The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-02-10
u. S. MINT HOLDS
ANNUAL TRIAL
|OF The COINS

trial whose outcome will deter
mine the sound Of the money In
every mans pocket win be held to-
day when Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross,
director Of the 160-year.old q. s.
Mint, convenes the Annual Assay
Commission" q committee of dis
tinguished citizens appointed by
the President and three statutory,
ex-omcio members. They will ex-
ercise q solemn responsibility inn
posed by the founders Of the nation
FOR the protection Of Its citizens.
The occasion Is the annual Trial
of the Coins" required by law TO
insure that all coins come up TO the
legal standards Of flneness and
weight. The commission Is re-
quired to meet on the second
Wednesday Of February each year
and has done so without Interrupt.
ton since 1892.
The testing will be confined to
the silver coinage, but the commits
sion win be able 70 see in produc-
ton the new Victory" scent piece,
made Of silver, copper and manga
nese, and containing none Of the
nickel that Identifies the coin In
the popular mind. Production Of
this coin, It's alloy changed TO save
critical war metals, was begun IN
October.
Also in the early stages of volume
iproduction is a new wartime 1-cent
piece, Of q composition different
from any coin In our history. This
coin, with the familiar Lincoln de-
sign, Is being stamped out Of zinc
coated steel strips, to free copper
for munitions.
Largest Test In History
Last years commission inspected
specimens of more than 100000 sill.
yer coins that had been taken at
random from the years production.
The number to be tested this year
will exceed that figure and will be
the largest In history, as war-stim.
ulated business has maintained de-
mand for coins at an unprecedented
rate.
The Bureau Of the Mint has UNI
dertaken to ease the strain on pro-
duction machinery and the drain
on metal stock by an educational
campaign to bring all coins, eSpe-
cially pennies and nickels, out Of
coin banks and other hiding places
into active circulation. School
children Of the nation have been
particularly energetic in returning
millions. OF "hoarded' small coins
to business use. ...
Coins from the Denver and San
Francisco Minis have been sent to
Philadelphia under seal and will be
tested along with the output Of the
parent institution.
At all United States Minis one
silver coin out Of each 1000 deliv.
cred from the coming room to the
superintendent must be taken out
for test by the commission, which
determines whether they conform
to the legal requirements. The test
coins are required ITO be carefully
preserved In q pyx, under the joint
care Of the superintendent and the
aSsayer, for delivery to the Annual
Assay Commission"
Complained to President
The word "pyx" In the law refers
to ''pyx-chest," receptacle for
coins selected for trial." which de-
rives from early days Of the British
mint.
As Is usual, this years commits
sion will be organized In commits
tees, and will take coins at random
from the lots under seal, for care
full Weighing and asSaying under
their supervision.
Mint ofacials, checking back
through rnusty reports, found only
one "untoward" incident In the rec
ord Of meetings since 1892. In 1901,
the capital was moved from Phil
adelphia to Washington just before
time for the Assay Commission to
meet at the Mint, taking along the
ex-oftlcio members. The meeting
could not be held on the prescribed,
date, and Elias Boudinot, Director
Of the Mint, wrote an indignant let
ter President John Adams, COM
planning that the public's conf
dence was being undermined and
that the depositors were clamoring
for the coins retained for exam
nation.
In those days the Mint operated
on q custom" basis, taking IN bull
lion from individuals and returning
to them the corresponding coins.
Thus the specimens retained Tor
the annual assaying really be-
longed to the customers" OF the
Mint.
Congress solved the impasse by
providing for meeting Of the COM
mission that year In April.