The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-03-28
MAKING SILVER DOLLARS.
The PrOccns of Miniimg- Pregvcs> OF ihc
W"rk from the NcIiiGE 90 The
SiampipE Isuw the silver II
AiiOyed-Thc Capacity
of Tie Three Wints.

AiOJ"d-Ehc Capacity
of lie Three Hints
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 28,
1878, demands that between 1000, 600
and 4 600, 600 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 manysilver dollars
as that month will require brisk work
at the mints. 1t has already been
announced in the Times that the dies for
the new dollar are to be made from the
design of Mr.. Morgan, an English
draughtsman. The coin will undonbt'
edly be one of the handsomest
that has ever been circulated in
this country. There will be, as a
matter of course, no lack OF silver
in the mints 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 3lst day OF the
same month. and at least twelve tons
more have peen sent during the last
fortnight. Mos. 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 assaying
and refining are done in Helena, Mon
tana; Boise city, Idaho Denver, Col,
and at few other points in the far west
The Philadelphia mint is capable OF turn
ing out about 81 800, ,000in coined money
a month; the San Francisco mint 81,
O00, 900, and the Carson mint $500 600
The mints cannot, of course, be giver
over exclusively TO the coinage of silvel
dollars. The subsidiary coins must b.
struck, and certain amount Ofgold coin
age goes on all the time. Gold is needed b.
the government to buy silver with, asid
from all other purposes. ltis coined mostl.
in the form of doubleea During las
month 81 ,2l0 double-eagles were coine'
in Philadelphia, and 90 eagles, 30 halt
eagles, 90 three dollar piece1, go quarter
, eagles and 20 one-dollar pieces wer
coined in the same time. The othe
r coinsge Of the Philadelphia mint durin
, February comprised 200 trade dolar'
{ 975, 900 halfdoilars, 1,46l, 800 quarter
dollars, 200 twenty-cent pieces, 96i 2O
:. dimes, 600 hve>cent pieces, 500 three
cent pieces and 80 800 cents.
{ Silver is sent from the assay office
/ the Philadelphia mint pure, or 999 fine
e which is about as puIe az silver can Dc
4 1t is sent in large bars, and whel
/ received at the mint is melted an an
o alloyed with copper. Coin silver Is ~
I fine. After being melted and alioye'
n the metal is cast into ingO.s, when ar
q simply bars of n convenient sizs 10
# handling. The metal is then as'ayed :
- determine whether it is exactly OF th
% % standard fineness. Assaying is done o.
. what is known as the dry 0
!. humid process. samples for ASA.
y are taken while the silver is in
= fused condition, and two assays ar
!. !. made Of every specimen. The silve
!. ;n~ots ~ then go to the coiner. They ar
g then rolled into strips, and as the rolling
process is apt to make the metal brittle