The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-03
COINAGE OF GOLD.
where the Mstal May be Reckonsa
in Terms Of the
GREATEST UNIT OF WEIGHT.
Tho Precious Metal Referred to as SO
Many Tons Instead Of Ounces.
Some Interesting Figr}ss From
the Great Branch Mint at San
Francisco.

San Francisco Chronicle: Ordinarily
neople speak Of gold bullion. when guam
titles are mentioned, as SO many
OUNCES except in San Francisco. where
the receipts OF gold bullion at the Uni
ted states branch mint are referred to
as so many tons TOR certain days It
sounds like an enormous boast, border
ing on the fabulous. yet 1t is true. The
mint books show 1t; the bullion was re-
reIyed. coined and turned over to its
owners, One day in, August last four
tons of the precious metal were receiv-
ed Mt the mint for coinage, while in oc-
tober, 1897, the receipts for one day
we're six tons. That exceeds the re-
ceIpts Of any other mint. as far as
known, and so does the total coinage of
the San Francisco branch mint ex-
coed that of any other of recent years,
and 1t is still on the increase.
The coinage Of the last fiscal year,
ended June 30. 1899. according to the re-
mort Just completed, was the largest in
the history Of the mint. Y consisted of
1sSSS75 pieces. valued 9tSiSsS, s62,s76,
That coinage has been exceeded only in
amount in the coinage history Of the
government on two occasions. at the
mint in Philadelphia, in the year 1861.
some s7o.OOO.OOO was coined. and again
in the same place. in 1881, something
yer s76OOO.OOO was coined. Since then
California has pushed forward, and now
holds the front rank for amounts.
The largest amount heretofore coined
in the San Francisco mint during any
calendar year was in 1S7s-35O. 1S6,5OO.
This year the coinage is expected to at
least approximate that Of 1893. Prior
to 1897, and for the fifteen years pre-
cedlng, the coinage of the San Francis
co mint averaged about S25,OOO,0OO a
year In that year the amount took a
sudden leap and went up.to $40, os4,291.
The largest number qf deposits for
one month in the history tof the mint
WINS in August 1899 They reached
1858, aggregatIng nearly 100000 ounces.
value about $125OO,OOO. For the three
wears prior to that time deposits aver
aged from 500 to 700 a month, which
was considered very good business. The
heaviest deposits for one day in that
month aggregated four tons Of gold. a
large consignment Of English sover-
elgns arrived that day from Austrpllar
and were sent to the mint to be re-
coined: a large lot of dust and nuggets
were landed from the Elondike, while
some gold came from Pacific coast
= mines and Mexico.
This was only exceeded once. as far
RS the records show, and that was one
day In October, 1897 The deposits fol
the month were $685. and the coinage
$4,000 coo. But six tons OF gold came ir
one dav, valued Mt about 100000 0O rat
inc a ton ut 100000. which is the ac.
CeDted valuation, This deposit consist
eI Ia gely Of British sovereigns from
Australia, though there was consider
Lble Elnndike gold received that day.
ENr the first two months OF the cur
rent veur the coinage was $lO,272,636, as
n~a'est the corresponding two months
OF the last fiscal year, $l0,697,SS4 Near.
~ al the gold from the klondtke am
Care Nome has found It's way OF late
to Fan Francisco. Last year the gold
WIS sent from Seattle to Philadelphia
for coinage.
Now that the bulk Of the gold product
OF the north comes to san Francisco
the best record Of the output Is obtain.
able here, On September Of this yeal
S9,42l, 403 was deposited from that sec.
tIon. Since that date about s.. 5000OC
more has been received at the SaT
Francisco mint. making practically
$1,000, 900 from the Klondike this sea-
son thus far. Judging from the receipt!
Of last year It is safe to estimate the
total output for the year at $l4,0OO.0 900
II this be realized 1t will exceed The
outnut OF last year by $3,0O0,000.
The average value OF Klondlke gold
last year received at the mint wal
tl5.15 an ounce. although It ranged
from $14 10 to $40. Both were exception
al case. A large number Of tests vert
made from deposits, showing an aver
age Of SIS 75 an ounce. The Cane Nom
gold shows nm average d 81 so. bu
ranges from SIS to SIS. The finer DUAL
fly predomlnates. ISL
While the mint at Philadelphia hn'
produced larger number OF coins dur
ing the same period. requiring twice tn
force, the coinage OF the San Francisco
mint exceeds that OF Philadelphia. and
perhaps. Of any other mint in value
Philadelphia turns out more subsldiar!
coins. but San Francisco has prOducet
more gold coin In the aggregate thai
Philadelphia.
During the week Just passed tire
car loads OF silver have been received
at the San Francisco mint from Philn
delphia. quite an unusual thing. TIL
shipment OF that bullion to this cit,
is due to the great demand for subsl
diary coin. The large surplus whicl
has been kept here to meet such CondI
tions and which had been considered
excessive for many years became ex
hausted. To obvIate shipping and re
shipping the government arranged
with dealers to deposit silver in SaI
Francisco and receive the correspond
ing amount OF bullion in Philadelphia
All the silver required for the past yea
and prior to that time has been sup
piled here through that agency. unit
the past few months. when the extra
ordinary demand for silver in tn
Orient completely exhausted the sur
plus. and silver was worth moro In Sn'
Francisco than In New York. The sill
yer was shipped principally TO China.
Never before In the history of til
mint mas there been such demand 10
subsidiary coin as In the past elghtee'
month";. The cost Of making the coli
Is less In san Francisco than IN an
other mint In the United States by tn
piece. or the money coined here las
year. sjS.OOO,OJO was In gold represent
Ing over ll6 tons In bullion. and l65 ton
Of silver bullion, an amount EeArcsl.
cqunlled In any mint In the world.
==s--S--p-os-
Cold Steel or Death.
There Ia but one small chance I,
save your life and TINT liz through nj
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