Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-05

Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES lNN'o-N
! There was a total coinage under the act Of
! July H. 1890 up to November /. 1896, OF
/ Sj6, 3O6 SIC with a segniorlge of Sl3,3Oi034,
/ leaving on hand at the mints n balance OF
| les 06l 262 fine ounces costing SIP 800 .625,
The balance on hand July l, 1896 available
for subsidiary silver coins was 1,16l,1OS fine
ounces, costing S,5li,52o.
| The total amount OF minor coins issued by
the mint at Philadelphia, since 1892 to June
so, 1896 was $27,S1SiO7 OF this amount
S23S2 i61 has been remelted, leaving $25,-
! i35 6i6 as to the total amount outstand-
! ing on June 3O 1896. Deducting the bal
anCe on hand at the mntS, July /, 1878 the
net seigniorage or profit on the coinage of
| silver from that date to June 30, 1896, was
| S7S,1i5, SOB.
Gold and silver bars were manufactured at
the mint and assay Office during the fiscal
year as follows: Gold. 5S,2lS53O; silver
| 1870 i5i
The average London price of silver bullion
during the fiscal year was equivalent to
SO.6S005; the New York price was $O.6SiD1,
and the average price at the par of exchange
was $O675sS. The highest quotation during
the year was equivalent to $O.7O2Oi; the
| lowest quotation SO.660Sl. The commercial
ratio of gold to silver was 1 to SO.5S, and
| the bullion value of a United States silver
dollar at the yearly average price was
S0.52262. The number OF grains of pure
silver at the average price purchasable with
United States silver dollar was 1905
equivalent to 1.479 fine ounces
The net gold exports for the fiscal year
were $1S9Ol612. as against $50 1876 for
the previous year. The net silver exports
were $3S 2G2, 25S as against S27, ,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 St2-
i29OS5; silver, S12277 O2l The new material
consumed in the manufacture Of these bars
was; Gold, $S,4S1,7S9; silver. 50, S25,3S7.
The metallic stock in the United States on
July |, 1896 was: Gold, $599 597 .954; silver,
S62S ,72S OIL; a total of 81 ,22S 1896 O85.
The estimated production of the precious
metals in the United States during the
calendar year, 1895, was:
Metals. ounces. Value, o%!nI1Ee WnIiES
Silver .......... 55,727OoO 36li5,OGO p O5iOO0
The estimated production of gold and sill
yer in the world for the calendar year 1895
Metals. Ounces. %aII VnIne o%!nihSe WninSS
Silver s5S iiSo737SS 2i75iS 2i75iSSOS
The total coinage of gold and silver by the
various countries OF the world was as fol-
lows: H.
ssiplId OS7iSS
SILVER ..,.,................. 12l, $40 219
Total ...........,,.............. 1862 697 GJ7
The total metallic stock and uncovered
I"I.i ~ 'ht NoIfu was estimated on January
l, 1896. as follows:
Full legal tender siiver..... s6iS 7V9 SSV
Limited tender silver. $50 OCOO
Total metallic stock. S3S0 500 zoo
Uncovered papef.................. 2.55S 900
Grand total .................., $40 02S eoo ma
Tho director in his report states there is
no doubt that the silver coins OF the United
States are being ,counterfeited exactly similar
to the genuine in size, weight and devices.
Some of these coins cannot be distinguished
from the genuine even by experts very
dangerous counterfeit silver half dollar has
made its appearance in the east and west,
the weight of Which is 1872 grains, with a
ineness of S671s, while the weight of the
genuine is 1929 OF the fineness of 900 The
profit to the counterfeter is now about 100
per cent So far the best known protection
against the counterfeiting of coins has been
found to he the lettering placed on the
edges, similar to that on the first coinages
Of the United States or of the 5-franc pieces
of France The director recommends that
authority be given the secretary OF the trcns-
ury to have experiments made to determine
tho best means of preventing counterfeit
ing or at least minimizing the danger.