Year: 1878

annesled simply by heating in an open
wood fire, and then being allowed to cool
gradually. The silver dollar strips are
passed through the rolls nine or ten times
before the annealipg and four or five
times aiterward. Then the process OF an
healing is repeated. After the annealipg
the strips are run through cutters which
divide them into drafts OF the proper
thickness for the coins, and these, in
their return, are run though a steam
punching machine which cuts planchets
the proper sic re for the coin. From $50
to zoo are cut in minute. As the metal
gets greasy during the pro ess, the plan.
chefs are dipped into bath Of diluted
sulphuric acid, which is too weak to act
upon the surface, but effectively removes
oil foreign matter. The planchets are
adjusted; that is to say, they are carefully
weighed, and all that are lacking in
weight are cast aside; such pieces are
called lights" and the " heavies |" are
the pieces which weigh too much and are
filed of. The ad djusting is done by women
1t is a process which requires much
delicacy, and scales are used which are
sensitive to one siIty>feurth of grain.
After the adjusting Is finished, the next
operation is the milling, which is done
with a curious sort of a machine. The
edges OF the coin are thrown up and
grooved by this process. After another
cleaning with sulphuric acid the coins are
ready for the die. The stamping Is done
on screw press, and both sides of the
com are stamped at the same time. The
dies are cylindrical blocks of steel, upon
which are carved the designs TO be trans.
ferred by pressure to the coins. Art ofs
high order, as well as fine mechanism, Is
conspicuous in this part OF the coming
process. The designer in the case of the
new silver dollar, Mr.. Morgan, first draws
his design on paper, from which Is made
a model in wax, OF which a plaster css!
is taken, and from this cast an electrotype
is taken, upon which careful revision
is made with the gra$er. This
electrotype, like the model and cast
which preceded it, is three or four times
larger than the impression which appears
on the dollar. The design is transferred
to 70 steel die hy using Hills reducing
machine, constructed on the principle OF
the pantograpb. One arm Of this instru.
ment, with blunt point, follows the
lines on the electrotype, while the other
arm, to which is attached a strong and
rapidly revolving drill, reproduces the
same lines on a smaller scale upon q steel
block. BY means of a press this i'm.
preston is transferred to another block
in intaglio and thence upon another
block, which is the parent die. After
each transfer the lines are carefully i'm
proved with a graver. Steel of the same
quality as that of which the parent die
is made Is used for the coming dies
They are snnealed, and trued on both
ends. Two or three blows in the screw
press, which is worked with n large
wheel, secures perfect impression, and
both the diverse and the reverse of q
coin are struck at once Machinery places
the planchets between the dies, and af-
terward drops the completed coin in a
box. Two or three pieces of each coin.
age are reserved for the annual govern
ment assay.


The processes of melting, refining and
assaying gold and silver are carried on
in the assay office, in this city, on quite
as large a scale as at the Philadelphia
mipt. Not only government work is
done here, but large deposits are made
daily of gold and silver bullion by pr-
vate individuals. Gold i, always found
alloyed with silver, and it is never found
with any other alloy. To separate the
silver from the gold, the bullion is boiled
in sulphuric acid, which removes the
alloy; the gold is then reboiled and re.
duced to coarse powder resembling
clay. Its purity then is 99S and 999.
The silver, mixed With copper, is run into
watts on the lower floor, and is purified
and granuiated, when it resembles pipe
clay The granulated gold and silver
are pressed into large cheeses in by.
draulic press. A cheese of gold, twelve
inc es in diameter and three inches thick,
is worth $50 900; a silver cheese of the
same size is worth 5000. The sulphuric
acid, after it is used, produces sediment
of blue vitriol, which is much prettier
than either the gold or the silver seen in
the assay Office. The vitriol and the
weak acid are both sold for as much
money as the original acid costs.
The substitution of sulphuric
acid for nitric acid has caused
a saving to the New York Assay Office
alone OF 100000 year. Depositors
receive their gold and silver separately
at standard purity, 900. Pure metal is
also sent TO the Assay office from the
various refiueries to be alleged. From
United States refneries silver is generally
sent in large bars or cakes; and small
amount of Mexican metal is received in
thin, irregularly shaped pieces called
disks. The fumes from the vsn and
furnaces in the Assay office are con
densed and sold as weak acid. Only n
small amount OF the gas escapes into the
atmosphere, and although it Is slightly
offensive it is not injurious. On the
contrary, this gas is an excellent dis
infectant, and acts upon dead matter
rather than living. The same precau,
tions are taken TO prevent loss in the
Assay Office as in the great mints. The
ashes, the sweepiugs from the floor, the
crucibles, and all the instruments which
come in contact with the precious
metals are washed and ground in q
machine constructed for the purpose, and
the stray particles of silver and gold are
gathered together.--[ n. Y. Times.


An Interesting Young Man.


:: Ill l,a~n baraa bnut q