The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-04-18
MAKING SILVER OOLlARS.
J. p. ILSEY.
President.

| Silver is sent from the assay Office
to the Philadelphia mine pure, OF 800
| fine, which is about us pure rs silver
can be. 1t is sent in large bars, and,
when received at the mint is melted
and alleged with copper. Coin silver
| is 900 fine. After being melted and
alleged, the metals is cast into ingots,
which are simply bars of a convenient
size for handling. The metal is then
assayed, to determine whether 1t is
of the standard fneneSS. Assaying
is done by what is known as the dry
or humid process. Samples for assay
are taken while the silver is ina fused
condition, and two assays are made OF
every specimen. The silver ingotS
then 60 to the coiner. They are first
rolled into strips, and as the rolling
process is apt to make the metal brit
al it is annealed to soften it. Silver
is annealed simply by heating in an
open wood fire, and then being allow
ed to cool gradually. The silver dol
lar strips are passed through the rolls
nine Or ten times before the first an
healing and four or five times after
ward. After the last anneallng the
strips are run through cutters which
divide them into drafts OF the proper
| thickness for the coins; and these, in
their turn, are run through a steam
punching machine which cuts planch-
cts the proper size for the com.
From $50 to 240 are cut In Il minute.
AS the metal gets greasy during this
process the planchetS are then dipped
INTO bath of diluted Sulphurlc acid,
which is too weak to act upon the sur
face but effectually removes all for
eign matter. The planchets are then
adjusted; that is to say, they are care
fully weighed, and all that are lacking
in weight are cast aside; such pieces
are called "lights,' and the "heav-
les" are the pieces which weigh too
much and are filed off. The adjusting
is done by women. 1t process which
requires much delicacy, and scales are
used which are sensitive to One-slXty-
fourth of Il grain.
After she adjusting is finished, the
next operation is milling which is
done with Il curious sort of machine.
The edges of the coin are thrown up
and grooved by the process. After
another cleaning with sulphuric ACID
the coins are ready for the die, both
sides of the coin are stamped at the
same time. The dies are cylindrical
blocks of steel upon which are carved
the designs to be transferred by pres
sure to the coins. Arts of a high or
der as well as fine mechanism is con-
spicuous in this part of the coming
process. The designer. i'll the case
of the new silver dollar. Mr.. Morgan,
first draws his design on paper, from
which is made model in wax. of
which plaster cast is taken, and from
this cast an electrotype is taken. upon
which careful revision is made with
the graver. This electrotype like the
model and cost which preceded it, is
three or four times larger than the
impression which appears on the dol
lar. The design is transferred to a
steel dye by using Hills reducing ma
chine constructed on the principle of
the pantograph. One arm of this in
strument, with blunt point, follows
the lines on the electrotype, while the
other arm, to which is a strong and
rapidly revolving drill, reproduces
the same lines on a smaller scale upon
steel block. BY means of a press
this impression is transferred to an
other block in intaglio and thence on
another block which is the parent die.
After each transfer the lines are care
fully improved with a graver. Steel
of the same quality as that of which
the parent dye is made is used for
the coming dies. They are annealed,
and trued on both ends. Two or
three blows in the screw press, which
is worked with a large wheel. secure
a perfect impression. and both the
diverse and Tevers of a coin are
struck at once. Machinery places the
planchets between the dies,a after
ward drops the completed coin in a
box. Two or three pieces OF each
coinage are reserved for the annual
government assay.
Gold is always found alloyed with
silver, and it is never found with any
alloy. To separate the silver from
the gold, the bullion is boiled in sui