed, and during the following
year, by authority of Congress, three
hundred tons of copper coin of the fede-
raj standard y was contracted for. This
coinage, it is stated, was executed at the
New Haven mint in Connecticut and the
Vermont mint at Rupert. IThose mints
were State institutions The coins of
this emission is described as follows: On
one side there are thirteen small circles
linked together, forming large circle
in the middle a small circle, with the
words ".United States - around it, and
sfWe are one'' in the center; on the other
side sun-dial, with g Fugio'' on the left
and 1887 on the right-the sun above and
the legend 'tMind your business beneath
the dial. 1t is said there are two types of
this coinage, one of them presenting a
plain field inside the thirteen circles, the
other having the name of one of the States
inside the same. The coin of this mint
age is styled by some the first United
States cent, by others the Franklin penny.
During 1871 and 1892 there were, by
authority, several pattern or trial pieces
struck; but as they bore the effigY or bust
of Washington, &C in imitation of royal
emissions they encountered our first
Presidents disapproval, and were there
fore rejected and the dies destroyed. A
goodly number of them, however, were
circulated.
By act of Congress, April I'd, 1892, the
'' Mint of the United States - was estab-
lished at Philadelphia, then the seat of
government. 1t was provided by that act
that the money of account should be
expressed in dollars or units, dimes or
tenths, cents or hundredths, and mills or
thousandths; and that all accounts in the
public offices, or proceedings in the courts
of the United States, should be kept and
had in conformity herewith
Until 1885 there was but one mint, that
at Philadelphia. In that year branches
We're established at Charlotte, N. c., Dah-
lonega, Ga, and New Orleans, La, that
being at the time the gold-producing sec
ton. Since then mints have been estab-
lished at San Francisco, CAL, Carson,
New, and Denver, Colo.
Copper coins were first issued by the
mint of the United States in 1898, silver in
1874, and gold in 1875. The mintage of
minor coins GALL other than gold and sill
ver) is confined by law to the mint at
Philadelphia. It is also provided by law
that the engraver, at that mint, shall pre-
pare for the several mints all dies author
lied for coinage purposes, and that the
diverse wOrking-dies at each mint shall
be defaced and destroyed at the end OF
each calendar year. The coins struck al
the several mints, except those minted al
Philadelphia, bear the letter (mint-mark,
of the mint where coined.
The cent has been regularly coined every
year since first issued, 1898, excepting in
1915, which omission, it is stated, was
''occasioned by the European agents MOI
sending forward copper in time for coin
age uses that year, Half cents were
regularly issued from 1896 till 1911 inclu.
sive, excepting for the years 179S, 1895
and 1901. After 1911 none were coinet
till 1925; but from that year till 1856
(when their coinage and that of the larg,
copper cent was discontinued) they wert
regularly minted, excepting for the years
1927, 1880, 1897 and 1889. From 1910
however, till 184S inclusive, and 1852
only trial or pattern pieces are said t,
have been struck.
Silver dollars were coined from 1894 t,
1905 inclusive, after which date none wer
struck till 1886; but since then they hav
been regularly minted, excepting in 1897
Half-dollars have been regularly coine,
| since 1894, excepting for the years 1898
1893 and 1900. Quarter-dollars were frs
{ issued in 1876. After the coinage of 179
[ none were minted till 1904; and after thei
, emission for the three years following
none were struck till 1915, since whic
Z time they have been regularly minted, eE
cepting for the years 1877, 1926, 1929 an
e 1880. Dimes were regularly coined froT
/ / 1896 to 1914 inclusive, excepting in 1895
e 1906, 1903, 1912 and 1913. After the coin
a age of 1914 none were minted till 182C
since which year they have been regular
e 1y struck, excepting in 1926. Half-dime
f were regularly coined from 1874 to 1SC
= inclusive, excepting in 1898, 1899 and 1S0-
# After the mintage of 1905 none wei
# coined TIL 1929, from which time till 49,
d (when their coinage was discontinued
l. they were regularly struck. The coinae
Y of the silver three-cent piece was ali
a discontinued in 1873. 1t had been reg
:, larly minted from 1850 till that date.
a twenty-cent piece was added to the silv,
to series in 1875, and has been regular
e coined since then. The silver dollar
Of 41215 grains was abolished in 1873, wh'
" the coinage of the 'Ftrade-dollar," weig
in 420 grains, was authorized. From tt
T., date of its first coinage, 1894, (when al
" until 1887 it weighed 416 grains,) the s
ic yer dollar was legal-tender equal wi
of gold; but though increased in weight
r stated, it was, by the act of 1873, shorn
re its legal-tender quality, sin any one pa
mt ment,'' for any amount exceeding fl
a dollars. The Director of the Mint, in
!, annual report to the Secretary of
le Treasury for 1878, says; 1.-THE coina
act, in effect, abolished the silver dollar
41215 grains troy, (37114 grains pure $
ver,) and declared the gold dollar of q
IN grains, nine tenths fine, (23.22 graf
of pure gold,) the unit of value, and til
ld legally established gold as the standard