The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-30
dLL ABOUT GOLD
n Walk Through the Philadelphia Mint
Bricks of Buliion--IIandfulB Of Yellow

From the Philadelphia Times1

ga gold coin is worth its value tho
world over" said all oflicidl at tho
mint yesterday.
But sovcrcigns and napolcons do
not circulate in this country. What,
then becomes Of them after they get
hcrcp
If any one were to ask this question
in The Assavcr's department of the
Mint they would be apt TO receive i'll
formation that might slightly surprise
them.
"Comc in here" said the Mint Off
cial yesterday, leading the way into
little strong-walIcd chamber, without
Il single window in it, looking much
in 4 dim light Of the gas like All cn-
lnrGcd edition Off safe. There Wcrc
hundreds Of chunks Of smooth, bright
yellow metal piled up on half q dozen
small trucks. These chuncks varied
in size. One might be lifted with one
hand. Another would require two
hands. Others could not be lifted at
all.
"Thcrc," said the official, placing
one Of tho latter in the visitors hand,
''liit THAT Ii was Gifted" according
lv. IL was II good lift, too. "Thcrc
are about five thousand dollars in that
piece said the official. "Movc that
truck oncc,' he said, with sly cX-
preston Of coumicnancc.
The most vigorous effort that could
he mustered up failed to make il budTe.
Cpon il lay seventy or eighty OF those
shining yellow chuncks OF metal.
"rhcrc arc about two million dol
, lur, worth Of gold in W hat vou see
! hcrc-ycs, over two million. These
have been chiefly English soYcrci9ns
and French napolcous. They came
here from the Government Assay
Cilice in New York, where thcy arc
melted up. Exporters receive them,
you see. in payment for goods and
send them TO brokers, who, in turn,
send them 10 the Assay Oiticp. where
they get American gold coin for
| thcm.'
Further talk showed that The Gov
crnncnt is accommodating enough to
American coin or gold "bricks," o,
the coin might desire. OF course thi,
has nothing to do with the t.HmSac-
tions Of The American exporter, who
wants what he can make Immediately
available to the wants OF his business
the gold dollar. But ii has bearing
on the business Of dentists and gold
bcatcrs which will presently be cx-
planned.
All tho foreign coin thus received in
New Iork-or at least the bulk of
it-gocs to the Assaycr's Office there
Tor exchange. Hero the clock-work
method that charactcriZcs all The Coy
crnmcm departments steps IN. Not Il
single foreign coin Of all the millions
that go there yearly is "passcd' or
paid for until its value is asccrt"incd.
10 do this involves somc work
Weight and quality arc the things
sought. 1t is first weighed, then put
in pot and melted. Sometimes the
be DfSk|e iGi" Tp anil l' mcied @ tits itself. ii
there is even SO little as al eighth ofan
ounce absorbed the pot must be broken
and that precious morscl eliminated
from it. After it is melted il
Is weighed again. Allowance Is made
for Inc slight loss il must necessarily
sustain i'll passing through tho cruci.
blcs, and, with this allowance, il must
exactly compare with its original
weight rs coin. After lis value is
ihus aSccrtaincd, the broker or who.
ever brought it there, receives its
equivalent in American gold or gold
in any other shape he may wish.
Another consideration obtains in the
me ting-up process. and this is to
make sure that 10 counterfeit coin
shall be palmcd Off on the Government
Rarely does this occur in The case OF
gold coin, for the reason thHt tho
| brokers and others who bring them
there are generally expert i'm dc.
tccting countcrieits themselves; but in
| the silver Mexican dollar it FREQUENTLY
happens, more SO, probably, tl.au il,
any other coin of that denomination.
COUNTERFEIT GOLD AND SILVER BRICKS.
| In the operations ofthc PHILADELPHIA
Mint there arc some little details which
may prove interesting. Tho necessity
for It's having all the facilities possible
Tor detecting the spurious from the
genuine in gold and silver will not be
realized until it is known that quite a
trauc in the way Of the exchange bust
ness is CONSTANT y going on between the
Mat and outsiders who may have
constant use for gold leaf in q profess
sional way, or with chance posscssors
who may have old ,jcwelry and watch
chains, or for the men who may be
lucky enough to have pockcttul of
dust or gold "brick." Dentists and
gold-bcatcrs and pawnbrokcrs do
quite a business with tho Mint in
Philadelphia. They frequently supply
gold-bcatcrs with metal in good shape
for making gold foil and gold leaf.
l'awnbrokcrs, with their earrings,
and their brcnst-pins, and their watch
chains, and their shirt studs, and their
sleeve buttons, and their bracelets, and
their gold-hcNdcd canes, and their
neck cluins and what not-eyidcnccs
of the mstortuncs of humanity-fmd
the Mint God-scnd to them. There
they repair with their truck after it
has been torfcitctl--or at least with
such Oft as they are unable to sell at
the price they may want-and get its
equivalent in coin. a considerable