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from
Transmitting
The annual report of the Director of the Mint.
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January 29, 1850.
Laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed.
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To the House of Representatives of the United States:
I transmit herewith the annual report of the director of the mint at Philadelphia, showing the operations of the mint and its branches, for the year 1849.
Z. TAYLOR.
Washington, January 28, 1850.
. . . . . . . .
Mint of the United States,
Philadelphia, January 18, 1850.
SIR: I have the honor of submitting the following report, in compliance with the act which requires that "in the month of January of every year the director shall make report to the President of the United States, of the operations of the mint and its branches for the year preceding."
The coinage of the principal mint in 1849 amounted to $8,913,266 32, comprising $7,948,332 in gold, $922,950 in silver, and $41,984 32 in copper coins, and composed of 9,519,513 pieces. The deposites for coinage amounted to $10,473,724 in gold, and $1,045,259 in silver.
At the New Orleans branch mint the coinage amounted to $1,646,000, comprising $454,000 in gold, and $1,192,000 in silver coins, and composed of 2,988,900 pieces. The deposites for coinage amounted to $1,125,745 in gold, and $1,321,029 in silver.
The branch mint at Charlotte received during the year deposites of gold to the value of $390,732; and its coinage amounted to $361,299, composed of 86,677 pieces.
The branch mint at Dahlonega received during the year deposites of gold to the value of $252,974; and its coinage amounted to $244,130 50, composed of 71,569 pieces.
The deposites at the four mints amounted in all, during the year, to $14,609,463 of which $12,243,175 was in gold, and $2,366,288 in silver. The whole coinage amounted to $11,164,695 82, composed of $9,007,761 50 in gold, $2,114,950 in silver, and $41,984 32 in copper coins.
Other statements relating to the operations of the year and former years, are presented in the subjoined tables.
By an act passed at the last session of Congress, two new coins - the gold dollar and the double-eagle - were added to those previously authorized. Of the former, 936,789 have been coined, namely: 688,567 at the mint in Philadelphia, 215,000 at New Orleans, 21,588 at Dahlonega, and 11,634 at Charlotte. I regret to say, that in consequence of difficulties in the execution of the dies, double-eagles have not yet been coined.
During the past year the deposites of California gold amounted at the Philadelphia mint to $5,481,439, and at the New Orleans branch mint to $666,080. Near the close of the year 1848, the first California gold was brought to the mint; and it amounted to $44,177. Since the end of the past year we have had deposites estimated at $750,000; so that there has been received at the mints, of this gold, the amount of $6,941,693.
Large as is the quantity of gold brought to the mints during the last year, it has been exceeded by that of 1847, when the deposites at the principal mint amounted to $13,670,896, and those at the New Orleans branch to $6,253,288. It must be observed, however, that the gold of the former year was in a great degree composed of foreign coins deposited for recoinage, while the greater part of that deposited during the past year was of native gold, and presented an actual increase of the quantity of this precious metal to be introduced into circulation.
The statements of the deposites and coinage of gold at the mint show that the latter is considerably in arrear. This is not owing to the quantity of gold - for a much greater amount was coined in 1847 - but it is due to the circumstance that the California gold contains combined with it so large a portion of silver as to require that the two metals be separated, in order that the gold may be brought to the legal standard. This was to be done by a chemical process which demanded operations on a much larger scale than had been provided for; and during the necessary changes in the laboratory, time was spent and deposites were accumulated. Our means are believed to be now sufficient for refining, without much further delay, the gold still unparted; and we hope to be able thenceforward to make prompt payment to depositors.
I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your faithful servant,
R. M. PATTERSON,
Director of the Mint.
To the President of the United States.
Statement of the deposites and coinage at the mint of the United States and its branches, in the year 1849.
| DEPOSITES. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mints. | Total. | |||||
| Charlotte, N.C. | Dahlonega, Ga. | New Orleans. | Philadelphia. | |||
| Gold. | ||||||
| United States coins, old standard | $3,902 00 | $37,318 00 | $41,220 00 | |||
| Foreign coins | 437,130 00 | 4,483,091 00 | 4,920,221 00 | |||
| United States bullion | $390,732 00 | $252,974 00 | 677,985 00 | 5,767,092 00 | 7,088,783 00 | |
| Foreign bullion | 6,728 00 | 186,223 00 | 192,951 00 | |||
| Total gold | 390,732 00 | 252,974 00 | 1,125,745 00 | 10,473,724 00 | 12,243,175 00 | |
| Silver. | ||||||
| Foreign coins | 1,242,552 00 | 873,448 00 | 2,116,000 00 | |||
| Foreign bullion | 78,477 00 | 132,699 00 | 211,176 00 | |||
| United States bullion, including partings from gold | 39,112 00 | 39,112 00 | ||||
| Total silver | 1,321,029 00 | 1,045,259 00 | 2,366,288 00 | |||
| Total in gold and silver | 390,732 00 | 252,974 00 | 2,446,774 00 | 11,518,983 00 | 14,609,463 00 | |
| COINAGE. | ||||||
| Gold. | ||||||
| Eagles | pieces | 23,900 | 653,618 | 677,518 | ||
| Half eagles | do | 64,823 | 39,036 | 133,070 | 236,929 | |
| Quarter eagles | do | 10,220 | 10,945 | 23,294 | 44,459 | |
| Dollars | do | 11,634 | 21,588 | 215,000 | 688,567 | 936,789 |
| Value of gold | 361,299 00 | 244,130 50 | 454,000 00 | 7,948,332 00 | 9,007,761 50 | |
| Silver. | ||||||
| Dollars | pieces | 62,600 | 62,600 | |||
| Half dollars | do | 2,310,000 | 1,252,000 | 3,562,000 | ||
| Quarter dollars | do | 340,000 | 340,000 | |||
| Dimes | do | 300,000 | 839,000 | 1,139,000 | ||
| Half dimes | do | 140,000 | 1,309,000 | 1,449,000 | ||
| Value of silver | 1,192,000 00 | 922,950 00 | 2,114,950 00 | |||
| Copper. | ||||||
| Cents | pieces | 4,178,500 | 4,178,500 | |||
| Half cents | do | 39,864 | 39,864 | |||
| Value of copper | 41,984 32 | 41,984 32 | ||||
| Total coinage in pieces | 86,677 | 71,569 | 2,988,900 | 9,519,513 | 12,666,659 | |
| Total coinage in value | 361,299 00 | 244,130 50 | 1,646,000 00 | 8,913,266 32 | 11,164,695 82 | |
Statement of the annual amount of deposites of gold for coinage at the Mint of the United States and its branches from mines in the United States.
| Periods. | Deposited at the mint of the United States. | Deposited at the branch mints. | Mint and branches. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia. | North Carolina. |
Georgia. | California. | New Mexico. |
Other sources. |
Total. | Charlotte. | Dahlonega. | New Orleans. |
Total. | Total deposites. | |
| 1824 to 1837 | $427,000 | $2,852,500 | $1,763,900 | $353,100 | $5,126,500 | $5,126,500 | ||||||
| 1838 | 55,000 | 66,000 | 36,000 | 14,700 | 171,700 | $127,000 | $135,700 | $700 | $263,400 | $435,100 | ||
| 1839 | 57,600 | 53,500 | 20,300 | 7,100 | 138,500 | 126,836 | 113,035 | 6,869 | 246,740 | 385,240 | ||
| 1840 | 38,995 | 36,804 | 91,113 | 9,854 | 176,766 | 124,726 | 121,858 | 2,835 | 249,419 | 426,185 | ||
| 1841 | 25,736 | 76,431 | 139,796 | 6,515 | 248,478 | 129,847 | 161,974 | 1,818 | 293,639 | 542,117 | ||
| 1842 | 42,163 | 61,629 | 150,276 | 19,519 | 273,587 | 174,508 | 323,372 | 5,630 | 503,510 | 777,097 | ||
| 1843 | 48,148 | 62,873 | 56,619 | 13,088 | 180,728 | 272,064 | 570,080 | 22,573 | 864,717 | 1,045,445 | ||
| 1844 | 40,595 | 194,917 | 30,739 | 28,771 | 295,022 | 167,348 | 479,794 | 25,036 | 672,178 | 967,200 | ||
| 1845 | 86,783 | 365,886 | 17,325 | 19,388 | 489,382 | 498,632 | 20,313 | 518,945 | 1,008,327 | |||
| 1846 | 55,538 | 286,105 | 13,601 | 110,825 | 466,069 | 196,381 | 455,149 | 21,758 | 673,288 | 1,139,357 | ||
| 1847 | 67,736 | 99,491 | 10,547 | 5,635 | 183,409 | 344,054 | 352,366 | 9,256 | 705,676 | 889,085 | ||
| 1848 | 57,886 | 109,034 | 3,370 | $44,177 | $682 | 26,395 | 241,544 | 370,799 | 274,473 | 12,589 | 657,861 | 899,405 |
| 1849 | 129,382 | 102,688 | 10,525 | 5,481,439 | 32,889 | 10,169 | 5,767,092 | 390,732 | 252,974 | 677,985 | 1,321,691 | 7,088,783 |
| Total | 1,132,562 | 4,097,858 | 2,344,111 | 5,525,616 | 33,571 | 625,059 | 13,758,777 | 2,424,295 | 3,739,407 | 807,362 | 6,971,064 | 20,729,841 |
Statement showing the deposites of California gold at the Mints of the United States.
| Year. | Mints. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia. | New Orleans. | ||
| 1848 | $44,177 | $44,177 | |
| 1849 | 5,481,439 | $666,080 | 6,147,519 |
| Agregate | 5,525,616 | 666,080 | 6,181,696 |
Statement of the entire coinage of the United States to the close of the year 1849.
| Mints. | Commencement of coinage. |
Gold. | Silver. | Copper. | Entire coinage. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieces. | Value. | Pieces. | Value. | Pieces. | Value. | Pieces. | Value. | ||
| Philadelphia | 1793 | 11,725,426 | $63,470,612 00 | 176,801,491 | $64,091,211 90 | 128,913,641 | $1,251,734 52 | 317,440,558 | $128,813,558 42 |
| New Orleans | 1838 | 2,551,895 | 15,768,990 00 | 34,551,830 | 11,490,253 00 | 37,103,725 | 27,259,243 00 | ||
| Charlotte | 1838 | 560,937 | 2,381,689 00 | 560,937 | 2,381,689 00 | ||||
| Dahlonega | 1838 | 842,189 | 3,727,910 00 | 842,189 | 3,727,910 00 | ||||
| 15,680,447 | 85,349,201 00 | 211,353,321 | 75,581,464 90 | 128,913,641 | 1,251,734 52 | 355,947,409 | 162,182,400 42 | ||