The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-01

2How Haf1illlMonsysss Made-The work
III Weiehln6 nnd Assaylng

clerk ofthe assay otfceFio . Tribune re-
portee# day orgtwo ago; s.that il. We
don't convert bullion into coin. We re-
ceIrn roid md siiyer from depositors,
ssneit and assay the bullion, form It into
basssand ship the barsto the Philadel-
pkix b g6ts and In the course ola few
days tbst Institution sends us back the
coin gss.s5sss
sH:..do the depositer have to wait
hi payment until the coin gets back
from Philadelphia9' asked the report
ssNot 1T ILL, said the chiefclerk; tthe
government furnishes us with a bullion
fund amounting to over $50, 000. 600, out
ofsWhich We pay the depositor just as
soon as the ~lineness Of his metal is de-
fermined BY assay, the weight ascer-
andstle value calculated. In fact, all
our deposits, except in cases of rpsmelt
and re.assay, are made within two
dayais
Nov, said he,l picking up a bright
new eagle, you know how Easy it is to
speldStl that coin, but unless You are IA
miliar with the work you can form Tic
idea Of the time and labor it took to
make III. From the time the bullion
reached the mintAntiLit was converted
INTO coin it passed through no less than
ten distinct processes, such as melting,
alloyirx forming the metal into ineots.
rolling the ipgots into strips the thick
moss Ofsthe coil. cutting from the strips
the splanchets' OF tbIanks,, anleaiing,
milling and adiuating the thanks and
coming or stamping the pieces. besides
eUndry minor operations incidental to,
minfing. Nov.sexamine that coin close
~ uAjer!the glass and aee how we'll the
work i~sexecuted. The Romans excelled
in the art OF engraving, and many of
their coins were masterpieces. But we
Z not AFFORD to throw up our central de-
signs in such bold relief as the Romans
did, for in tbs hurry and bustle Of our
day and the rapid handling and piling
OF coins we would soon q the face
So, while our designs nre In bold relief,
yet We make them low and protect them
~ much rs possible from abrasion and
wear BY throwing uD the edge OF the
blank, tt~echnically called milling.n
The manufacturing Of dies, Of the
art OF die sinking, has reached great
perfection at the PhiladeIDhia mint"
contin1sd Mi. Van Wyck, and allthe
coinage dies fOrs the other minis are
made at that Institution. The artist first
makes the design End then q model oft
In wax three OF four timea larger than
the desired coin. From this modelga an
electrotype is taken, and then the de-
Sign Is transferred by lei of Hill
engraving machine which works on the
principle oGa pantograph, to . block Of
steelthe size ef the coin. But, as only
the principal design, such as the head,
eagle. orslIietd.. carl be Thus transferred.
q artist hils in by hand
iDR details. Then, aftsr&removing the
ground on the face OF the block, he
strikes from the block an impression in
to aRdrup0n assecond block. This sec.
.ond block is hardened and. All impress.
sion 10 transferred TO 4 third similar
block. which we call tbs parent DIE
Ora.Eastet hub" and from which the
regular coinage dies are made. The inn
precision On the t.smaster hub is in re-
lief on sconvex while that on the work
Ing or coinage die is il aintaglio," or
Goncaye.
But let us see what they are doing in
here said the Chief Clerk as be
stepped into the weigh Room"
where truck loads Of silver we're being
weighed. THAT scale you see there is q
modetcfs accuracy, and willsweigh from
ten Thousand ounces down to the. one-
hundreth of an ounce. This small bal.
ance weighs from twenty ounces down
TO the 10 fye-thonsandsh part of q
grain. In fact we must havs accuracy
in this work, not only tocheck our oper.
iatiors. but to lnaintnin the reputation of
this office, which is such that our stamp
of weight and fneness passes current
IN all the commercial centers of the
worid.n
Military Reprisals.