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Read, and laid upon the table.
Treasury Department,
April 6, 1840.
Sir: In compliance with the provisions of the second section of the act of Congress of June 25, 1834, entitled “An act regulating the value of certain foreign silver coins within the United States,” and the second section of the act of June 28, 1834, entitled “An act regulating the value of certain foreign gold coins within the United States,” I have the honor to enclose a copy of a statement from the Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, showing the result of the assays made at the Mint, of the coins referred to in those acts.
I beg leave to call the attention of Congress to the fact, as appears by this statement, that the gold coins of Great Britain, Portugal, and Brazil, are not equal in fineness to the standard for the gold coins of the United States; and it being assumed by the act of the 28th June, 1834, above referred to, that these coins are twenty-two carats fine, they are virtually overvalued, and pass current for more than their intrinsic worth.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
LEVI WOODBURY,
Secretary of the Treasury.
The Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mint of the United States,
April 2, 1840.
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the fineness, and value by weight, of certain gold and silver coins specified in the acts of Congress of April 10, 1806, and June 28, 1834.
| Gold coins. | ||||||||
| crown (of 5,000 reis) and half, | Fineness in thousandths. | Value per dwt. cts. | ||||||
| Great Britain, sovereign | 915.5 | 94.62 | ||||||
| France, pieces of 40 and 20 francs | 899 | 92.92 | ||||||
| Spain, doubloon and parts | 866 | 89.51 | ||||||
| Mexico, | do. | 866 | 89.51 | |||||
| Peru, | do. | 868 | 89.71 | |||||
| Chili, | do. | 868 | 89.71 | |||||
| Colombia, | doubloons | of Bogota | 870 | 89.92 | ||||
| “ | do. | of Popoyan | 858 | 88.68 | ||||
| New Grenada, doubloons, 1837-’38 | 871 | 90.02 | ||||||
| Bolivia, | do. | 870 | 89.92 | |||||
| Central America, | do. | 830 | 85.79 | |||||
| La Plata, | do. | 815 | 84.24 | |||||
| Portugal, | johannes and half | 914 | 94.46 | |||||
| “ Portugal, |
crown (of 5,000 reis) and half, since 1838 | 914 | 94.46 | |||||
| Brazil, piece of 6,400 reis, of 1838 | 914 | 94.46 | ||||||
| Silver coins. | ||||
| Mexico, dollar, average of various mints, and | Fineness in thousandths. | Value per oz. cts. | ||
| Spain, | dollar of the Peninsula | 900 | 116.36 | |
| “ | pillar-dollar of Spanish America | 898 | 116.10 | |
| France, | crown, (ceased to be coined in 1793) | 909 | 117.53 | |
| “ | five-franc piece | 900 | 116.36 | |
| Mexico, dollar, average of various mints, and in the proportion usually presented here | 897 | 115.97 | ||
| Peru and North and South Peru, dollar | 901 | 116.49 | ||
| Chili, dollar | 906 | 117.13 | ||
| Central America, dollar | 896 | 115.84 | ||
| Brazil, restamped dollar of 960 reis | 898 | 116.10 | ||
Very respectfully, your faithful servant,
R.M. PATTERSON,
Director of the Mint.
Hon. Levi Woodbury, Secretary of the Treasury.