The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-07

pure gold and so in the same proportion
Tor greater or lesser quantities. No alloy
is mentioned in this act and coins OF both
metals are directed to circulate as legal
tenders in payment Of all sums Whatso-
ever.
Act Of 18th January, 1887, regulated
the composition Of gold and silver coins
OF the United States as follows: That
for every ] 900 paris, by weight, 900 sbalI
be Of pure metal and 100 Of alloy, the al.
10y OF gold to DO copper and silver, the
silver not to exceed one.half Of the whole
alloy. The alloy OF silver to be copper.
Up TO the passage OF this act gold and
silver coins had remained in circulation
on the basis Of weight and tineness pre-.
sc4bed by act Of April ID, 1892; but now
Congress made n general, though thrilling
reduction in the standard weight Of all
the coins for future circulation, viz:
The gold eagle to weigh 25S grains.
The gold half eagle TO weigh l29
grains.
The gold quarter eagle to weigh 643
grains.
The silver dollar to weigh 4l2l grains.
The silver half dollar 10 weigh 2U6t
grains.
The silver quarter dollar TO weigh 1OSs
grains.
The silver dime to weigh Alt grains.
The silver half dime to weigh 2Os
grains.
And declared all the foregoing coins
legal tenders, according to their value,
for any Gums whatever.
The next step ia the coinage was the
introduction oil two new coins, under act
OF Congress 9th March, 1S49, viz: double
eagles, or $50 gold pieces, aud one dollar
gold pieces; both to be struck and received
at the mint Of the United States, upon
the standard Of composition fixed and
declared in the act OF 1887
Act Sd March, 1851, authorizes the
issue OF the next coin in the calendar,
being the three cent piece, to weigh l2s
grains, and be composed Of three.fOurths
silver and one fourth copper, and declar.
ing it legal tender in payment OF any
sum not exceeding thirty cents.
This may be looked on as the first step
towards demonetizing silver, for hitherto
all coins OF the United States had gone
arm in arm with gold without limita.
ton.
Act OF 2lst February, 1858, inaugural.
ed a new era in the history Of the coin Of
the United States. Whilst this act did
no impede the circulation Of gold coin or
the silver dollar, it changed the weight Of
the following: The half dollar to weigh
1872 grains; the quarter dollar. dime aud
half dime TO be respectively !, l.5 and
40 tho weight Of the half dollar, and
still further demOnetized the silver cur.
rencY by declaring that the coins men
toned DO henceiorth legal tender for
any amount not exceeding five dollars,
1t alao fixed the weight Of the Scent
piece ut 50th Of the half dollar and Of
the same standard Of fineuess.
Act OF 2lst February, 1857, fixed the
standard weight Of the cent piece to be
coined at the mint, at ~ grains or $40
Of the ounce troy. the composition to be
IS per cent Of copper and l2 Of nickel,
1t also enacted that no foreign gold or
silver coins shall be legal tender in
payment Of any debts within the United
Statea. [Section 1854, Revised Statutes ]
Act 22d April, 1854, again changed the
composition and weight Of the one cent
piece to As grains, or l.l0th Of the ounce
troy, to he composed OF 95 per cent cop
per and 8 per cent nickel, and directed
the coinsge Of a two cent piece TO weigh
90 grains.
The one cent piece TO be legal tender
for sums not exceeding ten cents, and the
two cent pieces legal tender to the
amount OF 20 cents.
Act ID March, 1865, ushered in new
three cent coin, TO consist OF copper and
nickel, not to exceed % per cent in nick
Ell alloy, to weigh 30 grains, and be a legal
tender to the amount Of 90 cent?.
Act 10th May, 1856, authorized the
issue OF the 8 cent nickel, to weigh II
l6-l00 grainr, to b. composed OF copper
and nickel, not TO exceed % per cent, and
to be legal tender 10 the amount OF one
dollar.
Act 18th February. 1873 Section 1856
Revised Statutes): The gold coins Of the
United States are declared TO be the one
dollar piece, which shall be the unit OF
value, The weight to be established at 25
$40 grains; / eagle, value 81 so; stand.
ard weight, u! grains; 3dollar piece,
value 81 90; standard weight, II 4 10
gralns; eagle, value S. 90, standard
weight, 100 grains; eagle, value $40 90;
standard weight, 25S grains; double
eagle, value $50 90; standard weight, Sic
grains.
Those coins TO be an unlimited legal
tender in all payments at their nominal
value, when not below the standard weight
and limit Of tolerance provided by law
for each single piece, but when reduced
in weight one half Of one per cent, they
shall be recoined, otherwise circulate at
their actual value.
The silver coins arc
The Trade Dollar, to weigh 420 grains.
The Half.Dollar, to weigh l2A grammes.
The Quarter. Dollar and Dime, respect-
lively, to be one-half and one.ftth the
weight OF the HAlt-Dollar.
The standard Of both gold and silver Is
so established that Of 1000 parts by
weight, 300 shall be pure metal and 100
Of alloy-the alloy Of silver to be copper,
and Of gold to Ne copper, or copper and
silver; the silver In no case to exceed one.
tenth OF the whole alloy.
Sec. 1856 Z. s., finally demonetizes
silver, declaring that all the silver coins
Of the United States shall be legal ten.
der at their nominal value for any
amount not exceeding five dollars in any
one payment.
Sec. 1857 r S, enucts that the minor
coins are the Sc, Sc aud lc pieces; the &c
and &c TO be I copper and t nickel, and
the lc piece to be 95 per cent copper, and
6per cent nickel or zinc.
The two'cent piece is dropped from the
coinage, and the remaining minor coins,
viz, &c, &c and lc pieces are made 10.
gal tender to the uniform amount Of
twenty-five cents in any one payment.
"PECuSIA,"