The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-08
VIZ nlND OF prNNTEs.
Some Experiment., to Ee Made With
aluminium.

aluminium.
PHILADELPHIA. Nov. G.-Some inn
portant experiments are being made at
the Philaaelpnia mint Metals and al
lows heretofore untried for the purpose
Val be tested and stamped into token
coins. Their availability as substitutes
for the alloys Of which the minor coins
nickcls and cents-are now made Will be
ascertained and samples submitted 10
Congress.
OF all the countless possible allows
10 be obtained from copper. tin. nickel.
and aluminium ia different combinations,
perhaps niteen or twenty may be found
fairly satisfactory. Ii is possible that
one or two of these may advantageously
be brought into use for general coinage.
No fault has been found with the pres
ent one-ccnt and fve-cent pieces. The
experiments are merely ordered TO keep
in touch with the Tins, and 10 gain i
knowledge Of resources. The Philadel-
phia mint, while having no regular ex-
perimcntal department. is well equipped
10 nlA4e the tests.
Aluminium, which has never yet found
q place IN the currency Of any nation,
is TO be worked up into trial coins. II
- tNA"' ~ DIT" Given A 'tAeAAtNN III new
alloys. Aluminium IS a metal of which
little has been known until recently. and
it has been found useful in so many
ways that sort Of popular idea prevails
that it would be good for coins. Chief
among its advantages would be its very
light weight. Cents made OF it could
bc readily distinguished from coins OF
the same size by this remarkable light
ness alone.
Dr. ID. *. futile. the CHEZ renner at
the mint, who knows an about the prom
critics Of metals. is somewhat skeptical
however, as to whether aluminium will
come out OF The proposed tests with
flying colors. II is extremely difficult 10
anneal and when heated will suddenly
run ike butter instead OF become plastic.
There would be trouble in rolling IL into
the long strips from which disks are
cut preparatory 10 stamping. OF course.
II can be worked. but not with sufficient
ease and rapidly TO make 1t practicable
Tor coming on large scale.
4epcm H. "a Ngh.os,p LwS4( ujgxvld
fure nickel has recently been coined
IN switzerland. but II has been found iust
as oiihcult 10 handle as aluminium, though
Tor different reason Such great heat
Is necessary TO bring il into condition fer
coming that the operation is slow and
expensive. While pure nickel coins might
pe satisfactorily made In the minis OF
switzerland. IL does not follow that the
same would be true at the Philadelphia
mint which is called upon to turn out
hfty times as many nve-cent pieces as
the mints Of that country. and could not
spare the time to work over them.
The fve-cent coin now in use contains
only - per cent. Of nickel. the remaining
30 per cent. being Of copper. Nickel
more than any other metal. has the prep
erty Of giving Its color 10 an alloy. Even
an alloy Of 20 per cent. OF copper and
- per cent. Of nickel will be nearly white
The advantage Of using a greater pro-
portion Of nickel in the fiye-cent piece
Is, therefore, not apparent. especially as
more than % per cent. Of it makes the
alloy refractory
The experiments in the mint Will in
ciude different combinations OF nickel
copper and zinc. forming the alloys known
under the head Of German silver; copper
and tin, which produce bronze aluminium
and copper which make aluminium bronze.
German silver has been used fer coins BY
one OF the small South American states.
ana proved fairly adapted for the purpose.
Bronze Is commonly used for coins OF
small value. II ~ doubtful II aluminium
bronze In any form will be found accept
able. as ii is hard to work and has a yell
low. brassy appearance resembling gold,
which is TO be avoided In all coins OF
small denomination.