ral processes necessary to make from them coins, in all respects conformable to law. In a large num ber together. SEC. 25. And be it further enacted, That in adjusting the, Deviation from legal standard alweights of the coins, the following deviations from the lowed in the weights of coins standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the single in single pieces. pieces: In the dollar and half dollar, one grain and a half; in the quarter dollar, one grain; in the dime and half dime, half a grain; in the gold coins, one quarter of a grain; in the copper coins, one grain in the pennyweight; and that in weighing a large number of pieces together, when delivered from the chief coiner to the treasurer, and from the treasurer to the depositors, the deviations from the standard weight shall not exceed the following limits: Four pennyweights in one thousand dollars; three pennyweights in one thousand half dollars; two pennyweights in one thousand quarter dollars; one pennyweight in one thousand dimes; one pennyweight in one thousand half dimes; two penny weights in one thousand eagles; one a half pennyweight in one thousand halfeagles; one penny weight in one thousand quarter eagels. SEC. 26. And be it further enacted, That the chief coiner Coins to be shall from time to time, as the coins are prepared, deliver them over to the treasurer, who shall keep a careful record of their kind number and weight; and that in receiving the coins it shall be the duty of the treasurer to see whether the coins of that delivery are within the legal limits of the standard weight; and if his trials for this purpose shall not prove satisfactory, he shall cause all the coins of this delivery to be weighed separately, and such as are not of legal weight shall be delivered to the melter and refiner, as standard bullion, to be again formed into ingots and recoined. weighed. served for the SEC. 27. And be it further enacted, That at every delivery Coins to be preof coins made by the chief coiner to the treasurer it shall annual trial. be the duty of the treasurer, in the presence of the assayer, to take indiscriminately, a certain number of pieces of each variety for the annual trial of coins (the number being prescribed by the director) which shall be carefully labelled, and deposited in a chest appropriated for the purpose, kept under the joint care of the treasurer and assayer, and so secured that neither can have access to its contents without the presence of the other. clippings, &c. SEC. 28. And be it further enacted, That the chief coiner Disposition of shall, from time to time, deliver to the treasurer the clippings and other portions of bullion remaining after the process of coining, and that the treasurer shall keep a careful record of their amount. count with chief coiner. Treasurer's ac- SEC. 29. And be it further enacted, That in the treasurer's account with the chief coiner, the chief coiner shall be debited with the amount in weight of standard metal of all the bullion placed in his hands, and credited with the amount, also by weight, of all the coins, clippings, and other bullion delivered by him to the treasurer; and that once at least in every year, at such time as the director shall appoint, the chief coiner shall deliver to the treasurer all the coins and bullion in his possession, so that his acAllowance for counts 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 the ingots delivered to him, and of the coins and bullion received from him, since the last settlement, as an allowance for necessary waste: Provided, That this allowance shall not exceed two thousandths of the whole amount of the silver, or one and one half thousandths of the whole amount of gold, that had been delivered to him by the treasurer. necessary waste. Proviso. Payment for bullion deposited to be coined. Deposit of pub lic money to be SEC. 30. And be it further enacted, That when the coins which are the equivalent to any deposite of bullion are ready for delivery, they shall be paid over to the depositor, or his order, by the treasurer, on a warrant from the director; and the payment shall be made if demanded, in the order in which the bullion shall have been brought to the mint, giving priority according to priority of deposite only; and that in the denominations of coin delivered, the treasurer shall comply with the wishes of the depositor, unless when impracticable or inconvenient to do so; in which case the denominations of coin shall be designated by the director. SEC. 31. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of kept in the mint enabling the mint to make returns to depositors with as by Secretary of Treasury. little delay as possible, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to keep in the said mint, when the state of the treasury will admit thereof, a deposit of such amount of public money, or of bullion procured for the purpose, as he shall judge convenient and necessary, not exceeding one million of dollars, out of which those who bring bullion to the mint may be paid the value thereof, as soon as practicable, after this value has been ascertained; that the bullion so deposited shall become the property of the United States; that no discount or interest shall be charged on moneys so advanced; and that the Secretary of the Treasury may at any time withdraw the said deposite, or any part thereof, or may, at his discretion, allow the coins formed at the mint to be given for their equivalent in other money. coins. 3, 1823, ch. 42, sec. SEC. 32. And be it further enacted, That, to secure a due Annual trial of conformity in the gold and silver coins to their respective standards and weights, an annual trial shall be made of the pieces reserved for this purpose at the mint and its branches, before the judge of the district court of the Act of March United States for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, the at- 2, repealed. torney of the United States for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, and the collector of the port of Philadelphia, and such other persons as the President shall, from time to time, designate for that purpose who shall meet as commissioners, for the performance of this duty on the second Monday in February, annually, and may continue their meetings, by adjournment, if necessary; and if a majority of the commissioners shall fail to attend at any time appointed for their meeting, then the director of the mint shall call a meeting of the commissioners at such other time as he may deem convenient; and that before these commissioners, or a majority of them, and in the presence of the officers of the mint, such examination shall be made of the reserve pieces as shall be judged sufficient; and if it shall appear that these pieces do not differ from the standard fineness and weight by a greater quantity than is allowed by law, the trial shall be considered and reported as satisfactory; but if any greater deviation from the legal standard or weights shall appear, this fact shall be certified to the President of the United States, and if on a view of the circumstances of the case, he shall so decide, the officer or officers implicated in the error shall be thenceforward disqualified from holding their respective offices. copper bullion. SEC. 33. And be it further enacted, That copper bullion Purchase shall be purchased for the mint, from time to time, by the treasurer, under instructions from the director that the cost shall be paid from the fund hereinafter provided for; and that the copper bullion shall be of good quality, and in form of planchets fit for passing at once into the hands of the chief coiner. per. SEC. 34. And be it further enacted, That the copper plan-Coinage of chets shall be delivered from time to time, by the treasurer to the chief coiner, to be by him coined; and all such copper shall be returned to the treasurer, by the chief coiner, weight for weight, without allowance for waste. of cop may be ex. for SEC. 35. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the Copper coins duty of the treasurer of the mint to deliver the copper coins, changed. in exchange for their legal equivalent in other money to any persons who shall apply for them: Provided, That the Proviso. sum asked for be not less than a certain amount, to be de mint. termined by the director, and that it be not so great as, in his judgment, to interfere with the capacity of the mint to supply other applicants. Copper coins SEC. 36. And be it further enacted, That the copper coins transported a t expense of the may, at the discretion of the director, be delivered in any of the principal cities and towns of the United States, at the cost of the mint for transportation. Disposition of money received copper coins. SEC. 37. And be it further enacted, That the money rein exchange for ceived by the treasurer in exchange for copper coins shall form a fund in his hands, which shall be used to purchase copper planchets, and to pay the expense of transportation of copper coins; and that if there be a surplus, the same shall be appropriated to defray the contingent expenses of the mint. Former acts repealed. SEC. 38. And be it further enacted, That all acts or parts of acts, heretofore passed, relating to the mint and coins of the United States, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this act, be, and the same are hereby repealed. Approved, January 18, 1837. March 3, 1849. double eagles and thorized. See act Febru post, p. 23. CHAP. CIX.-AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE COINAGE OF GOLD DOLLARS Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives Coinage of of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That goid dollars au- there shall be, from time to time, struck and coined at the mint of the United States and the branches thereof, conary 21, 1853, s. 7, formably in all respects to law (except that on the reverse See act Febra of the gold dollar the figure of the eagle shall be omitted,) and conformably in all respects to the standard for gold coins now established by law, coins of gold of the following denominations and values, viz; double eagles, each to be of the value of twenty dollars, or units, and gold dollars, each to be of the value of one dollar, or unit. ary 12, 1873, s. 14, post, p. 92. Double eagle and gold dollar SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That for all sums whatto be legal ten-ever, the double eagle shall be a legal tender for twenty dollars and the gold dollar shall be a legal tender for one dollar. der. Ibid. All laws now in force in rela of the United to the coins herein authorized. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all laws now in tion to the coins force in relation to the coins of the United States, and the States to apply striking and coining the same, shall so far as applicable, have full force and effect in relation to the coins herein authorized, whether the said laws are penal or otherwise; and whether they are for preventing counterfeiting or abasement, for protecting the currency, for regulating and guarding the process of striking and coining, and the prepara tions therefor, or for the security of the coin, or for any other purpose. gold coin. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That, in adjusting the Weights of weights of gold coin henceforward, the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the single pieces-namely, in the double eagle, the eagle, and the half eagle, one half of a grain, and in the quarter eagle and gold dollar, one quarter of a grain; and that in weighing a large number of pieces together, when delivered from the chief coiner to the treasurer, and fromt he treasurer to the depositors, the deviation from the standard weight shall not exceed three penny weights in one thousand double eagles; two penny weights in one thousand eagles; one and one half penny weights in one thousand half eagles; one penny weight in one thousand quarter eagles; and one half of a penny weight in one thousand gold dollars. Approved, March 3, 1849. CHAP. XX.-AN ACT TO REDUCE AND MODIFY THE RATES OT POST- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * March 3, 1851. Vol. 9, p. 587. value of 3 cents. See act of March 3, 1853, s. 7, post, p. 24. Act of February 12, 1873, s. 15, SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That from and after New coin of the passage of this act, it shall be lawful to coin at the mint of the United States and its branches, a piece of the denomination and legal value of three cents, or three hundredths of a dollar, to be composed of three fourths silver and one post, p. 93. fourth copper, and to weigh twelve grains and three eighths Device. of a grain; that the said coin shall bear such devices as shall be conspicuously different from those of the other silver coins, and of the gold dollar, but having the inscription United States of America, and its denomination and date; Weight. and that it shall be a legal tender in payment of debts for all Made a tender. sums of thirty cents and under. And that no ingots shall be used for the coinage of the three-cent pieces herein authorized, of which the quality differs more than five thousandths from the legal standard; and that, in adjusting the Weight. weight of the said coin, the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded, namely, one half of a grain in the single piece, and one pennyweight in a thousand pieces. Approved, March 3, 1851. |