The Osceola times., 1878-03-23
MAKING SILVER DOLLARS,
The Process Of Miaiiug-Progress OF the
Worh from the Melsiug 10 the
stamping How tue silver L.
aiiOyed-Thc Capacity
ot me fbe.A w,.sa -. .-..'

The Prncess Of Miaiiug- progres. Of the
Worh from the Melnug to the
siaDPinw How tue silver IL
aiioyed.The Capacity
Of '.ee.tetet .,ns.. !. .''.'
The CAPACITY Of the various. coming
mints and assay offices in the United
States will be fully tested during the
coming year. The law OF February %,
1878, demands that between 1000, 900
and 4,000,0 900 OF the new dollars shall be
turned out every month. The officers Of
the mints think that 100000 will be
the maximum of production for the
present, and to com as mapy silver dollars
as that month will require brisk work
at the mints. 1t has already. been
announced in the Times that the dies for
design Of Mr.. Morgan, an English
dIaughtsman. The coin will undopbt-
edly be one of the handsomest
that has ever been circulated in
this country. There will be, as q
matter of course, no lack of silver
in the mirts TO work upon. On the
llth of December last eleven tons of sis
yer were sent to Philadelphia from the
assay Office in this city seven and half
tons were sent on the Slst day OF the
same month, and at least twelve. tons
more have been sent during the last
fortnight. Most of the silver received at
the Philadelphia mint passed through
the New York assay Office. There are
two coming mints, besides the one in
Philadelphia, one in San Francisco and
the other In Carson city, and assiying
and refining are done in Helena, Mon
tana Boise city, Idaho; Denver, Col i,
and at few other points in the far west.
The Philadelphia mint iscapabls OF turn.
ing out about 81 500, 600 in coined money
a month; the San Francisco mint 81,
000, 900, and the Carson mint $500, 600.
The minis cannot, OF course, be given
over exclusively TO the coinage of silver
dollars. The subsidiary coins must be
struck, and certain amount of gold coin
age goes on all the time. Gold is needed by
the government to buy silver with, aside
from all other purposes. tits coined mostly
in the form ofdouble-eagles. During last
month 81 ,2l0 dOuble-eagles were coined
in Philadelphia, and 20 eagles, 20 half
eagles, W tnfec uOliat pieces, ~ quarter
eagles and 20 one-dollar pieces were
coined in the same time. The other
coinage Of the Philsdelphia mint during
February comprised 200 trade dollars,
$4,000 haltdollars, l,46l 800 quarter.
dollars, 200 twenty-cent pieces, 964 200
dimes, 800 five>cent pieces, 600 three
cent pieces and 910, 500 cents.
Silver is sent from the assay Office to
the Philadelphia mint pure, or 999 fine,
which is about as pure as silver can be,
1t is sent in large bars, and when
received at the mint is melted and
alloyed with copper. Coin silver is 9OC
fine. After being melted and alloyed
the metal is cast into ingoss, which are
simply bars of convenient. size fol
handling. The metal is then assayed to
determine whether it is exactly of the
standard fneness. Asssying is done by
what is known as the dry OF
humid process. Samples for assay
are taken while the silver is in {
fused condition, and two assays arr
made Of every specimen. The silvel
ingots then go to the coiner. They ar,
then rolled into strips, and as the rollin.
process is apt 10 make the metal brittle