Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-12-26
PENNIES or ALUMINIUM.


4he Mint Makiug rcets to Sec ~ The,
Are Practicable.
In the short period that will elapoe
Before Congress convencs again in De
cember a series Of interesting expert.
ments in coinage will be conducted at
che mint in this city. Metals and al.
loys heretofore untried for the purpose
will be tested and stamped into token
coins. Their availability a. substitutes
fof the alloys Of which the minor coins
-nickels aud cents-are now made
win be ascertained and samples sub
mltted to Congress.
OF all the countless possible alloys to
be obtained from copper. tin. nickel
and aluminium in different combina.
tjone, perhaps fifteen or twenty may he
found fairly satisfactory. 1t Is possible
that one or two Of these may advan-
taeeously be brought into use for gen.
eral coinage. No fault has been found
with the present 1c. and &c. pieces.
The experiments are merely ordered TO
keep In touch with the times and 10
gain a knowledge Of resources. The
Philadelphia mint. while having no
regular experimental department. 10
well Quipped to make the tests.
Aluminium. which has never yet
found q place In the currency Of any
nation, 10 to be worked up into trial
coins. 1t IL also to be given a chance
In new alloys. Aluminium Is a metal
Of which but little has been known un.
I'll recently. and II has been found use.
full In 20 many ways that sort Of pop.
ular idea prevails that 1t would be good
for coins. Chief among Its advantages
would be its very light weight. Cents
made Of II could be readily distinguish.
cd from coins Of the same size by this
remarkable lightness alone.
DR.. d. X. Tuttlc. the chief refiner OF
the mint. who knows all about the
properties Of metals. Is somewhat
0keptical, however. as to whether alu.
minum will come out Of the proposed
tests with flying colors. 1t Is extremely
dimcult to anneal. and when heated
will suddenly run like butter instead ct
becoming plastic. There would be
trouble In rolling It into the long strips
from which disks are cut preparatory
TO stamping. or course, 1t can bs
worked, but not with sufficient ease
and rapidity to make 1t practicable for
coining on large scale.
Pure nickel has recently been coined
IN Switzerland. but 1t has been found
Just as difficult to handle rs aluimn um
though for q different reason. Such
great heat II necessary to bring II Into
condition for coming that the operation
% slow and expensive. While pure
nickel coins might be satisfactorily
made In the mints Of Switzerland, !,
does not follow that the same would
BE- true at the Philadelphia mint. which
= called upon to turn out nifty tine'
% many 5.cent pieces as the mlnts Of
that country. aud could not spare thu
time to work over them.
The 5.cent coin now In use contain
only % per cent. Of nickel. the remain
Ing IS per cent. being OF copper. Nickel
more than any other metal. has thu
property Of giving Its color to an alloy
Even an alloy OF 20 per cent. Of copper
and 10 per cent. OF nickel will be nearl!
white. The advantage Of using great
er proportion Of nickel In the been
piece In therefore not apparent, espe
cially 40 more than ?5 per cent. Of ]
makes the alloy refractory.
The experiments at the mint will In
elude different combinations OF nickel
copper and zinc. forming the alloy
known under the head OF German sil
yer: copper and tin. which produce
bronze; aluminium and copper. whicl
make aluminium bronze. German all
yer has been used for coins by one o
the small South American states. an
proved fairly adapted for the purpose
Bronze is commonly used for coins o
small value. 1t Is doubtful II aluminium
bronze In any form will be found nc
ceptable. as It Is hard to work, and ha
Q yellow. brassy appearance. resem
bling gold. which Is to be avoided j
all coins OF small denomlnat TONS
Philadelphia Record.