|
|
|
Communicated to the Senate, December 29, 1819.
Treasury Department, December 27, 1819.
Sir:
In obedience to an 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, with great respect, sir, your obedient servant,
WM. H. CRAWFORD.
The Hon. President of the Senate.
Mint of the United States, December 22, 1819.
Sir:
Agreeably to the general directions contained in your letter of the 31st of December, 1816, I have had assays made of sundry species of foreign coins therein mentioned, namely: “the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and the crowns of France, and five-franc pieces." The assays of the foreign gold coins might, perhaps, have been omitted, as they have now ceased to be a legal currency; they have, however, for the present, been included in the assayer’s report, viz:
| 3 pieces of British sovereigns, | Car. | Grs. |
|---|---|---|
| 3 pieces of British sovereigns, | 22 | 0 |
| 3 pieces of Portuguese coins, | 21 | 315/16 |
| 3 pieces French (20 francs,) | 21 | 21/2 |
| 3 pieces Spanish, (doubloons) | 20 | 31/4 |
| 3 French five-franc pieces, | Oz. | Dwts. | Grs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 French crowns, | 10 | 18 | 18 |
| 3 French five-franc pieces, | 10 | 16 | 0 |
From the above report, it appears:
1st. That the gold coins of Great Britain being of the same quality with those of the United States, their intrinsic value will be at the rate of 100 cents for 27 grains.
2d. That the gold coins of Portugal being 1/16 of a carat grain inferior in quality to those of the United States, their intrinsic value will be at the rate of 100 cents for 279/469 grains.
3d. That the gold coins of France will be at the rate of 100 cents for 2781/173 grains.
4th. That the gold coins of Spain will be at the rate of 100 cents for 2860/111 grains.
5th. That the silver French crowns will be at the rate of 117.8 cents per ounce.
6th. That the silver five-franc pieces will be at the rate of 116.3 cents per ounce.
I have, &c.,
ROBERT PATTERSON.
The Hon. William H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury.