The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-10
UNIFORM AMERICAN SILVER COIN
HHr AnIr r.r.


One of the important propositions
that will come before the Congress of
American Nations will look TO the adop-
ton Of a uniform silver coinage by all
the governments on the American con-
tinent. Undoubtedly the three Ameri-
cas-, in which during a period of five
hundred years "a per cent. of the worlds
silver supply has been produced, are en-
titled to define the status of silver as a
medium of exchange, and if they can
impress their decision upon the other
nations of the globe, great advantages
would Immediately ensue. The estab-
lishment of uniform silver coinage in
North and South America would largely
promote the commercial and trade rela-
tions between American countries, and
the establishment Of bimetalism in
Europe, where, as Consul Mason of Mar
seilles has shown, thsre is a clearly de-
fined tendency to restore silver to the
monetary position ii occupied prior to
1873 Sixteen years experience in
mono-metallism has entailed an indus
trial and agricultural situation in West
ern Europe which demands a remedy"
says Mr.. Mason, and the statesmen of
that continent are beginning to under
Is largely responsible for it, and that its
remonetization is the possible and prob
able antidote for the depression.
OF the American nations, Mexico and
Peru, whence the bulk of the worlds
supply OF silver has come, and the Unit
ed States, which is coming nearly $780,
OOO,OOO annually, are vitally interested
in this question. A large number of
maintain single silver standard as the
monetary unit, while the United States
tries to maintain bimetallic standard
and Europe adheres to gold standard,
all of which seriously complicates the
problem of making uniform standard
for the civilized world. which is the ul-
innate object to be sought.
The one tEing that the United States
cannot afford to do is to further debase
its silver coinage in it's ratio of value to
gold, because of our European trade re.
lations. Yet the attempt to adopt uni
form silver coinage in the three Ameri-
cas- must inevitably tend in that direc-
tion unless suggestion herewith made
may meet the exigency. Eight Ameri-
can nations already have a uniform sill
yer coinage, and in any attempt to Gre
ate an American coinage would natur-
ally hold the position of vantage in re-
spect to changes. The common silver
coin of these countries is worth 500
cents in our money. In Bolivia it is
known as boliviano in Ecuador as a
suere in Peru as sol in Venezuela
five-bolivar piece, and in Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia
peso.
These coins contain 1856 80 grains of 900
fine silver. The standard silver dollar OF
the United States contains 3l2 30 grains,
or 26.70 grains more, and is yet far be-
low the weight demanded by the great
money centers of Europe. The present
price of silver bullion would require 500
grains in a silver dollar, or 81. so grains
more than at present, to make it actually
worth as much as gold dollar and
while Europe has been attempting to
force us to bring the silver coin up in
weight, the tendency of any effort to
bring about uniform American silver
coinage must necessarily be, for the rea-
sons stated, to persuade us to decrease its
weight. Mexico has silver dollar worth
1853 cents and single silver standard,
and her voice will doubtless be for re-
duction of weight and value rather than
for an increase.
With European nations gradually ap.
preaching a return to bimetallism, it
would seem to be highly imprudent to
check that tendency by any debasement
of silver coin in this country, and it is
possible to meet the desired uniformity
of coinage among American nations
with only slight change in our present
system. .......
The half-dollar piece of the United
States contains 1920 grains of silver,
and two of them, containing 384.1S
grains, are only 1.62 less in weight than
the peso, boliviano, and sol of the eight
American nations having a common
standard.
1t is thrown out as suggestion that
by raising the weight of these half-dol-
lar pieces, say one grain each, and CIV
ing them a name to mark them as part
of a general American system, great
step would be taken in the solution Of
the problem of uniform American sil-
yer coinage without disturbing other
wise than by improving the European
tendency to bimetallism.-NelC York.
Press.