The Russellville Democrat., 1881-04-21


 ing and cutting department; here the metals are rolled into long narrow strips ot which spoke a few moments since and then taken to the machines to be cut into proper size for the various coins preparatory to milling and stamping There are nine of these machines, each of which can cut 225 pieces per minute Thus If at work on copper cents, the yield is S2.25 in value, while the same work and time spent on double eagles results in S4,500; rather unequal, is il not? Indeed, it sometimes seems al most pity that "coppers" need be made at all, since about the same labor used ill the manufacture of cent would also make a coin of thousand times its value.
 After passing through the rolls" the metals becomes very brittle, and thus unfit for stamping, so it must now be annealed. In this process the nober metals are handled with much care, be- ing placed in copper canisters before they are consigned to the furnace, in order to guard against oxidation or the slightest loss by friction.
 The utmost exactness is required in weight, the law allowing a deviation of only one-half grain {out of 5l6 gra;ns) in the double eagle, and proportionate va riation in other coirs. Consequently the metals are weighed at various stages with ] the greatest nicety; thus it is impossible to purloln, as the least pilfering would be | followed within few minutes by de- | lection.
 So the next step is to the adjusting 1 room, where the work is of extreme del icacy, and is done entirely by ladies. | Very fine cpa iac ora ,1caJ orI ao nb nj aoo -or planchet-is weighed with perfect accuracy. Ifa piece falls short in weight | it is thrown aside, and must again un- dergo the entire process from melting until 1t once more reaches the adjusting room. If, on the contrary, the planchet l IS little heavier than the law requires, a small portion is filed off to reduce it to the prescribed limit; but if the surplus weight is more than can be readily re- moved with file, the piece is laid aside 1 to be remelted.
 Now the planelvets that have passed this test satisfactorily, are removed to l the cleaning room. Here they are cleansed with heat and acid, thoroughly washed in water, and when dry are ready to be coined
 As you have probably observed, the nickel and bronze pieces have smooth edges, while those of higher denomina- ton have fluted or nicked rims The milling machines, by which this feature is attained, are each capable of finishing ] from 300 to l,200 pieces per minute, and are operated by ladies.
 Perhaps the most fascinating part of the entire process is the coining or stamp ing. There are two presses, beautifully clean and furnished, that run with ad. mirabe smoothness and regularity. They require great delicacy of manipulation, a variation of hairs breadth being suf- fcient to ruin coin; hence they are at- tended by ladies, The capacity of each i press is from seventy to one hundred and twenty coins per minute, but eighty is the usual rate of speed. Thus, if all were engaged upon double eagles, sixty seconds of time would produce S34,000l
 Small presses are used for small coin; and others in proportion to the size of the piece to be stamped, the larger the coin the greater the weight necessary to give correct impress. The requisite | pressure varies from twenty to eighty tons.
 The "counting-boards" are simple but ingenious affairs, that do their work with undertaking correctness and speed. A counting board is fiat wooden surface over which cross and recross a number of copper partitions the height of coin, having number of receptacles large enough to hold one piece of money; a coin slips into each compartment, and little or no calculation is necessary. | Twenty-Five dollars, in five cent pieces, may thus be counted in less than a min ute. Now it is put into bags, and packed for shipment. In the courtyard we see number of kegs closed and having over the end a seal. They contain money about to be shipped; and our guide tells us that keg will hold $5,000 in small currency, or $l20000 in gold coin.
 It is really a beautiful sight-all idea of value aside-these great glistening piles of money. In appearance the cop per cents equal the gold coin. Rubbing with alcohol and chamois skin makes them remarkable brilliant, and in the great trays of lustrous pieces it is almost impossible to recognize the dull looking coins we Southerners are prone to de- clare "a nuisance" unlike our more pru- dent Yankee brethren, who never forget that 'every little goes to make nickle."
 Just here few words in general may prove ofinterest. Pure silver is worth pl.Ou all ounce, troy, WHlle pure SOlu ie worth S20.67 per ounce; the latter, in a pure state, is bright straw color, differ ent alloyage giving it the various shades seen in jewelry. Deposits of gold or sil- yer, not less than hundred dollars in value, will be received from any respons- ible person, the mint recognizing as the depositor only the person who presents the bullion. A small charge is made for the work, and the depositor receives in return the value of his deposit in gold if he presented gold, or in silver if silver was given. Attempts have been made to foist spurious or manufactured mug gets, but the fraud has always been de- tected before melting" time arrived.
 There are, as you probably know, branch hints in San Francisco, Carson and Denver, the operations of the latter being confined to assaying and refining, while the two others coin only gold and silver. Thus all the baser coin in nation al use is manufactured at the Philadel- phia mint. The coinage of this estab- lishment up to June 30, 1877, amounted to S1 ,132, ,220 ,3909j.
 During various periods coins of cer- tain denominations were discounted, in some cases to be resumed later. Half cents have not been made since lS57 never knew till now that there was such Q coin as a S3 gold piece, supposing that the quarter eagle (S250) was succeeded by the half-eagle ($5).
 An act of Congress established the I-..iLal AtrIa.. ...iIat IL. 200 and tl,l fcl