June 28, 1834. p. 3. 18, 1837, s. 8, post, p. 13. CHAP. XCV.-AN ACT CONCERNING THE GOLD COINS OF THE UNITED Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Standard and the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the weight of coins. See act of Aprii gold coins of the United States shall contain the following 2,1792, s. 9, ante, quantities of metal that is to say; each eagle shall contain Act of January two hundred and thirty two grains of pure gold, and two hundred and fifty-eight grains of standard gold; each half eagle one hundred and sixteen grains of pure gold, and one hundred and twenty nine grains of standard gold; each quarter eagle shall contain fifty-eight grains of pure gold, and sixty-four and a half grains of standard gold; every such eagle shall be of the value of ten dollars; every such half eagle shall be of the value of five dollars; and every such quarter eagle shall be of the value of two dollars and fifty cents; and the said gold coins shall be receivable in all payments when of full weight according to their respective values; and when of less than full weight, at less values, proportioned to their respective actual weights. Gold and silver deposited for SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all standard gold coinage to be or silver deposited for coinage after the thirty first of July paid for within five days. next, shall be paid for in coin under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, within five days from the making of such deposit, deducting from the amount of said deposit of gold and silver one half of one per centum; Provided, That no deduction shall be made unless said advance be required by such depositor within forty days. Proviso. Rate at which gold coin shall be receivable. Gold coins to be set apart for assay. ante, p. 6. s. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all gold coins of the United States, minted anterior to the thirty first day of July next, shall be receivable in all payments at the rate of ninety four and eight-tenths of a cent per pennyweight. SEC. 4; And be it further enacted, That the better to secure a conformity of the said gold coins to their respective standards as aforesaid, from every separate mass of standard gold which shall be made into coins at the said mint, there shall be taken, set apart by the treasurer and reserved in his custody, a certain number of pieces, not less than three, See act of April and that once in every year the pieces so set apart and re2, 1792, 8. 18. served shall be assayed under the inspection of the officers, and at the time, and in the manner now provided by law, and, if it shall be found that the gold so assayed, shall not be inferior to the said standard, hereinbefore declared, more than one part in three hundred and eighty four in fineness, and one part in five hundred in weight, the officer or officers of the said mint, whom it may concern, shall be held excusable; but if any great inferiority shall appear, it shall be certified to the President of the United States, and if he shall so decide, the said officer or officers, shall be thereafter disqualified to hold their respective offices; Provided, That if, making any delivery of coin at the mint in payment of a deposit, the weight thereof shall be found defective, the officer concerned shall be responsible to the owner for the full weight, if claimed at the time of delivery. be, Act to be in force after July SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That this act shall in force from and after the thirty first day of July, in the 31, 1834. year one thousand eight-hundred and thirty-four. Approved, June 28, 1834. CHAP. III.-AN ACT SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE ACT ENTITLED "AN Jan. 18, 1837. Vol. 5, p. 136. 1792, ante, p. 1. Officers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Act of April 2, the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the officers of the mint of the United States shall be a director, a treasurer, an assayer, a melter and refiner, a chief coiner and an engraver, to be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the respective du- Duties of. ties of the officers of the mint shall be as follows: First. The director shall have the control and manage- Director. ment of the mint, the superintendence of the officers and persons employed therein and the general regulation and supervision of the business of the several branches. And in the month of January of every year he shall make report to the President of the United States of the operations of the mint and its branches for the year preceding. And also to the Secretary of the Treasury, from time to time, as said Secretary shall require, setting forth all the operations of the mint subsequent to the last report made upon the subject. Second. The treasurer shall receive, and safely keep all Treasurer. moneys which shall be for the use and support of the mint; shall keep all the current accounts of the mint, and pay all moneys.due by the mint, on warrants from the director. He shall receive all bullion brought to the mint for coinage; shall be the keeper of all bullion and coin in the mint, except while the same is legally placed in the hands of other offcers, and shall on warrants from the director, deliver all coins struck at the mint to the persons to whom they shall Assayer. Melter and 10 finer. 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. in Vacancies 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 Employ ment 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, assistant, 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. cers, clerks, and SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That there shall be Salaries of offiallowed 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; men 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. gold and silver 28, 1834, s. 1. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the standard for Standard for 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 Alloys. 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. 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. 12, 1873, s. 15, post, p. 93. Act February 149. Act February grains; the dime, or tenth part of a dollar, of the weight of 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 &c., five-eighths of a grain. And that dollars, half dollars and quarter dollars, dimes and half dimes, shall be legal tenders of payment, according to their nominal value, for any sums whatever. Dollars, shall be legal coins. p. 3. Weighs of gold SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That of the gold coins, See act of April 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 Eagles, &c., half grains. And that for all sums whatever, the eagle shall shall be a legal tender, &c. 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. heretofore issued, Silver coins SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the silver coins 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 tenders. 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 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 bullion brought be received and coined. Proviso. viso. |