The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
TONS OF GOLD COINED.
Where the Metal May BE Rockoncd in
Terms of the Greatest Unit of Weight.
From the San Francisco C1ronfci,.


From the San Pranciseo Chronicle,
Ordinarily people speak of gold bullion, when
quantities are mentioned so many ounces
except in San Francisco where the receipts of gold
bullion al sho United STATES branch mint are re-
ferred TO as so many tons for ccrain days /.
sounds like enormous boas,, bordering on he
fabulous, yet i, Is .rue. The mine books show
IT, the bullion was received coined and turned
over 10 It's owners One day in August last four
tons OF the precious metal were received at the
mint for coinage, while in October 1897, the re-
ceipts for one day were six tons That exceeds
the receipts of any other mint, as far as known,
and so does the total coinage OF the San Francisco
branch mint exceed that Of any other Of recent
years and it is still on the increase.
The coinage Of the last fiscal year ended June
80 1893, according to the report Just completed
was the largest in the history OF this mint II
consisted OF 1888, 1915 pieces, valued at $685.
S62275 That coinage has been exceeded only
in amount in the coinage history of the Govern
ment on two occasions At the mint in Pha-
delphia in the year 1861, some SIC, 600, 600 was
coined and aga'n IN the same place, in 1881 some
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 ls7S-$5O, 1861 500. This year the coinage
Is expected to at least approximate that of 1903
the coinage OF the San Francisco Mint averaged
about S25 900 900 year. In that year the amount
took sudden leap and went up to $40 Os pol
II. The largest number OF deposits for one month in
the history Of the mint was In August 1859. They
reached s53' sEgIegaiing nearly 70o, GOO ounces.
value about Sl25oO,O 600. For the three years
prior To that time deposits averaged from 500 10
700 month which was considered very good bust
ness. The heaviest deposits for one day in that
sgnmcn Of English sovereigns arrived thst t dny
from Australia, and were sent TO the mint 10 lie
recoined; a large lot q dust and nuggets were
landed from the klondikc, while some gold came
from Pacific Coast mines and Mexico.
This was only exceeded once as far as the rec
oIds show and that was one day in October. 1897.
The deposits for the month were 955 and the coin
age 50, 600, 900 But six tons OF gold came in one
day, valued at about SO, 900, 900, rating ton at
deposit consisted largely of British sovercigns
from Australia, though there was considerable
klundike gold received that day.
For the first two months Of the current year the
bonding two months Of the last fiscal year, $40
697; 1874. Nearly, all the gold from the Klondike
and Cape Nome has found its way Of late to san
francisco; Last year the gold was sent from
Now that the bulk Of the gold product Of the
north comes TO San Francisco the best record Of
the output Is obtainahle here, On Sept Of this
Since that date about 81 500 900 more has been r.
ccivcd ut the San Francisco Mint, making practi-
cally 81 100000 from the Klondik this season
thus far Judging from the receipts Of last year
II Is safe 10 estimate the total output for the year
nj Sli, 900 600 II this he realized il will exceed
the output Of last year by So, 600 600
The average value OF Klondike gold last wear
received AT the mint was SIX. 10 an ounce although
it ranged from sl4.7O to $40, Both were except
iOnal cases, A large number Of tests were made
from deposits, showing on average Of SIS rs an
ounce. The Cape Nome gold shows an average Of
Sl75O, but ranges from SIS toSlS The finer Iual-
ty predominatcS
While the mint at Philadelphia has produced
a larger number Of coins during the same period,
requiring twice the force, the coinage Of tie San
Francisco Mint exceeds that Of Philadelphia and
perhaps Of any other mint in value Philadelphia
turns out more subsidiary coins, but San Fran
cisco has produced more gold coin in the aggre-
gate than Philadelphia
During the week Just passed three car loads
OF $ liver have been received at the San Francisco
Mint from Philadelphia, quite an unusual thing.
The shipment Of that bullion 10 this city Is due
TO the great demand for subsidiary coin. The
large surplus which has been kept here To meet
such conditions and which had been considered
To obviate shipping and reshipping the govern
ment arranged with dealers To deposit silver in
San Francisco and receive the corresponding
amount OF bull lion in Philadelphia. All the silver
required for tho past year and prior TO that time
has been supplied here through that agency
until the past few months, when the extTaordi-
nary demand for silver In the Orient completely
exhausted the surplus, and silver was worth more
in San Francisco than in New York. The silver
was shipped principally to China.
Never before in the history Of the mint has
there been such a demand for subsidiary coin
as in the past eighteen months The cost OF
making the co is less in San Francisco .han
in any other mint in he United ates by the
piece OF the money coined here last year, $50 600
900 was in gold representing 116 tons In bull
lion, and 1875 ions Of silver bullion, an amount
scarcely eQualled in any mint in tho world