Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25

ed pieces is taken as the true assay
value of the coin.
out Of 270 gold coins tested during
the past year Mr.. Dewey found all
within the legal requirements; 81 were
of the exact standard and ia were
within one ten thousandth OF II.
BY a different process. almost equally
Interesting. the silver totns-dollars
and the subsidiaries. dimes. quarters
and half dollars. are proved by solu-
ton of common salt
In testing silver IL is usual to roll out
the whole coin and chop il to pieces,
which are mixed up to secure average
samples. This is done because for
some reason there is a tendency for the
silver in an ingot to draw toward the
center. leaving the alloy nearer the
surface. OF course. this is very slight.
but it sometimes makes the run of the
metal a little uneven.
This bureau tested 26s pieces of silver
and; found them all well within the
than that of gold, being three one
thousandths.
Connected with the minis at San
Francisco and Denver and with the
New York assay office are rehneries for
the treatment OF such metals Is re-
auire 1T; and they; during the past as
the metals treated there in copper
se.7oo: platinum. $4,000: palladium,
$1250o. and iridium. $500.
The platinum, on account Of its rar.
ity. is worth seven times as much as
gold: and is in demand in laboratories
because 1t cannot be attacked by any
single acid.
The dish. basket and buckets used
by Mr.. Dewey in washing the silver
from the gold with nitric acid are VAL
ued at $2,500: and they could be carr
ried away in two pound candy box.
There are now In the minis or the
bullion in the shape of bars. against
which gold certificates have been is
sued, of the value of 1880. SS7 900.
This must all be tested in the same
way as the gold coinage to check 10
the work of the assayers. on whose
report the department has purchased
the gold.
Samples taken from every NTH melt
are sent. to DR.; Dewey's department.
which proceeds to find out exactly how
much pure gold they represent.
The past eighteen months has been
a busy ,time for the assay offices. es-
pecially at New York, due to the enor-
NOUS inflow OF gold from Europe to
this country. to be exchanged for mules.
horses. proJectiles. rifles. guns and
other munitions of war made by Ameri-
can labor.
A single amount. $3.50. 900. 900 in Brit
lsh sovereigns. was presented at the
New York subtreasuyy, through ]. P.
-
der the law. gave a draft on the United
States treasurer for 30 per cent of
this sum when the delivery was made:
and the sovereigns were sent to the
melting pot to be converted into Ameri-
can eagles or certificate bars. to be
credited to the treasurer against the
draft which was given to Morgan &
This gold weighed about 100000
ounces, and its handling and safe stof-
age alone was a hard task. Although
aAor II
money (the British standard for hne-
ness is 1850 II had to be assayed IN
New York and checked up In Washing
ton. 1t melted 5000 ounces at
time in crucibles: it was stirred with
a mixer resembling the dasher or an
old fashioned hand churn; but the oper-
ators were very careful not to spill
drop.
Some of the molten metal was granu-
lated in water. to be used as samples,
>and cuttings. for the same purpose,
were made from the cold bars into
which the metal was run.
Several shipments approximatfns
$50. 900 ounces each were received and
disposed of in the same way.
During the fiscal year ending June 30.
1915, there was presented for ASSAY
bullion or coin to the amount of s11o,-
600. 900.
The gold production of the United
States for the year 1915, according to
the estimates of the bureau OF the
mint and the geological survey, was
nearly s99,000,000, coming from do
nestle mills and smelters. OF this
amount California furnished s23.000.oo GOO
and Colorado s22.00O,0O0. Alaska fol-
lowed with $4,000, 900: Nevada, with
s12.0o0.O 600: South Dakota. Montana.
Arizona Utah. Oregon, New Mexico.
Idaho and the Philippines supplied
nearly all the remainder.
In 1915, up to November ], s345.o60,-
600 in gold flowed into this country
approximately s216,3oo.o0o through
Canada; s2s,00o,OoO. from England.
s24,0Oo.O00, from Australia; sl9,Ooo,oo0.
from Japan; S13.5Oo,000, from South
America: Sill. 500, 600, from France; s1e.-
600 900 from the West Indies, and
Sc. 000, 900 from Mexico.
The exports of gold during the same
period were S15,s15,00o,
The imports of gold in 1914 were
$685. 900 and the exports, s222,e1e,-
600
The last statements present the in
teresting economic question: LIS the
transfer of natural resources-coal.
iron, petroleum, copper and the like,
and the best of the horses and cattle.
pork lard, wheat and corn-for many
piles of gold bars, like those in the
San Francisco mint. advantageous
exchange for the people of this coun-
try?