Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 5.djvu/176



the coins, the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the single 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 pennyweights in one thousand eagles, one and a half pennyweight in one thousand half eagles; one pennyweight in one thousand quarter eagles.

. And be it further enacted, That the chief coiner 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.

. And be it further enacted, That at every delivery of coins made by the chief coiner to the treasurer, it shall 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.

. And be it further enacted, That the chief coiner 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.

. 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 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 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 thousandth of the whole amount of the gold, that had been delivered to him by the treasurer.

. 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