Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-05-06
COMING MONEY.
How Uncle Sam Turns Metal Into
Currency.
Machines That Are Marvels OF Accuracy
Press Making 80 Silver Dollars Minute.

ment, having at it's head superinten
dent, who is assisted by four chief off
GERS, the ''melter and refiner,' the "aS-
sayer" the "coiner'' and the "engray-
err These five officers are appointed
by the President and confirmed by the
Senate Many of the employees are
highly skilled mechanics. especially in
their own departments Coming money
is business that demands and secures
precision. With all the care possible
coming money is a slightly Wasteiui
and expensive process. Counting up al
the losses and expenses perhaps less
than 1Ia per cent will cover everything.
The melter and refiner arranges fer
melting the proper proportion of gold.
silver and copper. and each day hahaS
over Il certain portion to his operatives.
They put the allotted portion INTO
| craphite crucibles, which hold about 4
peck and a half of material. These are
placed in a closed furnace, usually
heated ny choice anthracite Goa!
| burned under 4 natural draft.
When the metal is thoroughly melted
it is well mixed by a graphite plunge'.
| looking something like the plunSer ol
an old-fashioned vertical butter churn.
The melted metal is dipped out of the
crucihlc by a smaller crucihle, hoidinS
| about a pint, which is held by long
pair of tongs 1t is then poured int
nicely finished iron molds, held together
hy temporary clamps, making the bars
found by the Coiner to be the most
suitable size and shape for rolling into
the various sized strips necessary for
the different coins. In pouring these
coinage bars into the vertical molds
there is always q superluous part OF
head left on the top to catch any dross
or impurities. In the ordinary foundry
this would be called the gate.
These rough bars are taken to a
steam driven machine and the tops cut
off for remelting. Before these bars
| are taken to the rolling room all the
wire edges left by the imperfections in
the mold are roughly filed off by hand.
During the process of melting ana
pouring samples are regularly taken
and sent to the assayers office for re-
examination and approval The nicely
| and accuracy OF the mint assays are
very remarkable. The balance or scale
i'm common use weighs to fifteen ten
thousandths of a grain. OF course,
they do not get 50 close as this in a
l,r,,- ,,,,rti,, of tbai,, ayar,- 1a1. r,ro o-
80, ,,,, c,,,,1,.. - ..,,i,,s ,,.s
,.,.,,a a,,.a,, aaab do,. j., ohadianc. -
r~,,tt.,7 c+a+as stot,,tas and az tb4 and
Of the year part of these coins. indis-
c,irninatelv selected from the lot are
rIhliclv tested by a committee If
prominent and skilled people appointed
annually hv the President for this
uurnose
These ean,nIe coins after having been
very cIosalv weighed aud reassave,l.
have o,, official r.port made Of their
v.aioht and tinenAss which is sent to
the secretary of the treasury These.
annual aseays arc very craditabIp 10
the accuracy of our mint experts. both
ne 10 rhn weight and ffneness of our
rnirs
The cold noVdar looks like common
crushed ;rou ore If =, lioht brown color.
l,ila IN. sil,-.,. ,,nv-,,.r looks like sn4nt
crushed limo Anntber object may
nf+An lac soon wing carclass1v ON the
roor which looks Iil5a . niece If hat
1ars.l old hf3ee ,,i,,e. ahnut an inch Ani
q, baif in dian,ntar ana five feet long
baut like = siuhon on fnuuirv Won Will
fn3 that II il made If cold and v-orth