Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-14
TRIAL or THE PIX.
Testing the Purity Of Epeiand's Coin.


place. m conformity 10 warrant OF the
Lords Of the Treasury, the annual TESTING
known as the Trial OF The Pyx. OF The ma
tional coinage executed by The Royal Mini
during the past year ending June 30ih. Al
the first blush The proceedings seem TO have
been Of very simple aud bu.iness-like
! nature. A fury OF experts having been
impanelled. the gold coinage was first sub.
jecied TO The customary ordcals. The ~
gregate Of gold mmied last year was not
I large. tejng less than Cl. 800. 900. a sum con-
sidcrably below the usual average; but, as
| a general Withdrawal OF hight gold cannot
| much longer be retarded, the establishment
| on Tower Hill has heavy task 10 perform.
| II Is believed by the authorities that Gi00,-
| 100000 In gold supposed 10 be in circula-
ton in this country is deficient in weight
to the extent OF five tons and hlli, repre-
sontins half million Of money. This de-
! Iciency IL due 10 legitimate wear aud tear.
| Although, for obvious reasons. the Mint
has been holding IFS band 80 Ear as the
manufacture OF sovcfoigns and haii.Sove-
! rcigns Is concerned, great activity has been
| shown In the coinage Of silver, moneys
| Of that metal 90 the amount Of more
than million sterling having been stamped.
| The total number vi imperial coins struck
| Some 1900 soyereigns and 700 h1lf-sover-
| eigns. and about Goo worth Of silver OF all
| denominations, were placed in the pyX last
! year; and on the box being opened on the
| 10th instant the Jury selected few gold
| and silver coins for assay. Each coin had
| to be Of legal weight, and the COINS had
next 10 be melted into mgots for COMPARE
| son with the pure metal OF the stan
| dard trisl.plates produced by the OF
fcer OF the Board Of Trade, to dis
cover II they were within the legal
remedy" IN the way OF fnenc.s. The
residue Of the gold and silver coins mad
also 10 he weighed In bulk, and certain
coins were taken and assayed separately.
The verdict OF the jurors was duly signed
and rendered 10 the Queens Remembran-
Ger, who, a,testing II by his signature,
rendered il as public record OF the High
Court Of Justice. All the dellcatcly-
manipulated processes involved in testing
ard assaying having been gone through,
and the Deputy Master OF the Mint having
received his certificate or "quieius." the
business Of the day appropriately and
Enthusiastically concluded with "a BAN
quet given by the Worshipful Company OF
Goidsmiths-t high officials connected
with our monetary system.
In olden times the Trial OF the PyX took
place before the Lords of the Council. and
II Is alleged that IN a writ TO the BaroIS. Q
ana 10 Edward l., the assay Of the purity
ard weight Of The coinage hy 4 jury OF
goldsmiths l. spoken of as a welI.knOwn
custom. Every detail Of the ceremony Of
testing is grounded on immemorlal tradi-
tion; only, IN lieu OF the trial being insti-
tulcd by warrant from the Treasury. ii was
a III.
his prCccpt TO the Wardens OF the Gold
smiths TO impane jury. On the opening
Of The IyX. or box, the coins to he aSSayed
are found i'm paper parcels. each under the
seals Of the WardcnS, the Master ~ The
Mint, and the Comptroller. From crery
fifteen pounds weight of silver, teclni-
caly called "journics," q minimum Of two
pieces j. taken at hazard for the trial. and
the coins are then mixed together in
wooden bowls and aiterward WEIGHED.
The assaying Of bullion, anciently known
a. the ''iouch whence our still.current
word toucbstono with the function Of
marking or stamping, was privilege con-
forrcd on the Godsmiths' Company by The
Statute %, Edward |. As a matter Of fact.
The Goldsmiths have had an assay Office
for more than five hundred years;
and in the statute just cited ii is
provided that all manner OF vessels
o: goIt and silver are expected 10 be OF
good and true alloy, that j., "gold Of
certain touch" and silver OF the sterling
alloy, and "nO vessel is TO depart out OF
the bands Of the workman until it is as.
saycd 10y the workers Of the gOldsmiths'
clait.' The expression "good and true
ALLY" presents a curious example Oi the
mutations to which modern languages have
been subjected. our word "alloy" is de-
rived from the French "a" and "loi."
according TO law, and meant primarily
the legal standard OF puri Y. Thus,
the French still speak OF money "Ce bon
al0i, that Is 10 say, money which
las not been debased bclow the legal
standard. and the inferior metal which we
call "HllOy they term "alliage." In this
country we have kept The old French word,
but have wholly perverted its meaning.
The statute Of Edward speaks Of gold and
silver "of good and true allow but.
according 10 modern nearing attached to
the word in England, The more coin was
alleged the less il would possess the eie.
mcnts OF goodness and truth. Thus there
would be an intolerable amount OF "alloy'
in the happily burked Cbiderscs."
at is. however, when we come to con-
lish nature OF the solemnily performed on
becomes peasingly apparent to
the antiquarian. In the east cloisier oi
Westminster Abbey, close to the remains
Of the dormitory Of the old monks. is an
ancient double door. which can never be
opened except by the orders OF the Govern
ment or their representatives, who are at
present the Lords Commissioners Of the
Treasury, bearing seven KEYS, some OF them
OF large dimensions. which alone will give
admission 20 the chamber within. The
/, the historic Treasury OF
England, known, fro.a the remains Of
al altar and "piscina,n a. the Chapel of
the PyX. and il is now used rs the deposi-
tory OF the standard weights and measures,
both old and new, OF the realm. The
" Standard" act vested the sole custody
OF the Chapel OF the PyX in the Treasury;
and the transfer Of The keys of the tx
chcGuer took place in May, 1866. In this
siOreh0use. no doubt. Immediately after
the Conquest. the Norman kings lodged
their treasures, under what was considered
10 be the lnyiolable sanctuary consecrateG !
to st, Peter, ard sanctined by the bones
Of the ConfesSor. Dean Stanley, in his
"McmoiiaiS Of Westminster Abbey" has !
drawn a parallel equally striking and |
aItuHAt btiNttu INC tNttltlOUdIN tduC" J
tined chapel and the cave howu out OF the |
rocky side OF the lIill Of MyceuG, where in !
the same vault are yet 10 be seen the tomb |
and the treasury Of the House of Aureus. !
Similarly. beneath the cifi OF the Capitoine |
ilill at Rome. the Treasury OF the Roman /,
Commonwealth was also the shrine OF the |
most venerable OF the Italian gOdS-the fem. |
pie Of saturn. Asfor the Chapel OF the PyX, !
II seems 10 have somewhat fallen from its /
high estate az a repository for precious
things, siuce at different periods il was the
receptacle Of The regalia Of the Saxon kings,
the Black Rood Of st. Margaret, or Holyrood-
cross. from Scotland. The ampulla OF Henry
W., and the sword of Wayand Smith. Al
a later period the Westminster Treasury
was used only for the custody OF the re-
gala. the Abbey relic. the records OF
treaties. and the pyx or box containing the
standard trial pieces Of gold and silver.
AT the time of.the Restoration the relics
VANISHED, leaving no vestige behind. The
treaties went TO the Record office. and.
after The Restoration, the regalia were
removed TO the Tower. The pyx only re-
manned.
spanish ReyoiutiOnists.
London special says There Is no
longer any doubt that the SDanish Cavern