COINAGE, the process of converting an authorized alloy of the money metals into the circulable coin of the country. The metal is alloyed and cast into ingots of sizes suitable to the production of the denomination of the coins required. Thus, for the double eagles, our largest coin, the ingot is cast 12% inches in length, 11/2 inches in width and half an inch in thicicness. Such an ingot' weighs about 80 ounces troy, of the approximate value of $1,488. The ingots for the eagles are cast 111418 inches in length, the inches in width and half an inch in thickness. The weight of such an ingot is about 62 ounces troy. The half eagle requires an ingot 12 inches in length, h inch in width and 741.6 inch in thickness. The ingots are taken to the break-down rolls in drafts of about 50 ingots, where they are passed through the rolls several times, according as they prove more or less malleable. If passed through the rolls six times the dimensions of a double eagle ingot will be increased to 26g inches in length, Me inches in width and 3412 inch in thickness. The broken-down ingots are then sent to the annealing furnace, heated by gas fuel to about 1,500° F. and being laid singly upon a carrier traveling the whole length of the furnace, remain until the strips become a uniform cherry-red. They are then removed and plunged into a bath of cold water to remain until cool enough to handle. The strips are then wiped dry and passed on to the finishing rolls.
The next step will depend upon the condition of the metal. Should it retain indications of the hardness and springiness resulting to the break down process, it is subjected to a second break down by being passed three or four times through the rolls. The malleability of the metal being sufficient, the strips are taken to the finish ing rolls or ((rolls of precision.° After being passed through these rolls four times the strips develop the required thickness and uniformity for the production of blanks. At this stage the double eagle strip attains a length of 47h inches, a width of 1% inches and is reduced to a thick ness of The of an inch. For ease in handling the strips are now cut in half by multiple shears and delivered at the cutting presses,. where
test planchets are cut from several strips and weighed to determine if the strip, when con verted into planchets (coin blanks), approx imates to standard weight. The cutting presses are automatic. The strip is seized by a grip and drawn under a steel punch worlcing in a matrix cutting the planchets at the rate of 80 each minute. The planchets are next cleansed and sent to the selecting table where the im perfect pieces are separated from the perfect and the latter are sent to an adjusting rootn. The adjusting consists in the careful weighing of each blank separately to ascertain if it cor responds to the standard weight and legal tol erance, the latter being for double eagles and eagles Y2 grain per piece, and y4 grain each for half eagles and quarter eagles. Pieces found in excess of legal weight and tolerance are re duced by filing the edges until they conform to the limit. Such pieces are placed by themselves and marked °heavies.° Pieces a little less than the standard weight, but within the limit of legal tolerance, are placed in another receptacle and marked alights.° Those found of exact legal weight are placed in another receptacle and marked ((standard.° The planchets so adjusted are then taken to the milling machines by the operation of which a protecting edge is raised on each piece. This edge is to preserve the face of the coin from abrasion. When milled the planchets are conveyed to the cleaning room where they are annealed until of a cherry-red and then treated to a bath of dilute sulphuric acid, by which process they are thoroughly cleansed and bright ened. 'The annealing of the planchets after the milling process having prepared them for the stamping, when cleansed and brightened they are washed in boiling water, dried by riddling in sawdust, when they are ready for the coining press. It will be understood that the three de scriptions of blanks, namely: afleavies,x' alights° and "standardso— have been kept separate throughout the processes, and are never mingled until the coiner makes up the drafts of finished coin for bagging. The planchets therefore go to the presses by those divisions.