The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-02

smallest fraction Of grain, Ghooting the
heavy ones into one receptacle, the Light
ones into another, and those Of stand
ard weight into third, Weighing and
asserting with astonishing rspidity, and
with greater accuracy than could posi-.
bly, DO done by hand. This beautiful
piece Of mechanism does the work which
was formerly performed by large force
Of skilled weighers, does 1t much more
rapidly and with mathematical impos-.
sibility Of making . mistake. Alter the
"planchetsn are weighed the light ones
are sent 10 be melted over, the heavy ones
are sent to be fled down 10 the proper
weight, and those Of standard weight
are sent to be milled.
The milling process forms the rim
around the outer edge, and the machine
for this is capable Of turning out from
Eve to twelve hundred pieces per minute.
Il is then sent 10 the coming press, where
II Is made into money, being transferred
from smooth piece Of metal into coin
with all the devices, legends and inScrip-
tons required by law, giving to the life.
less planchet vitality and character that
will enable 1t to travel around the world.
There are ten OF these coming presses.
each one capable Of stamping from seven.
" to one hundred and twenty coins per
minute. The Impressions on both sides
Of the coin age made with one motion,
and the amount Of pressure to make
coin Ia from 20 TO so tons.
The stamping process ia as follows: A
steel die wherein the characters to be
placed on the coin have been egraved or
dug out ia fastened by means OF screws on
10 what Is called q stake" and placed
below on the bed Of the press. It Is set
about the thickness Of the coin below the
surface axis, surrounded by collar"
Il makes no material difference whether
the diverse or the reverse Of the coin is
below, although the latter Is generally
placed there. On a portion Of the ma.
chine made 10 receive II, working directly
over the lower die, the diverse die 10
fixed, and on this portion the pressure Is
regulated. The "planchets" are placed
by hand in brass tube, and at each reyO.
luton OF the press two iron arms, called
"ieeders," working like pair OF tonge.
slide rapidly out, grasp "planchet"
from the bottom OF the tube and put II on
the lower die. Almost al the same mo-
ment the lower die sinks below the "col-
lar" the upper one descends, the planchet
10 pressed between them both, receives the
impression, and in twinkliug this one is
caught by the feeders, is thrown into a
box beneath the press; another 'planchet'
takes its place, and 80 on throughout.
After the "planchet" passes through this
process 1t Is coin, and not till then, &C.
cording to authority.
The differences between the edges Of
coin, the base coins having smooth edges,
while the gold or silver have "reeded" or
niched edges, Is caused by the "collars''
in which the "planchets" are placed,
those for gold and silver coin being deli.
cately niched, while those for the base
coins are perfectly smooth. The stamp.
ing process not only perfects the coin, but
polishes 1t, and it comes out dazzling In
brightness and clothed with new chasac-
ters. The coins are counted by an In.
genious continuance which will count
twenty-five dollars in FIVE cent pieces in
less than minute, and other coins as
rapidly.
After counting, the coins are trans
ierred to another room, where they are
weighed aud counted again, when they
are put up in packages for delivery 10 the
United States Treasurer.