deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the single pieces-namely, in the double eagle, the eagle, and the half eagle, one half of a grain, and in the quarter eagle, and gold dollar, one quarter of a grain; and that in weighing a large number of pieces together, when delivered from the chief coiner to the treasurer, and from the treasurer to the depositors, the deviation from the standard weight shall not exceed three pennyweights in one thousand double eagles; two pennyweights in one thousand eagles; one and one half pennyweights in one thousand half eagles; one pennyweight in one thousand quarter eagles; and one half of a pennyweight in one thousand gold dollars.

Approved, March 3, 1849.

ACT OF MAY 23, 1850.

CHAP. XII.—An act supplementary to the act entitled "An act supplementary to the act entitled 'An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States."

9 Stat. L.,

436.

To enable the mint and

to make re

positors, etc.,

is authorized

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of enabling the mint and branch mints of the United States to make returns to branch mints depositors with as little delay as possible, it shall be law-turns to deful for the President of the United States, when the state the President of the treasury shall admit thereof, to direct transfers to to direct transfers of public be made from time to time to the mint and branch mints money. for such sums of public money as he shall judge convenient and necessary, out of which those who bring bullion to the mint may be paid the value thereof, as soon as practicable after this value has been ascertained; that the bullion so deposited shall become the property of the United States; that no discount or interest shall be charged on money so advanced; and that the Secretary of the Treasury may at any time withdraw the said deposite, or any part thereof, or may, at his discretion, allow the coins formed at the mint to be given for their equivalent in other money: Provided, That the bonds Proviso. given by the United States treasurers and superintendents of the mint shall be renewed or increased at the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, under the operation of this act.

Approved, May 23, 1850.

9 Stat. 531.

ACT OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1850.

L., CHAP. XC.—An act making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of government for the year ending the thirtieth of June, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, and for other purposes.

Treasury au

Secretary of The Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, thorized to con- authorized and directed to contract, upon the most rea

tract with as

in California,

fix the value of

pervision of

assayer.

saying works sonable terms, with the proprietors of some well-estabto assay and lished assaying works now in successful operation in gold, under su California, upon satisfactory security, to be judged by United States the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall, under the supervision of the United States assayer to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, perform such duties in assaying and fixing the value of gold in grain and lumps, and in forming the same into bars, as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and that the said United States assayer shall cause the stamp of the United States, indicating the degree of fineness and value, to be affixed to each bar or ingot of gold that may be issued from the establishment. Provided, That the United States shall not be held responsible for the loss of any gold deposited with Further pro- said proprietors for assay: And provided, further, That the salary of said assayer shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury, not to exceed five thousand dollars.

Proviso.

viso.

587.

(A similar provision is contained in the act of August 31, 1852, chap. 108, 10 Stat. L., p. 97.)

ACT OF MARCH 3, 1851.

9 Stat. L, CHAP. XX.-An act to reduce and modify the rates of postage in the United States, and for other purposes.

New coin of value of 3 cents.

See act of

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatires of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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*

*

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, it shall be lawful to coin at the 1853, Mint of the United States and its branches, a piece of the Act of Feb. denomination and legal value of three cents, or three hundredths of a dollar, to be composed of three fourths silver

Mar. 3,

sec. 7.

12, 1873, sec.

15.

er.

Weight.

Device.

and one fourth copper, and to weigh twelve grains and three eighths of a grain; that the said coin shall bear such devices as shall be conspicuously different from those of the other silver coins, and of the gold dollar, but having the inscription United States of America, and its denomination and date; and that it shall be a legal tender in Made a tendpayment of debts for all sums of thirty cents and under. And that no ingots shall be used for the coinage of the three-cent pieces herein authorized, of which the quality differs more than five thousandths from the legal standard; and that, in adjusting the weight of the said coin, the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded, namely, one-half of a grain in the single piece, and one pennyweight in a thousand pieces. Approved, March 3, 1851.

ACT OF JULY 3, 1852.

Weight.

CHAP. LIV.-An act to establish a branch of the Mint of 10 Stat. L., the United States in California.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatires of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a branch of the Mint of the United States be established in California, to be located by the Secretary of the Treasury, for the coinage of gold and silver.

11.

Branch mint in California.

Gold to be asinto bars or

sayed and cast

ingots, and

of depos

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That, if required by the holder, gold in grain or lumps shall be refined, assayed, cast into bars or ingots, and stamped in said branch stamped at exmint, or in the Mint of the United States, or any of its branches, in such manner as may indicate the value and fineness of the bar or ingot, which shall be paid for by the owner or holder of said bullion, at such rates and charges, and under such regulations, as the Director of the Mint, under the control of the Secretary of the Treasury, may from time to time establish.

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Approved, July 3, 1852.

ACT OF FEBRUARY 21, 1853.

CHAP. LXXIX.-An act amendatory of existing laws relative to the half dollar, quarter dollar, dime, and half dime.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatires of the United States of America in Congress assem

half dollar and

and half dime,

1853.

Weight of the bled, That from and after the first day of June, eighteen quarter, dime hundred and fifty-two, [three] the weight of the half after June 1, dollar or piece of fifty cents shall be one hundred and ninety-two grains, and the quarter dollar, dime, and half dime, shall be, respectively, one half, one fifth, and one tenth of the weight of said half dollar.

Such coins, when to be a legal tender.

Purchase of the silver bul

coinage.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the silver coins issued in conformity with the above section, shall be legal tenders in payment of debts for all sums not exceeding five dollars.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That in order to prolion for such cure bullion for the requisite coinage of the subdivisions of the dollar authorized by this act, the treasurer of the Mint shall, with the approval of the Director, purchase such bullion with the bullion fund of the Mint. He shall charge himself with the gain arising from the coinage of such bullion into coins of a nominal value exceeding the intrinsic value thereof, and shall be credited with the difference between such intrinsic value and the price paid for said bullion, and with the expense of distributing said coins as hereinafter provided. The balances to his credit, or the profit of said coinage, shall be, from time to time, on a warrant of the Director of the Mint, transferred to the account of the Treasury of the United States. Such coins, SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That such coins shall changed and be paid out at the Mint, in exchange for gold coins at par, in sums not less than one hundred dollars; and it shall be lawful, also, to transmit parcels of the same from time to time to the assistant treasurers, depositaries, and other officers of the United States, under general regulations, proposed by the Director of the Mint, and approved by Amount of the Secretary of the Treasury: Provided, however, That the amount coined into quarter dollars, dimes, and half dimes, shall be regulated by the Secretary of the Treasury. No private SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That no deposits for said coins to be coinage into the half dollar, quarter dollar, dime, and half dime, shall hereafter be received, other than those made by the treasurer of the Mint, as herein authorized, and upon account of the United States.

how to be ex

paid out of mint.

coinage regu

lated.

deposits for

received.

(Section 6 provides that when gold or silver is deposited for coinage, there shall be a charge to the depositor, in addition to the charge for refining or parting the metals, of one-half of one per centum, this provision not applying to silver coined into the subdivisions of the dollar.)

Gold coins of

$3 established.

act 1849, ch.

SEC. 7. An be it further enacted, That from time to time there shall be struck and coined at the Mint of the United States, and the branches thereof, conformably in all respects to law, and conformably in all respects to the standard of gold coins now established by law, a coin of gold of the value of three dollars, or units, and all the pro- Provisions of visions of an act entitled "An act to authorize the coinage 109, made applicable to sald of gold dollars and double eagles," approved March third, coin. eighteen hundred and forty-nine, shall be applied to the coin herein authorized, so far as the same may be applicable; but the devices and shape of the three dollar piece shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That this act shall be in force from and after the first day of June next. Approved, February 21, 1853.

ACT OF MARCH 3, 1853.

To take effect June 2, 1853.

1853, ch. 96, sec. 7.

CHAP. XCVI.—An act to supply deficiencies in the ap-10 Stat. L., propriations for the service of the fiscal year ending the thirtieth of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.

*

Charge for casting silver

or ingots.

vices of the sil

thorized by act

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That when gold or silver shall be cast into bars or ingots or formed into disks into disks, bars, at the Mint of the United States, or any of the branches thereof, or at any assay office of the United States, the charge for refining, casting, or forming said bars, ingots, or disks shall be equal to, but not exceed, the actual cost of the operation, including labor, wastage, use of machinery, materials, etc., to be regulated from time to time by the Secretary of the Treasury. And the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to regulate Size and dethe size and devices of the new silver coin, authorized by ver coins auan act entitled "An act amendatory of existing laws rela- of 1853, ch. 79. tive to the half dollar, quarter dollar, dime, and half dime," passed at the present session; and that, to procure such devices, as also the models, moulds, and matrices or original dies for the coins, disks, or ingots authorized by said act, the Director of the Mint is empowered, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to engage Additional temporarily for that purpose the services of one or more mint. artists, distinguished in their respective departments, who shall be paid for such services from the contingent appropriation for the Mint: And that hereafter the three cent

officers in the

Weight of the 3-cent coin.