Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-12-10

Washington, Dec. 5.-The report OF
the director Of the mint, MIR. Preston,
was made public yesterday. The coin
age at the minis during the fiscal year
was gold, $5S,S78.4S0; silver dol
lars, $7,50O,SS subsidiary silver, 49,
939,819; minor coins, $S69,377; total
371,188,468. There has been total
coinage upder the act OF July IA, 80,
up to Nov. ], '96, OF $56,3O6,S76 with a
seignorage OF $780, 34, leaving on
hand at the mints q balance OF $l2b,-
061 1862 fine ounces, costing $ll2,S6o.-
625. Gold and silver bars were manu-
featured at the mints and assay ofiicen
during the fiscal year as follows: Gold,
$53 ,24S, 523; silver, $7,37O,454.
The average London price OF silver
bullion during the fiscal year was equal
to G8005 cents; the New York price
68.41 cents. The average price MT par
of exchange was G7.5S8 cents. The
commercial ratio OF gold to silver was
3058 and ut bullion value the
United States silver dollar at the year
ly average price was worth b2.262
cents. Net gold exports for the fiscal
year were $78,904,G1 as against $780,
1876 the previous year. Net silver
exports were 1913 1852, 258, as against
$27 1881 ,789 the previous year.
The employment OF precious metals
IN industrial arts In the United States
during the calendar year Of '95 was:
gold, 1929, 0S5; silver, $l2,277,02d.
New material consumed in the manu-
facture of these bars was: gold $S,4S1,-
789; silver, 80, 1926, 1887.
The metallic stock In the United
States on July |, 1896, was: gold,
$599, 597, 954 silver, 1928, 72S. 071; total,
$1,22S, 1896, OBS. The estimated produc-
tion OF gold In the United States
during the calendar year of
Of 1896 was 2,254 .760 fine ounces,
with commercial value Of
sac, 900, the coming value being the
same M tho commercial value. In the
world during tho same period 1904 GAO
fine ounces OF gold with n commercial
Value Of 5000, 100000 were produced
or silver there was production In the
United States OF 55 ,727 900 fine ounces
with n commercial value OF $36 ,d55 900
and coming value of $2,O51 900; In
the world 1GS,308 353 fine ounces with
n commercial value Of $ll0,073,7 700 and
a coming value OF s2l7.5lO,So0 The
total coinage OF gold and silver by the
various countries OF the world was:
gold. $23l ,0S7 ,d3S: silver, 1921 ,610,219;
total $685., 697 ,657
The director In his report states
that tAere Ia no doubt that the silver
coins Of the United States arc now
being oounterfeited, exactly similar to
tho genuine In size. weight and de-
vices. Some OF these coins cannot be
distinguished from the genuine oven
by experts, "A very dangerous ooun-
terfelt OF silver half dollar has made
Its appearance In the cast and west,
the weight of which is 1879 grains
with n flneness OF S6711a while the
weight OF the genuine Is 1929, with
flneness OF 80. The profits to the
oounterfeitors Ia now about 100 per
cont. SO far the best known protec-
tion against the counterfeiting OF
coins has been found to be the letter
ing placed ON the edges similar to
that OF the first coins of the United
States. The director recommends that
authority he given tho secretary OF
tho treasury to have experiments
made to determine tho best meana OF
preventing counterfeiting or at least
minimizing the danger.