The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-01-09
CENTS OF ALUMINIUM.
Tests at the Mint to See II This Use of the
Metal Is Practicable.

$3.50
Metal Is Practicable.
In the short period that will elapse
before congress convenes again In De.
oember a series Of interesting expert
ments in coinage will be conducted at
the mint in this city. Metals and alloys
heretofore untried for the purpose will
be tested and stamped into token coins.
Their availability as substitutes for the
alloys Of which the minor coins-nickels
and cents-are now made will be ascer-
tanned and samples submitted to con-
gress.
OF all the countless possible alloys to
be obtained from copper, tin, nickel and
aluminium in different combinations
perhaps 10 or 30 may be found fairly
satisfactory. 1t 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 / cent and 8 cent pieces. The ex-
periments are merely ordered to keep in
touch with the times and to gain q
knowledge of The Philadel-
phia mint, while having no regular ex-
perimental department., is we'll equipped
to make the tests.
Aluminium, which has never yet
found a place in the currency of any ma
ton. is to be worked up into trial coins.
II is also to be given a chance in new
alloys. Aluminium is a metal of which
but little has been known until recent
~, and 1t has been found useful in so
many ways that a popular idea prevails
chat it would be good for coins. Chief
among its advantages would be it's very
light weight. Cents made of it could
readily be distinguished from coins Of
the same size by this remarkable light
ness alone.
DIR. D. X. futile, the chief refiner at
the mint, who knows all about the prop
critics Of metals, is somewhat skeptical,
however, as to whether aluminium will
come out of the proposed tests with fly
ing colors. 1t is extremely difficult to
anneal, and when heated will suddenly
run like butter instead of becoming plas-
tic. There would be trouble in rolling
it into the long strips from which disks
are cut preparatory to stamping. Of
course it can be worked. but not with
sufficient ease and rapidity to make it
practicable for coming on a large scale.
Pure nickel has recently been coined
in Switzerland, but it has been found
just as difficult to handle as aluminium,
though for a different reason. Such
great heat is necessary to bring it into
condition for coming that the operation
is slow and expensive. While pure nick
el coins might satisfactorily be made
in the minis Of Switzerland. it does not
follow that the same would be true at
the Philadelphia mint, which is called
upon TO turn out so times az many 5
cent pieces as the minis of that country
and could not spare the time to work
over them.
The 8 cent coin now in use contains
only % per cent of nickel, the remain
ing rs per cent being of copper. Nickel,
more than any other metal, has the
property Of giving its color to an alloy.
Even an alloy Of 90 per cent copper and
10 per cent of nickel will be nearly
white. The advantage of using a great
er proportion of nickel in the 8 cent
IiOtO II tAOlVlOAO boU opPdICupJ CbpC-
cially as more than 25 per cent of it
makes the alloy refractory.
The experiments at the mint will in
clude 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 alu-
minimum bronze. German silver has been
used for coins by one Of the small South
American states and proved fairly adapt
ed for the purpose. Bronze is commonly
used for coins of small value, 1t is
doubtful if aluminium bronze in any
form will be found acceptable, as 1t lie
hard to work and has a yellow, brassy
appearance, resembling gold, which is
to be avoided in all coins Of small de-
nomination. Philadelphia Record.