Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-16

W
Sec. IA. That the gold coins of the
United States shall be a one-dollar
piece, which at the standard weight
of twenty-five and eighteenth grains,
shall be the unit of value; a quarter
eagle, or two-and-a-half dollar piece; q
three dollar piece; a half-eagle, or i've
dollar piece; an eagle, or ten dollar
piece; and a double eagle, or twenty
dollar piece. And the standard weight
OF the gold dollar shall be twenty-five
and eight-tenths grains; of the quar-
eagle, or two-and-a-half-a-dollar piece,
sixty-fouranda half grains; Of the three
dollar piece seventy-seven and four
tenths grains; of the half eagle, or five
dollar piece, one hundred and twenty
nine grains; of the eagle, or ten dollar
piece, two hundred and fifty-eight
grains; Of the double-eagle, or twenty
dollar piece, five hundred and sixteen
tender in all payments at the nominal
value, when not below the standard
weight and limit of tolerance provided
in this act for the single piece, and
when reduced in weight below said
standard and tolerance, shall be legal
tender at valuation in proportion to
their actual weight; and any gold coin
of the United States, if reduced In
weight by natural abrasion and not
more than one-half Of one per centum
below the standard weight prescribed
by law, after a circulation of twenty
years, as shown by its date Of coinage,
and at ratable proportion for any
period less than twenty years, shall be
received at their nominal value by the
United States Treasury and its offices.
under such regulations as the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury may prescribe for
the protection of the Government
against fraudulent abrasion or other
practices; and any gold coins in the
Treasury Of the United States reduced
in weight below this limit Of abrasion
shall be recoined. /
"Sec. 10. That the silver coins Of tho
United States shall be trade dollar q
half-dollar or fifty-cent piece, q quar-,
ter-dollar or twenty-five-cent piece, /
dime OF ten-cent piece; and the weight
Of the trade-dollar shall be four hum
dred and twenty grains. troy; tho
weight of the half-dollar shall 6S
twelve grams (grammes) and S6e-haR
of gram (gramme); the quartef-dollaH
and the dime shall be respectively, one:
half and one-fifth Of the weight Of said
half dollar; and said coins shall be q
legal tender at their nominal v&ide for
any amount not exceeding Ave dollars
In any one payment" ~..- -
1t will be noticed that by the previeus
coinage laws in which silver was the
recognized unit Of value" all gold
coins were, by permission, unlimited
legal tender. In this law of '7S, Ia
which the unit of value" was changed
from the silver dollar to the gold one,
dollar piece, silver was not permitted
the unlimited legal tender quality
formerly accorded to gold. Il
The limited legal tender conferred
upon the trade-dollar by this act OF 'f8
was taken away from 1t by joint teso-,
luton adopted by the house and senate
and approved July, 20, 1876, which de-
clares:
"Sec. 2. That the trade-dollar shall
not hereafter be legal tender, and tho
Secretary of the Treasury is hereby au-
thorized to limit from time to time the
coinage thereof to such an amount as
he may deem sufficient to meet the ex-.
port demand for the same" |
The full legal tender power was re-
stored to the standard silver dollar BY
the first section Of the Bland-Alllsoh
act, adopted Feb. %, 1878, and which
reads in part as follows:
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and the
House of Representatives Of the United
States of America, in Congress ast
sembled: That there shall be coined
at the several minis of the United
States silver dollars Of the weight
of four hundred and twelve and
half grains, try, Of standard
silver, as provided in the act Of
January eighteenth, eighteen hun
bred and thirty-seven, on which
shall be the devices and superscrip-
tions provided by said act, which coins
together with all silver dollars hereto
fore coined by the United States Of
like weight and fneness shall be
legal tender at their nominal value for
all debts and dues, public and private,
except where otherwise expressly
stipulated in the contract" (The re-
mainder of the section limits the coin
age to not less than two nor more than
four millions Of dollars per month at
discretion Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury.
The legal tender portion of this law,
never having been repealed, the silver
dollar is today an unlimited legal
tender.
The law of Sept. rs, 1890, declares;
"That from and after the passage of
this act the coinage of the three-dollar
gold piece, the one-dollar gold piece,
and the three-cent nickel piece be, and
the same is hereby, prohibited, and the
pieces named shall not be struck or is
sued by the Mint of the United States"
cinca tho law NJ ia eYnressly fyes