The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-30
(Phila delphia North American,

>NpAti VI
The sacred brass pound has beer
on its Job again.
What is the sacred brass pound ?
Well. it looks like IL duck egg in plain
brass. with the point shaved off to
serve as a stable base for it to rest
on. and with a rather neatly orna-
mental fiat top. like those you sec
sticking UP from the pound and half
pound weights near the drug store
scales. rising from tho upturncd butt.
This sacred brass pound of the
the last resort in determining the
correct weight of all tho money mint
cd in the United States.
n government of the United
States was fairly prompt in deciding
that it had to york from a fixed
st adard for its coinage, and yet it
was nearly half a century or so late
IN reaching the conclusion that any
absolute standard was necessary.
dozen years or SO after the war
of 1872 had ended and peace showed
itself as indefinitely assured-in 1927
Instructions were given the Ameri-
can minister in London to procure
there a pound weight of brass which
would be Of the exact standard of IL
ounces. troy-eXact to the smallest
fraction of a grain. In 1923 the
practice had been instituted Of having
Il government commission examine
and weigh sample coins made during
the year. at the mint. so that all gov
eminent currency could. in itself, sup
port the guarantee of the government
that it contained precisely so much
gold. or silver, as was specified by
law.
In compliance with the behest
there came from London the brass
pound which has ever since been the
ultimate standard for the comparison
of all u coinage. the little duck egg
that was destined ultimately to end
the once common crime of Sweat
ing" coins. So long as there was any
possible doubt. to the fraction of a
grain. as to the full weight Of a gold
long it would be impossible to prove
that any appreciable quantity had
been taken from it.
metal in the fundamental brass
pound destined to be. and so keenly
was that Importance appreciated,
that its Very shape was made to en-
tail the minimum amount of friction
when handled. and even while stand
ing in its mahogany box. The duck
egg shape allows only the outer rim
10 tOuch the chan1OlS lining of the
case. and it constitutes what seems to
be the original discovery and appli-
cation of the principle of ball-bearing
machinery.
This representative pound weight
was to be touched by human
hands. A carefully designed litter,
or so-called hook, was provided: and
that. too. was covered with channels,
lest it scratch the surface.
But. as time passed on. it was re-
allied that even the nleager utiliza-
ton Of the original pound might en-
tail IA certain amount Of attrition: the
use of it for the Standardization of
the weights in daily service at the
mint would be sure to wear off a
grain or SO in the course Of a. CEN
fury. So "a second brass pound was
made at the Phila delphia mint, COR
responding to the sacred one in every
dimension and every hair fneness of
weight. Then hat second pound,
likewise kept in a chamois-lined ma
hogany case and handled with a
chamois-covered hook. was used for
the perfecting Of all the regular mint
weight. for the standardization of all
the mint scales. and was itself COM
pared once a, year with the original
brass pound. to make sure 1t hadn't
fallen off SO anybody could notice It.