The McCook tribune., 1896-12-11
MINT DIRECTORS REPORT,
Operations of the Last Fiscal Year
Total Coinage STIls..IG8

Operations of the Last Fiscal Year
Total Coinage $TI,1sS.IGa.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.--Thc report OF
Il. E. Preston, the director of the mint
shows the operations of the n2ints and
assay offices during the fiscal year
1896, together with statistics of foreign
countries relative to the production.
coinage and monetary condition of
each
The original gold bullion deposited
at the mints and assay offices during
the year was valued at SOS. 700. .3S3
The original silver bullion deposited
represented coinage value of $11,572,
or.
The coinage executed at the mints
during the fiscal year was as follows:
Gold, $5s, ,S7s. 400: silver dollars, 81, ,5Oo,-
Ss2; subsidiary silver. 81, 939, $40: minor
coins, 1860, ,337; total. 81, ,lSs, ,46s.
There was total coinage under the
act OF July IA, 1890, up to November !, 3,
1896, of $50, COG, s7G, with signiorage
of $13, ,3O4 ,034; leaving on hand at the
miRts balance of 12J, ,O61, ,262 fine
ounces, costing $112, S65, ,625.
The average London price of silver
bullion during the fiscal year was
equivalent to SO.6SOO7; the New York
price was SO 69491, and the average
price at the par of exchange was
$0.675ss The highest quotation dur
ing the year was equivalent to So 7O2O4;
the lowest quotation, $O66OS1. The
commercial ratio of gold to silver was
l to 30 5S, and the bullion value of a
United States silver dollar, at the
yearly average price, was $O.52262.
The net gold exports for the fiscal
year were SIS, 1904, ,612 as against S3O,-
117,376 for the previous year. The net
silver exports were $33, 262 ,25S. as
against $27, ,631,7S9 for the previous
year.
The employment of precious metals
in the industrial arts in the United
States during the calendar year 1895
was: Gold, $13, ,429, ,0S5; silver. $12,277,-
O24
The metallic stock in the United
States on July l, 1896, was: Gold, $780,
597, 1854; silver, secs, ,72S, OIL, total of
81 .22S, $780, ,035.
The estimated production of the
precious metals in the United States
during the calendar year, 1895, was:
Fine Commercial Coming
Metals S54 9so a9e X3gs 6Ho
Silver. 55,727,0OO 36,445,OOO 72,O51 900
The estimated production of gold
and silver in the world for the calen-
dar year, 1895, was as follows:
III
Ged s6s4e4o ie 5se 600 5000 yaSe 46S GOO
Silver. 16s, ,3Os,353 11O,O73,7OO 217,51O,sOO
The total coinage of gold and silver
by the various countries of the world
was as follows:
Gold, $231, ,Os7, ,43s; silver, $121,61O,-
219; total, 1852, ,697,657
The total metallic stock and uncov-
cred paper in the world was estimated
on January l, 1896, as follows: Gold.
81, 143, 700, 900; full legal tender silver,
S3, GIG, zoo, 900; limited tender silver,
$500, 200, 900; total metallic stock,
SS, $50, SOC. 900; uncovered paper, So, ,55s,-
900, 900; grand total. $40, 93S, 600, 900.
The director l., his report states
there is no doubt that the silver coins
Of the United States are now being
exactly similar to the
genuine in size, weight and devices.
Some of these coins cannot be distin-
yuished from the genuine, even by ex-
oerts. A very dangerous counterfeit
silver half dollar has made it's appear
lnce in the East and West. the weight
II which is 1872 grains. with fineness
IF .S671a, while the weight of the gen
line is 1929, of the fineness of 900.
The profit to the cOunterfeiter is now
about 100 per cent. SO far the best
Known protection against the counter
citing of coins has been found to be
he lettering placed on the edges sim
lar to that on the first coinages of the
United States, or of the 5-franc piece of
france.