Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-19
REPORT ON PRECIOUS METALS.
Interesting Statistics Prepared by the
Director of the Mint.

Interesting Statistics Prepared by the
Director of the Mint.
WASHINGTON, April 19-Mr E. o. Leech,
the director of the mint, has transmitted
to congress report on the production of
precious metals. covering the calendar
year 1891, in response to a resolution of in
quiry adopted in the senate several weeks
ago. The product of gold in the United
States was 1904, $40 fine ounces, valued at
$33, l75, 600, an increase of $3.50, 900 over the
previous year. The product of silver was
s. 330, 600 fine ounces of the commercial
value Of s57, $50, 049 or of the coming value
in silver dollars of s75 ,565. This was
an increase of 3,S30,0O0 ounces over the
previous year
Silver Bought by Uncle Sam.
The amount of silver purchased by the
government during the year was "a, 393, ,912
fine ounces, costing S53, 196. s33. The av-
erage cost OF the silver purchased during
the year was s0.9S9 per fine ounce. The
average cost of the total amount pur-
chased under the act Of July II, 1890, has
been sl.02 per fine ounce. The price Of sill
yer at the commencement of the calendar
year 1891 was Sl.05S per fine ounce, and at
the close, Dec. 3l,was S0.955 per fine ounce.
Highest and Lowest Prices.
At the date of the passage of the act Of
July Ii, 1890, the price of silver was 1.0TL
per fine ounce; at the date the law went
into effect it had advanced to S1.13 The
highest point touched was on Aug. 10,
1890, sl.21 per fine ounce. The lowest
point touched was on March %, 1892
90. ssh per fine ounce. At the lowest price
of silver during the year the commercial
value of the pure silver contained in the
siI v. OF ho inha
price, 80. S26 and at the average price
S0764. At the price of silver March %,
1892, the commercial value of thepure
silver in the dollar was $066.
Imports and Exports.
Imports of gold aggregated $45, ,29s 92S;
exports aggregated SO, ls7, 400; net loss Of
gold, $SS, SIS 5T1. Imports of silver aggre-
gated S27.9l0, 1913; exports aggregated S2S,
7S3, 1893; excess Of exports, sST3, 200. The
value Of the precious metals used in the
industrial arts in the United States during
the year was: Gold, s19, zoo, 900; silver,
81, ,6SO, 600: total, 80, ,S3o, ,OOO-of which s10,-
697 ,679 gold and s. ,2s9 073 silver consisted
of new bullion.
Stock of Metal and Currency.
The metallic stock of the United States
January l. 1892, was: Gold, S6SS, ,665, I'll;
silver, S547, 49, so; total. 81, 255, 7S6. .670-
against a metallic stock January !, 1891,
of gold sS0S, ,597. l2S; silver, S4S6, ,545, ore;
total, 81, 1871, AZ. .204. The total amount of
paper and metallic money in circulation
January l, 1892 exclusive Of the amount
in the treasury and it's branches), was
81, sos, ,393, 500, against 81, ,52S, ,594, ,627 on
January l, 1s9l-increase, S53, 799, ,002. The
amount of paper and metallic money in
actual circulation April l, 1892, was 81
COS, ,641, $50.
Comparative Production.
The product of gold and silver in the
world for the calendar years 1889, 1890 and
1891 was as follows: Gold-Value in 1889,
sl23, 1895, 600; in 1890, sl19, ,464 900; in 1891,
1924, 229,0 900. The following table gives the
figures for silver:
Fine Commercial Coming
Year. ounces. value. value.
1889. 80. .123 e5.OOO Sis 1900 sl59, es5 600
1890. go. .132 $4,000 l59.4s5,0OO 171,1A0O
1891. -. lao, ,s55,OU lss.l75.OD 1se, 600
The report is full, of information valua-
BILE especially to those studying the silver
question.
Senate and House in Brief.
WASHINGTON, April 19.-The senate
yesterday passed the two court bills laid
over from Thursday of last week and
spent most of the remainder of the day in
executive session over the modus vivendi
in Behring sea, and other matters. One
oft tha hills incr ha l,o~