Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-19
AL MINlUM IN COINS.
The Idea Of Using It as an Alloy Advo-
Gated Years Ago.
Suggestions That Were Made When France
Had Bad Case Of silver-Soms
Interesting Experiments.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

Referring to your article reporting a session
held by the Int. Id. Alum. Mon. League Mon
day. 14th, at Metzerott Hall, and your criticism
of its intentions and motions lin which en-
tirely coincidc), allow me to add few points,
however, on the subject which do not seem to
De known either by the league" or the re-
porter.
1t is not the first time that aluminium has
been considered in relation to coinage not as a
standard metal or Q unit Of intrinsic value, but
az an alloy. 1t has peculiar virtues eminently
ntted for this very purpose and within the
period from about 1855 to 1860 its alloying
qualities were deeply studied BY DR., Ii. Rose OF
Berlin. Dr. Percy Of London and Or. Henry
Montucci OF Paris. / was very intimate with
the latter and his family, and though a mere
child then, became much interested in the eX-
perhnents Of his private laboratory. and was
very proud to be allowed to hold the candle,
hand the tools, watch the crucibles and follow
the results of the tests.
During the period in France, from 1855, the
year OF the Paris universal exposition and OF
the Crimean war, ending in 1856. both of which
events attracted great deal Of French money
out OF its country. the war especially dragging
1t eastward during that period, France grad
uallv had bad case Of "silver question too.
The French metal is Of better quality and the
coin of moro value than that Of any Of its
neighbors.
Thus several times the mint had to announce
that 1t would only cash at discount such and
such foreign silver coin having large crcu-
lation in France at the time. bearing the same
name and apparently representing the same
value. Housekeepers especially had a hard
time OF it in the small transactions Of life. The
''helvetia" OF Switzerland was soon refused by
illiterate market people, who very quickly
1t was not a "French republic" coin.
though both were female figures with
Phrygian CABS The heads Of Leopold
OF Belgium and Of Victor Emmanuel of italy
were soon known by sight, not to picture the
features Of Napoleon III, and MANY a time in
the furry the head of Victoria on n sixpence
was refused as "no good" though In point of
fact the coin was worth two sous or a penny
more than the national fifty confines it
resembled. No one living in France during
those wears can forget the scare of the "niece
suisse, ;" which went far beyond the dread hor-
ror there was here few wears ago Of the trade
dollar" Switzerland had the monopolv of the
scare. Both nations speaking the same Ian
guage. small transactions ON the frontier lines
were constant and money duly exchanged. The
Swiss silver piece flooded France and STAYED.
Switzerland kent the French coin at home
melted it and recoined il with its own standard
of value, making a fine pro6t by il This was
a system that had spread around and was fol-
lowed, not directly by the national miuts. but
by private smeiters, who would then sell to
their government the pure silver inpot thew
had extracted. or course France could
melt the foreign coins in return, but size
could only get inferior silver and pro-
portionately more ALLOW than in her
adopted standard. The case soon became a
matter of moment; there was an exodus of sill
yer and all seize fists began thinking of it. DIR.
Montucci of Paris. corresponding member of
the Academy of Sciences and scientific con-
tributor to MANY reviews and magazines of the
day (his literary works being in four Ian
guages) having followed the studies Of DR.
-
poused the cause of Aluminium and Jaw in its
peculiar properties a chance TO preserve silver
at home.
Its Iiebtness makes IL a convenient ALLOW 70 a
coin without increasing it's weight perceptibly:
its brightness does not mar the beantv Of silver
and gold: it will increase the size OF a very small
quantity of gold. making it possible to com
small denominations of it. giving them suffi-
Gent bulk 70 he handled thus throwing moro
CURRENCY on the market. but it's sunerlatiye
quality Is that it cannot be separated by melt
ing after once it has been allowed to another
metal This would at once have stoned the
retention Of French silver from circulation, for
what would have been the use o SO doing when
the pure silver could not be extrocted
The ALLOW. when melted. was only of use TO
the country who manufactured that prooortion
of metal for 1ts coin A. a metal IL had lost its
worth TO anv other country The varions re-
anita Of the tests ware described nv DIR
Nontucci in a little namnhlet entitlsd .De
TAIuminium considere re CONNIE ma tiere mone-
taire. and published under the nom de plume
~ III NJ Ward in 1870 nv Y nau.ra
D-lI a., 49, ~. ,.
IIooaois 'no oopy nav VI !. Is .ne ohis one
now eAlstnS. AT least IN the united states.
Events tralied their long course till toward
1865 or '66, the Comte de Chambrier, then di-
rector Of the archives a very old and init mate
friend of the emperor admitted To him n naner
on the snh;ect fron, nr Nontrcc; u;,h :. f1;ttIa
- $50 s,,t.;-; -. - % ~.
Je"oi e"oo, .o'"iiins vi, eoi' oeo VI oiue
satin seVerai specimens OF amateur unstamped
coins, made to represent different current
values. Among others was plan to do away
with the heavy and cumbersome brass
and conner sous and substitute small
cIson rb;ta coins Igbt 70 ,ba snaor
loho"AnS tn9 !aes oi INC hcAei h'e
cents OF the United states. Also TO prevent
errors In manipulating silver and the baser
coin. it was suggested that the inferior coins
might have their circumference "bexagoned"
mr. ..octaponed so that even a blind man conJd
o., ~ 49, - - H. h.j,J -; r.
1eIi VINO ,"ioe Vi "na, VIVA, nc hanueu. Louie va
Poieoh was struck WIN tue pan ana al inter-
view was held to explain discuss and enlarge
the idea and suggestions OF the pamphlet.
The conclusion was that the tests would be
ordered on n large scale at tina mint. the nIans
would tbere he FEATURED tbronyb the henaft 30
80 T., r. ,Sroot;oaJ ,,,.r;,,UIs.;o - -..
uIn'' Al 'no p"e'.o1 i"i.iPui"'uu W eAPoi'S
anu pfoPe. hAacnihefs, men inc s!etem OF
national coinage was 10 be altered; the intended
course was for France to declare monopoly on
aluminium and make its manufacture
state industry. like tobacco and the Gobelins
tanestrv-tbere being no fear of nrivato
art i,t.rfarins g. - III ~,
Prise iutci II tOuiu tulS pe