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Assayer.

Melter and 10finer.

Chief coiner.

Engraver.

of assistants and clerks.

be legally payable. And he shall keep regular and faithful accounts of all the transactions of the mint, in bullion and coins, both with the officers of the mint and the depositors, and shall present, quarter-yearly, to the Treasury Department of the United States, according to such forms as shall be prescribed by that Department, an account of the receipts and disbursements of the mint for the purpose of being adjusted and settled.

Third. The assayer shall carefully assay all metals used in coinage, whenever such assays are required in the operations of the mint; and he shall also make assays of coins whenever instructed to do so by the director.

Fourth. The melter and refiner shall execute all the operations which are necessary in order to form ingots of standard silver or gold, suitable for the chief coiner, from the metals legally delivered to him for that purpose.

Fifth. The chief coiner shall execute all the operations which are necessary in order to form coins, conformable in all respects to the law, from the standard silver and gold ingots, and the copper planchets, legally delivered to him for this purpose.

Sixth. The engraver shall prepare and engrave, with the legal devices and inscriptions, all the dies used in the coinage of the mint and its branches.

Appointment SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the director shall appoint, with the approbation of the President, assistants to the assayer, melter and refiner, chief coiner, and engraver, and clerks for the director and treasurer, whenever, on representation made by the director to the President, it shall be the opinion of the President that such assistants or clerks are necessary. And it shall be the duty of the assistants to aid their principals in the execution of their respective offices, and of the clerks to perform such duties as shall be prescribed for them by the director.

Their duties.

Vacancies in case of temporary absence, filled.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That whenever any offihow cer of the mint shall be temporarily absent, on account of sickness, or any other sufficient cause, it shall be lawful for the director, with the assent of said officer, to appoint some person attached to the mint, to act in the place of such officer during his absence, and that the director shall employ Employment such workmen and servants in the mint as he shall from time [to time] time, find necessary.

of workmen and servants.

Oath to be taken.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That every officer, as sistant, and clerk of the mint, shall, before he enters upon the execution of his office, take an oath or affirmation before some judge of the United States, or judge of the superior

court or any court of record of any State, faithfully and diligently to perform the duties thereof.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the following offi. Bonds required. cers of the mint, before entering upon the execution of their respective offices, shall become bound to the United States, with one or more sureties, to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury, in the sums hereinafter mentioned, with condition for the faithful and diligent performance of the duties of their offices, viz: The treasurer in the sum of ten thousand dollars; the assayer in the sum of five thousand dollars; the melter and refiner in the sum of ten thousand dollars; the chief coiner in the sum of ten thousand dollars. And that similar bonds may also be required of the assistants and clerks, in such sums as the director shall determine, with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That there shall be Salaries of officers, clerks, and allowed to the officers of the mint the following salaries per assistants. annum: To the director, for his services, including travelling expenses incurred in visiting the different branches, and all other charges whatever, three thousand five hundred dollars; to the treasurer, assayer melter and refiner, chief coiner and engraver, each, two thousand dollars; to the assistants and clerks, such annual salaries shall be allowed as the director may determine, with the approbation of the President: Provided, That an assistant shall Proviso. not receive more than fifteen hundred dollars; and that a clerk shall not receive more than twelve hundred dollars;

mon and serv

to the workmen and servants shall be allowed such wages, Wages of workto be determined by the director, as may be customary and ants. reasonable, according to their respective stations and occupations; and that the salaries provided for in this section, shall be payable in quarterly installments.

28, 1834, s. 1,

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the standard for Standard for gold and silver both gold and silver coins of the United States shall here- coins. after be such, that of one thousand parts by weight, nine See act of June hundred shall be of pure metal, and one hundred of alloy; ante, p. 10. and the alloy of the silver coins shall be of copper; and the alloy of the gold coins shall be of copper and silver, provided that the silver do not exceed one half of the whole alloy.

Alloys.

ver coins.

See act April

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That of the silver coins, Weight of silthe dollar shall be of the weight of four hundred and twelve and one half grains; the half dollar of the weight of two 2, 1792, s. 9, ante, hundred and six and one fourth grains; the quarter dollar Act February of the weight of one hundred and three and one eighth 22.

p. 3.

21, 1853, post, p.

12, 1873, s. 15,

Act February

149.

Act February grains; the dime, or tenth part of a dollar, of the weight of post, p. 93. forty-one and a quarter grains; and the half dime, or twen28, 1878, post, p. tieth part of a dollar, of the weight of twenty grains and Dollars, &c., five-eighths of a grain. And that dollars, half dollars and shall be legal tenders, &c. quarter dollars, dimes and half dimes, shall be legal tenders of payment, according to their nominal value, for any sums whatever.

Ibid.

Weight of gold

coins.

See act of April

p. 3.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That of the gold coins, the weight of the eagle shall be two hundred and fifty eight 2, 1792, s. 9, ante, grains; that of the half eagle one hundred and twenty nine grains; and that of the quarter eagle sixty four and one &c., half grains. And that for all sums whatever, the eagle shall legal be a legal tender of payment for ten dollars; the half eagle for five dollars, and the quarter eagle for two and a half dollars.

Eagles, shall be a tender, &c.

Silver coins SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the silver coins

heretofore issued,

tenders.

and gold coins heretofore issued at the mint of the United States, and the issued since July 31, 1834, shall con- gold coins issued since the thirty-first day of July, one tinue to be legal thousand eight hundred and thirty four, shall continue to be legal tenders of payment for their nominal values, on the same terms as if they were of the coinage provided for by this act.

Weight of copper coins.

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That of the copper coins, the weight of the cent shall be one hundred and sixtyeight grains, and the weight of the half cent eighty four Proportional grains. And the cent shall be considered of the value of one hundredth part of a dollar, and the half cent of the value of one two hundredth part of a dollar.

value of a dollar.

Devices and legends of coins.

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That upon the coins struck at the mint there shall be the following devices and legends: upon one side of each of said coins there shall be an impression emblamatic of liberty, with an inscription of the word Liberty, and the year of the coinage; and upon the reverse of each of the gold and silver coins, there shall be the figure or representation of an eagle, with the inscription. United States of America, and a designation of the value of the coin; but on the reverse of the dime and half dime, cent and half cent, the figure of the eagle shall be omitted. SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That gold and silver bullion brought for coinage shall bullion brought to the mint for coinage, shall be received and coined, by the proper officers, for the benefit of the depositor: Provided, That it shall be lawful to refuse, at the mint, any deposits of less value than one hundred dollars, and any bullion so base as to be unsuitable for the opera Further pro-tions of the mint; And provided also, That when gold and silver are combined, if either of these metals be in such

Gold and silver

be received and coined. Proviso.

viso.

small proportion that it cannot be separated advantageously, no allowance shall be made to the depositor for the value of such metal.

SEC. 15. And be it further enacted, That when bullion is Receipt to be given for bullion. brought to the mint for coinage, it shall be weighed by the treasurer, in the presence of the depositor, when practicable, and a receipt given which shall state the description and weight of the bullion: Provided: that when the bullion is Proviso. in such a state as to require melting before its value can be ascertained, the weight after melting shall be considered as the true weight of the bullion deposited.

ited for coinage

Assayer to report the quality

SEC. 16. And be it further enacted, That from every parcel Bullion deposof bullion deposited for coinage, the treasurer shall deliver to be assayed. to the assayer a sufficient portion for the purpose of being assayed; but all such bullion remaining from the operations of the assay shall be returned to the treasurer by the assayer. SEC. 17. And be it further enacted, That the assayer shall report to the treasurer the quality or standard of the bullion &c. assayed by him; and he shall also communicate to the Treasurer such information as will enable him to estimate the amount of the charges hereinafter provided for, to be made to the depositor, for the expenses of converting the bullion into standard metal fit for coinage.

Charges to which the de

jected.

SEC. 18. And be it further enacted, That the only subjects wi of charge by the mint to the depositor shall be the follow-positor is subing: For refining when the bullion is below standard; for toughening when metals are contained in it which render it unfit for coinage; for copper used for alloy when the bullion is above standard; for silver introduced into the alloy of gold; and for separating the gold and silver when these metals exist together in the bullion: and that the rate of Rate of, how these charges shall be fixed, from time to time, by the director, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury, so as not to exceed in their judgment, the actual expense to the mint of the materials and labor employed in each of the cases aforementioned; and that the amount received from Disposition of these charges shall be accounted for, and appropriated for defraying the contingent expenses of the mint.

fixed.

amount received.

posit, &c., how

SEC. 19. And be it further enacted, That from the report of Value of de the assayer, and the weight of the bullion, the treasurer estimated. shall estimate the whole value of each deposit, and also the amount of the charges or deductions, if any of all which he shall give a detailed memorandum to the depositor; and he shall also give, at the same time under his hand, a certificate of the nett amount of the deposits, to be paid in coins of the same species of bullion as that deposited.

Transfers of SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That parcels of bullion

bullion by treas

urer

tomelter shall be, from time to time, transferred by the treasurer to

and refiner.

Ingots to assayed, &c.

be

Deviation from legal standard al

the melter and refiner; that a careful record of these transfers, noting the weight and character of the bullion shall be kept; and that the bullion thus placed in the hands of the melter and refiner shall be subjected to the several processes which may be necessary to form it into ingots of the legal standard, and of a quality suitable for coinage.

SEC. 21. And be it further enacted, That the ingots thus prepared shall be assayed by the assayer, and if they prove to be within the limits allowed for deviation from the standard, they shall be transferred by the melter and refiner to the treasurer, accompanied by the assayer's certificate of their fineness; and that a careful record of the transfer shall be kept by the treasurer.

SEC. 22. And be it further enacted, That no ingots of gold lowed in ingots shall be used for coinage of which the quality differs more of gold and silver. than two thousandths from the legal standard and that no ingots of silver shall be used for coinage of which the quality differs more than three thousandths from the legal standard.

Treasurer's account with melter and refiner.

SEC. 23. And be it further enacted, That in the treasurer's account with the melter and refiner, the melter and refiner shall be debited with the standard weight of all the bullion placed in his hands, that is to say, with the weight of metal of legal standard fineness which it will make; and that he shall be credited by the standard weight of all the ingots delivered by him to the treasurer; and that once at least in every year, at such time as the director shall appoint, the melter and refiner shall deliver up to the treasurer all the bullion in his possession, in order that his accounts may be settled up to that time; and, in this settlement, he shall be entitled to a credit for the difference between the whole amount of bullion delivered to him and received from him, necessary waste. since the last settlement, as an allowance for necessary Proviso. waste: Provided, That this allowance shall not exceed two thousandths of the whole amount of gold and silver bullion, respectively, that had been delivered to him by the treas

Allowance for

Ingots for coin

age.

urer.

SEC. 24. And be it further enacted, That the treasurer shall from time to time, deliver over to the chief coiner, ingots for the purpose of coinage; that he shall keep a careful record of these transfers, noting the weight and description of the ingots; and that the ingots thus placed in the hands of the chief coiner shall be passed through the seve

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