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Communicated to the Senate, December 9, 1818.
Treasury Department, December 8, 1818.
Sir:
In obedience to the act entitled “An act regulating the currency within the United States of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and the crowns of France, and five-franc pieces,” passed the 29th of April, 1816, I have the honor to transmit, herewith, a report of the director of the Mint, giving the result of sundry assays made in pursuance of instructions from this Department.
I have the honor to be, &c.
WM. H. CRAWFORD.
The Hon. President of the Senate.
Mint of the United States, December 5, 1818.
Sir:
Agreeably to the general directions contained in your letter of the 20th January last, I have caused assays to be made of the several species of foreign gold and silver coins made current in the United States by an act of Congress passed the 29th of April, 1816. The result of the assayer’s report is as follows:
| Gold coins of | Great Britain, made of 3 pieces, (sovereigns) | Car. | Grs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold coins of | Great Britain, made of 2 pieces, (guineas) | 22 | 0 |
| Great Britain, made of 3 pieces, (sovereigns) | 22 | 0 | |
| Portugal, made of 5 pieces, barely | 22 | 0 | |
| France, made of 5 pieces, (xx francs) | 21 | 23/8 | |
| Spain, made of 5 pieces, | 20 | 31/8 |
| Silver coins of France, made of 5 pieces, (five francs) | Oz. | Dwts. | Grs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver coins of France, made of 5 pieces, (crowns) | 10 | 18 | 18 |
| Silver coins of France, made of 5 pieces, (five francs) | 10 | 16 | 0 |
From the above it appears:
1st. That as the gold coins of Great Britain and Portugal are of the same quality as those of the United States, their intrinsic value will be at the rate of one hundred cents for twenty-seven grains, as regulated by law.
2d. That the intrinsic value of the gold coins of France will be at the rate of one hundred cents for 27351/691 grains, or one dollar in three thousand four hundred and fifty-five worse more than their legal value.
3d. That the intrinsic value of the gold coins of Spain will be at the rate of one hundred cents for 2876/133 grains, or one dollar in three hundred and ninety-nine worse than their legal value.
4th. That the intrinsic value of the silver French crowns will be at the rate of 1178/10 cents per ounce, or 2/10 of a cent in the ounce better than their legal value.
5th. That the intrinsic value of the silver five-franc pieces of France will be at the rate of 1164/10 cents, nearly, per ounce; or 4/10 of a cent,nearly, per ounce better than their legal value.
It may however, sir, be observed, that from the long experience of the assayer of the Mint, it is found that the quality of foreign coins, especially of silver, is somewhat variable, as will appear by comparing the above report with those of former years; their respective values, therefore, as regulated by the law of 1816, are probably as near their average intrinsic values as can be ascertained.
I have the honor to be, &c.
R. PATTERSON.
The Hon. Wm. H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury.