The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-15
THE U. s. MINIS.
Something About the Process Of
Coming Money.

Something About the Process OF
Coming Money.
1t is quite natural that the United
States mint should have many visitors.
1t amuses one, the manufacture of
money, and even the hardened million
aire or the passionless cashier of saw
ings bank is bound to be impressed by
the fine sang-froid of the maidens who
sit at the coinage machines, their laps
heaping full of the precious blankets.
and handle gold and silver as coolly
as though they were Smelling peas.
Yes, it is well worth while to come
to Philadelphia just to see them.
You find the mint on Chestnut street,
just below Broad, rather squat but
striking structure of white marble,
with Grecian facade.
The first building erected in the
United States for public use, under the
authority of the federal government,
was one for the United States mint. 1t
was PLAIN, brick building, on che east
side of Seventh street, near Arch, and
the cornerstone was laid by the great
David Rittenhouse. director of the
mint, on July 81, 1892. The following
October operations of coming began.
On the 10th of May, 1929, an act was
passed by congress locating the United
States mint on its present site. The
first coinage was of silver half-dimes.
in October, 1892. The first metal pur.
chased for coinage was six pounds OF
old copper, at one shilling and three
pence per pound, which was coined
and delivered to the treasurer in 1893.
The first deposit of silver bullion
was made on July Is, 1894, by the
Bank of Maryland. 1t consisted OF
''coins of France" amounting to $780,
T15.731s. The first return of gold coin.
age was on July 81, 1895, and consisted
of seven hundred and forty -four hall
eagles.
Over forty thousand persons visit the
mint in the course of year. Owing to
the immense amount of the precious met
ais which is always in course of transit
ton and the watchful care necessary to
a correct transaction of business, the
public is necessarily excluded from
some of the departments The system
of surveillance adopted in the mint is
SO precise and the weighing SO accurate,
that the abstraction of the smallest
particle of metal would lead to almost
immediate detection.
All the gold and silver received for
coming is first weighed. The largest
weight used in the deposit-room is five
Sc. Il,
thousandth part of an ounce. The
scales are wonderfully delicate, and
are examined and adjusted on alternate
days. Tn the right of this room is one
of the twelve vaults in the building
OF solid masonry, several of them are
iron-lined, with double doors of the
same metal and most complicated and
burglar-proof locks.
1t is estimated that about fifteen
hundred million dollars worth of gold
has been received and weighed in this
room. probably nine-tenths of the
amount being from California since its
discovery there in the year 1s4s. Pre-.
vious to that time the surplus of gold
came principally from Virginia, North
Caroline and Georgia. During the past
ten years considerable quantities have
been received from Nove Scotia, but
most of the gold that reaches the mint
ut the present time comes from Califor
mia, Montana, Colorado, Idaho Nevada
Arizona, Oregon, Dakota, Virginia,
South Carolina and New Mexico. For.
merly the silver used by the mint came
principally from Mexico and South
America, but since the discovery of the
immense veins of that metal in the ter
ritories of the United States, the sup
ply is furnished from the great west
The copper used comes principally from
the mines of Lake Superior, the finest
from Minnesota. The nickel is chiefly
from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania
After the metal had been carefully
weighed in the presence of the depos
itor and the proper officials, it is locked
in iron boxes and taken to the melting
room, where it is opened by two men
each provided with a key to one of the
separate locks. There are four fur
naces in this room, and the first process.
of melting takes place here. The gold
and silver. being mixed with boraX ant
other fuxing material, is placed il
pots, melted and put in iron molds
and, when cooled, is again taken to thu
deposit-room in bars, where it is re
weighed and a small piece cut from
each lot by the assayer. From this tn.
6neness of the whole is ascertained
the value calculated, and the deposition
paid. The metal in its rough state i.
then transferred to the retiner
The two essential things regarding
every piece of metal offered in pay
ment of any dues are, first, the weigh
or quantity; next, the fineness o.
purity of the same. The process O
weighing even the baser metals uset
in coming must be conducted by tn,
careful use of accurate scales, will
precise notes of the results. In precious
metals-gold, silver and their high
grade alloys-a very small variation il
the fineness makes great difference
in the value. Nothing is more essen
tial than the accurate determination O
the weight OF the sample and of thu
metal obtained from it. 1t requires
keen sight and most delicate adjust
ment in the hand which manipulate.
the lilliputian scales of an assayer's
table. The smallest weight used in tn,
mint is found in the assay room; it il
the thirteen-hundredth part Of grain
and can scarcely be seen with tn,
naked eye. unless on white ground
The assay department is strictly ,
technical branch Of the service. It hsl