The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-04
THE DOLLAR OF OUR DADDIEs.
where and How the Now Coin is Made.


Where and How the Now Coin Is Made.
The United States Mint in Philadel-
phia is handsome white marble, two
storied structure, with an imposing Gre
clan portico, supported by high Doric
columns, and approached BY fight OF
wide marble. steps. The Philadelphia
Mint was founded April 2, 1892, the first
director was appointed by President
Washington April IA, 1892, and the
present building, which is situated on
the pleasantest part of Chestnut street,
near Broad, was first occupied on the 23d
of May, 1888.
In the centre of the building is the
receiving room. 1t is surrounded by the
Offices of the director, the chief assayer
and the smelling department, with which
it has easJ access. Much depends upon
the absolutely exact and nice working of
the receiving department, through which
all the material used in the Mint first
passes; fer it is only from the perfect
administration of this department that
the losses and gains Of the minting pro-
cess can be realized. The work of the
delivery Department. must at each months
balance tally with the receiving registry,
and if there is a deficiency in the ac-
counts an investigation follows and the
discrepancy is discovered. The nugget,
pure or mixed with quartz; old, unused
or worn out plate; ancient jewelry; bars
from the assay officers of the government
and from foreign countries, and refuse
metal in every conceivable form are re-
ceived at this poirt, to be transmitted
into beautiful bright coin, to be sent upon
its errand of good OIL evil, as the medium
of exchange for the business of the
world.
The consignment, whether it be small
or large, is first carefully weighed, and
the weight, character of metal and num-
Der of the consignment are entered upon
the books of the receiving department
and also upon tsbulated statement Of
each day'H proceedings. As exactitude
is of paramount Importance in this, the
initial stage of the work, it is requisite
that the officials on duty should be palms.
taking and trustworthy men,, and that
they have at their command means Of
weighing their valuable receipts 20 per-
feet nicely.
In this room are three sets of scales,
varying in capacity from 100 ounces to
5000 ounces, and 80 perfect is the ad-
justment Of these beautiful pieces of
mechanism that the largest scale will
indicate with ease the weight of the hum
dredth part of an ounce. 1t will actually
weigh grain of dust. A breath will tip
the beam, and alright glass cases are
necessary to enclose the instrument. If
you put piece of blank paper on the
scale and, then write your name on the
paper these balances will indicate the
difference in weight. These scales are
very perfection of mechanical workman
ship. The arms of the instruments hang
on agate pinions, the metal portion hav-
ing been made of case hardened steel,
and, although they have been in constant
use for thirty-two years, are as accurate
in their indications as. when first placed
in position. They are but portion of
the work of the late Franklin Peale, the
we'll known mechanician of his day, who
for the best portion of his life devoted
himself 10 the perfecting of the mechan-
ical appliances of the Mint. Each pack
age as received is kept separate, and as
soon SIS weighed and registered is sent to
the deposit melting room.
In the melting room is commenced the
process of testing tho intrinsic value Of
the metal received. If the package is
small it is sent in bulk, but if large a
portion only is taken for refining. In
this room are four furnaces, kept in con-
stant use in the refining process. 1t is
the province of the management Of this
room to take from the gold or silver re-
ceived for refining all refuse matter or
baser volatile metals, in order that the
assayer may reach by assay an approx
nation of the inherent value of the con-
signment. The furnaces are small and
charcoal is solely used, in order to avoid
the presence Of sulphur, which is destruc-
tive to the finer metals. Nitre, soda and
common salt are used as purifiers, and at
times powdered charcoal. Sometimes,
but rarely, other means have to be resor-
ted to. This is when, as the bars come
to the Mint from private or public assay
officers, it is found that the sulphides Of
the baser metals have been permitted to
remain in the bar. In such cases the
employment of corrosive sublimate must
be resorted to. The excess Of oxygen in
this material acts with lightning rapidity
upon the eXtraneous matter, and the
publication is thorough. 1t must be used
with great care, for it is so active an agent
that if not quickly and delicately ham
died volatilization of the metal will be
the result and consequent loss.
The condition Of the melt must be
watched at regular intervals, in order
that at the instant of publication the
liquid metal may be poured. The con-
tents of the crucible are poured into q
shoe or open mould, and when cooled the
ring, or nugget, is separated from the fux
and returned to The receiving ROOM
From this piece 6. sufficient quantity is
taken to make an exact assay of It's value,
either by acid or cupel process, and upon
the percentage value of this test the de-
positor is paid for his consignment
All the deposits after assay are thrown
lntO one DulK, OlC OF WHICH large melIS
are made for the main melting rooms,
and from each melt is again taken a sep
arate assay, by and through which the
chief assayer determines and keeps at
standard the quality of the coin that is
minted. 1t is through this delicate pro-
cess that each and every ingot of silver,
gold or copper is brought up to the stand
ard Of ineness set by law.
This form of detection of the true value
of the precious metals is to the outside
world generally mystery, and few are
permitted to see the operation as conduc-
ted at the Mint. A plain statement, de-
void of technicalities, will be Of interest
to those who cannot gain access to the
inner workings of this establishment.
In assaying gold piece is taken from
a bar, when it is beaten out and rolled
into thin plate, and from it is weighed
half granme, the customary quantity
for gold being about IT grains, troy.
The weights used in approximating the
Quantities is STAMPED 1000 and all the