St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-12-10
The United States Mint.


The annual report of the Director OF the
United States Mint for the fiscal year ended
June 50, 1881, contains, in addition TO The
customary detailed statements OF the opera
tions of the minis and assay offices, much
valuable information in regard to the pro-
dueton of precious metals in the United
States and in the world, their use III the
coinage Of this and foreign countries, con-
sumption in arts and manufactures, specie
circulation. and an examination OF the
course OF prices, comparing paper ana me-
talic circulation for series OF u1ty-sN
wears with the percentage Of yearly prices to
the mean prices of staple articles, indicating
the annual variations in the purchasing
price OF money. Gold and silver received
aud operated upon by all the mln1s ana
0O5, 900 the receipts of any previous year,
amounted to S226, 225, 500, of which $780,
,lO1 was gold, and So, 1904. Al
silver. This large increase was
due to the continued influx OF
gold from abroad, over $4,000, 900 depos-
tied being from that source alone. The
coinage facilities of the mints will be en-
listed to their fullest extent in converting
this bullion into coin. The gold coinage
amounted to SIS, 733, SG4, OF which s1o, 3d.
$50 was in double eagles, and the remainder
in coins of lesser denominations. The coin
age of silver was confined to the minimum
value of silver bullion required to be coined
bv the law authorizing the coinage OF the
standard silver dollar, S21, 631. $50 OF which
were struck; of subsidiary coins only $l2,O1l
were coined, and OF base metal or MINOR
coins $405, 100. The total coinage OF silver
dollars since the passage of the act for their
coinage, up to November /, was 800, 6,2,-
',O5. Of which S34, 096 321 are in circulation,
and s5S, S33. 40 held by the Treasury for the
payment of outstanding silver certificates.
leaving 81. 49, SOS for disbursement by the
II easury i'll ordinary payments.
The usual examinations and settlements
| were made at the close Of the year.
The report referring to the probable res
| toration of silver to its former place in the
| monetary circulation, says: ''ln view OF the
failure OF the International Monetary Con-
ference to agree upon any practical meas
! ure, and, while awaiting its future action,
| it is a question for our serious and early
consideration, whether it is not desirable to
suspend further coinage of silver until by
| international agreement and effective legis-
lation unlimited coinage of silver and gold
/ at common fixed rates shall have been au-
| thorized by the principal commercial Ma
| tions of Europe and America. Should the
S65J, o00, 900 silver coin now full legal tender
in Europe be demonetized, the United
| States could not, single handed among
commercial Nations, with no European CO.
operation or allies, sustain the value OF sill
Yer FROM an inevitable fall. With that dam
ger menacing us, we cannot, without seri-
| Gus embarrassment, continue such coinage
unless other commercial Nations will agree
upon the general use OF silver as we'll as
| gold.
1.-THE ratio of 1871 to one already ap.
proved, and in use among the nations COM
posing the Latin Union, would doubtless
be chosen. This would cause, if the coinage
Of silver. as well as gold. at all the minis
of the world were made free, as bimetallism
h6raWat from
circulation of the standard dollars and their
recoinage. In such case the further COIN
age of the silver dollars of the present
weight, unless needed for circulation, is q
useless expenditure" Director Burchard
estimates the worlds production of gold
for the calendar year 1880 at S1O7, 900. 900,
aud of silver $s7. 900. The consumption
of the world in ornamentation, manufact-
ures and the arts is estimated for the same
period at $50, 00O0 gold and $35, OOO, 900 sill.
Yer. The estimated circulation Of the princi-
pal countries Of the world Is placed at Il, 22l,
100000; full legal tender silver, s., los, :
0OU, zoos; limited tenders, S423, OOO, 900;
total specie, IS, 759, 0O0, 900; paper. IS, ga.
100000, making the total circulation, includ.
ing the amount held in the Governments
treasures, banks, and in active circulation,
50, 403, 900, 600. Upon the subject of the
course of prices, and indicating the annual
variations in the purchasing power OF mon
ey in the United States, the Director has
prepared tables showing the average annual
prices in both gold and currency OF the
leading staple articles in the New lorh
market for fifty-six years, with the mea:
price of each, and also the relation which
the average annual price Of each article
bears to the mean price for the whole term
of years. The mean percentage for eacf
year of all articles named furnishes basis
for measuring the purchasing power q. o
money, and is instructively comparea "i'i
| Sko .ir
wealth for each year.
1t doesn't require pair OF horses
to drag out miserable existence.