Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 5.djvu/175



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 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 these charges shall be accounted for, and appropriated for defraying the contingent expenses of the mint.

. And be it further enacted, That from the report of the assayer, and the weight of the bullion, the treasurer shall estimate the whole value of each deposite, 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 deposite, to be paid in coins of the same species of bullion as that deposited.

. And be it further enacted, That parcels of bullion shall be, from time to time, transferred by the treasurer to 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.

. 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.

. And be it further enacted, That no ingots of gold shall be used for coinage of which the quality differs more 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.

. 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, since the last settlement, as an allowance for necessary 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 treasurer.

. 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 several processes necessary to make from them coins, in all respects conformable to law.

. And be it further enacted, That in adjusting the weights of