(Sections 6 and 7 appropriate for the construction of said assay office, and provide that the laws for the regulation of the assay office at New York, and punishment for offenses shall be applicable thereto.)

Approved, February 19, 1869.

ACT OF JULY 15, 1870.

CHAP. CCXCII.-An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year ending June thirty, eighteen hundred and seventy-one, and for other purposes.

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

*

*

16 Stat. L.,

296.

building in

Total cost not to exceed.

Unrefined or unparted bul

exchanged at

til, etc.

For continuing the work on the branch mint building, Branch mint in San Francisco, California, five hundred thousand dol- San Francisco. lars: Provided, That the total cost of the building, exclusive of the sum paid for the site thereof, shall not exceed one million five hundred thousand dollars: And provided further, That it shall be lawful, until after the lion may be completion and occupation of said branch mint building, any mint, unto exchange, at any mint or branch mint of the United States, unrefined or unparted bullion whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury, it can be done with advantage to the government: Provided, That the weight, fineness, and value of the bullion received and given in exchange shall be determined by the mint assay: And provided further, That the authority hereby given Proviso. shall not be construed so as to interfere with the rights and privileges now or heretofore enjoyed by depositors of bullion at said mints.

*

Approved, July 15, 1870.

*

ACT OF MARCH 3, 1871.

*

Weight, etc.. termined by

of bullion de

mint assay.

CHAP. CXXIV.-An act to provide for the redemption 16 Stat. L, of copper and other token coins.

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

580.

and base-metal

redeemed in

less than $20.

may be discon

All copper bled, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorcoinage to be ized and required to redeem in lawful money, under such sums of not rules and regulations as he may from time to time prescribe, all copper, bronze, coper-nickel, and base-metal coinage of every kind heretofore authorized by law, when Such coinage presented in sums of not less than twenty dollars; and when, whenever under this authority these coins are presented for redemption in such quantity as to show the amount outstanding to be redundant, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to discontinue or diminish the manufacture and issue of such coinage until otherwise ordered by him.

tinued,

etc.

424.

Approved, March 3, 1871.

ACT OF FEBRUARY 12, 1873.

17 Stat. L, CHAP. CXXXI.—An act revising and amending the laws relative to the mints, assay-offices, and coinage of the United States.

lished as a Bu

cludes what.

acts repealed,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assemMint estab-bled, That the Mint of the United States is hereby reau and in- established as a Bureau of the Treasury Department, emAll former bracing in its organization and under its control all mints sec. 67. for the manufacture of coin, and all assay-offices for the stamping of bars, which are now, or which may be hereDirector: ap- after, authorized by law. The chief officer of the said pointment, and term of office; Bureau shall be denominated the Director of the Mint, and shall be under the general direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. He shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall hold his office for the term of five years, unless sooner removed by the President, upon reasons to be communicated by him to the Senate.

powers;

reports;

SEC. 2. That the Director of the Mint shall have the general supervision of all mints and assay-offices, and shall make an annual report to the Secretary of the Treasury of their operations, at the close of each fiscal year, and from time to time such additional reports, setting forth the operations and condition of such institutions, as the Secretary of the Treasury shall require, and shall lay annual estl-before him the annual estimates for their support. And the Secretary of the Treasury shall appoint the number Clerks, num- of clerks, classified according to law, necessary to dispointment. charge the duties of said Bureau.

mates.

ber and ap

of

each mint, and their appoint

ment.

SEC. 3. That the officers of each mint shall be a superin-Officers tendent, an assayer, a melter and refiner, and a coiner, their and for the mint at Philadelphia, an engraver, all to be Revised Statappointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

utes, 3496.

ent of mint, and

Revised Stat

their

form and con

bullion.

Revised Stat

utes, 3506.

SEC. 4. That the superintendent of each mint shall have Superintend the control thereof, the superintendence of the officers and powers persons employed therein, and the supervision of the busi- utes, 3503. ness thereof, subject to the approval of the Director of the Mint, to whom he shall make reports at such times and reports, according to such forms as the Director of the Mint may tents. prescribe, which shall exhibit, in detail, and under appropriate heads, the deposits of bullion, the amount of gold, silver, and minor coinage, and the amount of unparted, standard, and refined bars issued, and such other statistics and information as may be required. The superintendent Moneys or of each mint shall also receive and safely keep, until legally withdrawn, all moneys or bullion which shall be for the use or the expenses of the mint. He shall receive all bullion brought to the mint for assay or coinage; shall Coln. be the keeper of all bullion or coin in the mint, except while the same is legally in the hands of other officers; and shall deliver all coins struck at the mint to the persons to whom they shall be legally payable. From the Deposits. report of the assayer and the weight of the bullion, he shall compute the value of each deposit, and also the amount of the charges or deductions, if any, of all which he shall give a detailed memorandum to the depositor; and he shall also give at the same time, under his hand, Certificate of a certificate of the net amount of the deposit, to be paid in coins or bars of the same species of bullion as that deposited, the correctness of which certificate shall be verified by the assayer, who shall countersign the same; and Transfers of in all cases of transfer of coin or bullion, he shall give and receive vouchers, stating the amount and character of such coin or bullion. He shall keep and render, quarter-Quarterly acyearly, to the Director of the Mint, for the purpose of rector, etc. adjustment, according to such forms as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, regular and faithful accounts of his transactions with the other officers of the mint and the depositors; and shall also render to him a monthly statement of the ordinary expenses of the mint or assay-office under his charge.

He shall also appoint all assistants, clerks, (one of whom shall be designated "chief clerk ",) and workmen

deposit, to be counters igned by assayer.

coin, etc.

Assistants, clerks, etc.

office of assayer, etc.

to be reported

Clerks, etc., in employed under his superintendence; but no person shall be appointed to employment in the offices of the assayer, melter and refiner, coiner, or engraver, except on the recommendation and nomination in writing of those offiAppointments cers, respectively; and he shall forthwith report to the to Director and Director of the Mint the names of all persons appointed by him, the duties to be performed, the rate of compensation, the appropriation from which compensation is to be made, and the grounds of the appointment; and if the Director of the Mint shall disapprove the same, the appointment shall be vacated.

approved by him.

Assayer's du

ties.

utes, 3507.

SEC. 5. That the assayer shall assay all metals and Revised Stat-bullion, whenever such assays are required in the operations of the Mint; he shall also make assays of coins or samples of bullion whenever required by the superintendent.

Melter and refiner.

utes, 3508.

SEC. 6. That the melter and refiner shall execute all Revised Stat-the operations which are necessary in order to form ingots of standard silver or gold, and alloys for minor coinage, suitable for the coiner, from the metals legally delivered to him for that purpose; and shall also execute all the operations which are necessary in order to form bars conformable in all respects to the law, from the gold and silver bullion delivered to him for that purpose. He shall keep a careful record of all transactions with the superintendent, noting the weight and character of the bullion; and shall be responsible for all bullion delivered to him until the same is returned to the superintendent and the proper vouchers obtained.

Coiner.

SEC. 7. That the coiner shall execute all the operations which are necessary in order to form coins, conformable in all respects to the law, from the standard gold and silver ingots, and alloys for minor coinage, legally delivered to him for that purpose; and shall be responsible for all bullion delivered to him, until the same is returned to the superintendent and the proper vouchers obtained. SEC. 8. That the engraver shall prepare from the original dies already authorized all the working-dies required for use in the coinage of the several mints, and, when New coins or new coins or devices are authorized, shall, if required by Revised Stat- the Director of the Mint, prepare the devices, models,

Engraver.

devices.

utes, 3510.

molds, and matrices, or original dies, for the same; but the Director of the Mint shall nevertheless have power, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to engage temporarily for this purpose the services of one

If any officer

is absent, etc.

Revised Stat

utes, 3502.

or more artists distinguished in their respective departments of art, who shall be paid for such service from the contingent appropriation for the mint at Philadelphia. SEC. 9. That whenever any officer of a mint or assayoffice shall be temporarily absent, on account of sickness or any other cause, it shall be lawful for the superintendent, with the consent of said officer, to appoint some person attached to the mint to act in the place of such officer during his absence; but all such appointments shall be forthwith reported to the Director of the Mint for his approval; and in all cases whatsoever the principal shall be responsible for the acts of his representative. In case of the temporary absence of the superintendent, the chief superin te ndclerk shall act in his place; and in case of the temporary absence of the Director of the Mint, the Secretary of the Director. Treasury may designate some one to act in his place.

SEC. 10. That every officer, assistant, and clerk of the Mint shall, before he enters upon the execution of his office, take an oath or affirmation before some judge of the United States, or judge of the superior court, or of some court of record of any State, faithfully and diligently to perform the duties thereof, in addition to other official oaths prescribed by law; which oaths, duly certified, shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury; and the superintendent of each mint may require such oath or affirmation from any of the employees of the mint.

ent;

Oath of officers, assistants,

clerks, and em

ployees.

Revised Stat

utes, 3500.

intendent and

Revised Stat

SEC. 11. That the superintendent, the assayer, the Bond of supermelter and refiner, and the coiner of each mint, before others; entering upon the execution of their respective offices, utes, 3501. shall become bound to the United States, with one or more sureties, approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, in the sum of not less than ten nor more than fifty thousand dollars, with condition for the faithful, and diligent performance of the duties of his office. Similar bonds may be required of the assistants and clerks, in of assistants such sums as the superintendent shall determine, with the approbation of the Director of the Mint; but the same shall not be construed to relieve the superintendent. or other officers from liability to the United States for acts, omissions, or negligence of their subordinates or employees: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury, may, at his discretion, increase the bonds of the Increase theresuperintendent.

and clerks;

of.