NOTES.-The present standard or degree of purity of the coins was fixed by Act of Congress in 1837. It is this:

1. Nine hundred equal parts of pure gold, are mixed with 100 parts of alloy, of copper, and silver, (of which not more than one-half must be silver) thus forming 1000 parts, equal to each other in weight. The silver coins contain 900 parts of pure silver, and 100 parts of pure copper. The copper coins are of pure copper. The nickel cent is 88 parts copper and 12 nickel.

2. The eagle contains 258 grains of standard gold, and the other gold coins in the same proportion. The dollar contains 412 grains of standard silver, and the others in the same proportion. The cent, 168 grains of pure copper.

3. If a given quantity of gold or silver be divided into 24 equal parts, each part is called a carat. If any number of carats be mixed with so many equal carats of a less valuable metal, that there be 24 carats in the mixture, then the compound is said to be as many carats fine as it contains carats of the more precious metal, and to contain as much alloy as it contains carats of the baser.

4. Although the currency of the United States is in dollars, cents, and mills, yet in some of the States the old currency of pounds shillings, and pence, is still nominally preserved.

II. ENGLISH MONEY.

467. The units or denominations of English money are guineas, pounds, shillings, pence, and farthings.

NOTES.-1. The primary unit in English money is 1 farthing. The units of the scale, in passing from farthings to pence, are 4; in passing from pence to shillings, the units of the scale are 12; in passing from shillings to pounds, they are 20.

2. Farthings are generally expressed in fractions of a penny. Thus, 1 far. 4d.; 2 far. =jd.; 3 far. = ‡d.

3. The standard of the gold coin is 22 parts of pure gold and 2 parts of copper.

The standard of silver coin is 37 parts of pure silver, and 3 parts

of copper.

see the

A pound of gold is worth 14.2878 times as much as a pound of silver. In copper coin, 24 pence make 1 pound avoirdupois. By reading the second table from left to right, we can value of any unit expressed in each of the lower denominations. Thus, 1d. 4 far.; 1s. = 12d. 48 far. £120s.=240d. = 960 far.

=

Ounce of Sicily.

Pound of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Canada...

[The above Tables are taken from a work on the Tariff, by E. D. Ogden, Esq., of the New York Custom-house].

27

40

05

III. LINEAR MEASURE.

I. LONG MEASURE.

468. This measure is used to measure distances, lengths, breadths, heights, and depths.

NOTES.-1. A fathom is a length of six feet, and is generally used to measure the depth of water.

2. A hand is 4 inches, and is used to measure the height of horses; a common pace is 3 feet; a military pace, 2 feet; a geographical mile equals a minute of a great circle; a knot (used by sailors) is a geographical mile.

3. The units of the scale, in passing from inches to feet, are 12, in passing from feet to yards, 3; from yards to rods, 54; from rods to furlongs, 40; and from furlongs to miles, 8.

ENGLISH SYSTEM.

469. The Imperial yard of Great Britain is the one from hich ours is taken. Hence, the units of measure are identical,

FRENCH SYSTEM.

470. The base of the new French system of measures is the measure of the meridian of the earth, a quadrant of which is 10,000,000 mètres, measured at the temperature of 32° Fahr. The multiples and divisions of it are decimals, viz.: 1 metre 10 decimetres 100 centimetres 1000 millimetres = 3.280899 United States feet, or 39.37079 inches.

This relation enables us to convert all measures in either system into the corresponding measures of the other.

Spanish,

= 31/

}

1 foot

league (royal) 25000 Span. ft. 4 miles

= =

"(common) 19800

=

II. CLOTH MEASURE.

nearly.

471. Cloth measure is used for measuring all kinds of cloth, ribbons, and other things sold by the yard.

NOTE. The units of the scale, in this measure, are 21, 4, 3,

and 5.