The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-03-21
MAKING SILVER DOLLARS.

MAKING SILVER DOLLARS.
THE PROCESS OF MINTING, FROM THE
MELTING TO THE STAMPING
THE SILVER IS ALLOWED.
The capacity Of the various coming
minis and assay offices In the United
States will be fully tested during the
coming year. The law of February
%, 1878, demands that between 2,ooo,-
900 and 100000 of the new dollars
shall be turned out every month. The
officers Of the minis think that 3,OO0,-
900 will be the maximum Of produc-
ton for the present, and to coin as
many silver dollars as that a month
VIII require brisk work at the minis.
There will be, as a matter Of course, no
lack of silver in the minis tc work
upon. There are two coming minis
besides the one in Philadelphia-one
in San Foancisco and the. other in
Carson City, and assaying and refining
are done in Helena, Mont; Boise City,
Idaho; Denver, Col, and at q few
other points in the far West. The
Philadelphia mint is capable Of turn
out about 81, 100000 in coined money q
month; the San Francisco mint ST.
100000 and the Carson City mint $780,
900. 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 coinage goes on all the time.
Gold is needed by the Government to
buy silver with, aside from all other
purposes. It is coined mostly in the
form Of double eagles. During last
month 21,210 double eagles were coin
ed in Philadelphia, and 20 eagles, 20
half-eagles, 20 So pieces, 20 quarter
eagles and 20 81 pieces were coined at
the same time. The other coinage Of
the Philadelphia mint during Februa-
ry comprised 200 trade dollars, 375, 900
half-dollars, 1851 800 quarter-donars,
200 2O-cent pieces, 964,2oO dimes, 600
5-cent pieces, 600 Scent pieces and
910,8oO cents. a1
Silver is sent from the Essay Office
to the Philadelphia mint pure, or 900
fine, which is about as pure as can be.
1t is sent in large bars, and when re-
ceived at the mint, is melted and al-
Logged with copper. Coin silver is 600
fine. After being melted and alleged,
the metal is cast into ingots, which are
simply bars Of q convenient size fol-
handling. The metal is then assayed
to determine whether it is exactly OF
the standard fineness. Assaying is
done by what is known as the dry Oh
humid process. Samples for assay are
taken while the silver is in a fused
condition. and two assays are made OF
every specimen. The silver ingote
then go to the coiner. They are first
rolled into strips, and as the rolling
process is apt to make the metal brit
tie, it is annealed to soften it. Silver
is annealed simply by heating in an
open wood fire, and then being allowed
to cool gradually. The silver dollar
strips are passed through the rolls
nine or ten times before the first an
healing and for four or five times af-
terward Then the process Of anneal ,
ing is repeated. After the last anneal-
ing the strips are run through the cut
tiers which divide them into drafts Of
the proper thickness for the coins; and
these. in their turn, are run through
steam punching machine which cuts
planchets the proper size for the coin.
From $50 to 240 are cut in a minute.
AS the metal gets greasy during this
process, the planchets are then dipped
into bath of diluted sulphuric acid,
which is to weak too act upon the sur
face, but effectively removes all for
eign matters. The planchers 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 "heavies"
are the pieces which weigh too much,
and are filed off. The adjusting is done
by women. It. is a process which re-
qui1es much delicacy, and scales are
used which are sensitive to one sixty