MINT.

Communicated to the House of Representatives, January 8, 1800.

Gentlemen of the Senate
    and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

A report, made to me on the first day of this month, by the Director of the Mint, through the office of the Secretary of State, with the documents attending it, I transmit to both Houses of Congress, for their consideration.

JOHN ADAMS.

United States, January 8th, 1800.

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To the President of the United States.

The Director of the Mint respectfully reports, that there has been coined and issued from the mint, from the first day of January, to the thirty-first day of December, 1799, inclusive, the quantity of 213,285 dollars, in gold coin; 423,515 dollars, in silver coin; and 9,106 dollars and 68 cents, in copper cents; amounting to 645,906 dollars and 68 cents, or 1,365,681 pieces of coin; which, added to the former returns, makes the whole of the coinage, since the establishment of the mint, 696,530 dollars in gold, 1,210,158 dollars and 75 cents in silver, and 50,111 dollars and 42 cents in copper cents; making the amount of the whole coinage of the mint, 1,962,800 dollars and 17 cents; all which will more fully appear by the enclosed returns from the treasurer of the mint; as also, that the coinage of the last year has exceeded that of any former year, by 100,208 dollars 68 cents.

It is almost needless to observe, that the 50,000 dollars in copper coin, required by the second section of the act of Congress, passed on the 8th of May, 1792, being now completed, it becomes necessary for the Treasurer of the United States to comply with the provision of the said section, by giving the public notice therein mentioned.

The mint has been regularly supplied with bullion, both gold and silver, so as to keep it in constant operation, on the present establishment, during the year past year, excepting two months, in which, the works were totally stopped, on account of the then prevailing fever; and there is a rational prospect that the supply will be continued for the present year.

From the late arrangements with regard to supplies of copper planchettes, for the coinage of cents, there is no doubt but that one press, equal to the coining of 14,000 per day, may be kept in constant operation.

It becomes necessary for the Director to draw the attention of the President to the act of Congress for the establishment of the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States. By the original institution of the mint, it was established at the seat of Government. By the sixth section of the act of Congress, above refered to, it is enacted “that all offices, attached to the seat of Government, shall be removed to the permanent seat of the Government of the United States, by their respective holders, on the 1st day of December next.” A question has arisen under this act, whether the department of the mint is included therein or not. If it is, without further provision by law, the mint must be removed, with the other departments, agreeably to the directions of that act; and if it is not, many necessary provisions must be made by law, applicable to the mint being carried on at a distance from the seat of Government. The doubtful consequences of a removal must strike every person acquainted with the business of the mint, as it is in a great measure supported by the bullion passing through the different banks of this city, and for want of which, it would frequently be without the means of coinage, while the expense would be nearly the same to the Government. The Director, therefore, thinks it his duty respectfully to submit to the President the propriety of bringing this subject before Congress, in the early part of the session; this step is rendered more obviously necessary, from the present state of the machinery of the mint. The works ought to be kept in perfect repair, unless they are so soon to be removed; in which case some parts, not worth the transportation to so great a distance, might be suffered to remain as they are, or barely kept in such repair as to answer for immediate use.

The Director is sorry to observe, that the practice of melting down the coin of the United States, by workmen in gold and silver, is, he fears, becoming too common, to the manifest loss of the United States. As there are not any laws prohibiting it, every one is left to his own discretion, which, from the certainty of the standard, becomes so great a convenience, if not a pecuniary advantage, as to render the prevalence of the practice almost beyond a doubt, if not prohibited by law.

All which is respectfully submitted to the President.

January 1st, 1800.

ELIAS BOUDINOT, Director.

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Mint of the United States, Treasurer’s Office, January 1st, 1800.

A statement of the denomination and value of gold coins issued from the Mint of the United States, from the 1st of January to the 31st of December, 1799, inclusive, viz:

. . . . . . . .

Mint of the United States, Treasurer’s Office, January 1st, 1800.

A statement of the denomination and value of silver coins issued from the Mint of the United States, from the 1st of January to the 31st of December, 1799, inclusive, viz:

. . . . . . . .

Mint of the United States, Treasurer’s Office, January 1st, 1800.

A statement of the denomination and value of copper, coined at the Mint of the United States, from the 1st January, to the 31st of December, 1799, inclusive, viz:

. . . . . . . .

Mint of the United States, Treasurer’s Office, January 1st, 1800.

I certify there has been coined, at the mint of the United States, from the commencement of the establishment, to the date hereof, as follows, viz: