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Communicated to the House of Representatives, January 8, 1793.
The Secretary of State, to whom was referred, by the President of the United States, the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 29th of November, 1792, on the subject of experiments on the coins of France, England, Spain, and Portugal, reports:
That assays and experiments have been, accordingly, made at the mint, by the director, and under his care and inspection, of sundry gold and silver coins of France, England, Spain, and Portugal, and of the quantity of fine metal and alloy in each of them, and the specific gravities of those of gold given in by the director, a copy of which, and of the letter covering it, are contained in the papers marked A and B.
TH. JEFFERSON.
January 8, 1793.
January 7th, 1793.
Sir:
I have, herewith, enclosed the result of our assays &c. of the coins of France, England, Spain, and Portugal. In the course of the experiments, a very small source of error was detected, too late for the present occasion, but which will be carefully guarded against in future.
I am, with the most perfect esteem, your most obedient humble servant,
DAVID RITTENHOUSE, Director of the Mint.
Th. Jefferson, Secretary of State.
Assay of gold coins.
| Date. | In 24 grains. | Specific Gravity. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine gold. | Alloy. | ||||||
| grs. | 32 pts. | grs. | 32 pts. | ||||
| French guineas, | 1726 | 21 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 17.48 | |
| 1734 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 13 | 17.38 | ||
| 1742 | 21 | 26 | 2 | 06 | 17.58 | ||
| 1753 | 21 | 03 | 2 | 29 | 17.23 | ||
| 1775 | 21 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 17.57 | ||
| Double do. | 1786 | 21 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 17.51 | |
| 1789 | 21 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 17.50 | ||
| 1790 | 21 | 25 | 2 | 07 | 17.57 | ||
| Spanish pistoles, | 1776 | 21 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 17.53 | |
| 1780 | 21 | 00 | 3 | 00 | 17.57 | ||
| 1786 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 17.63 | ||
| 1788 | 21 | 02 | 2 | 30 | 17.00 | ||
| English guineas, | 1755 | 21 | 28 | 2 | 04 | 17.78 | |
| 1777 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 01 | 17.75 | ||
| 1785 | 21 | 30 | 2 | 02 | 17.78 | ||
| 1788 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 01 | 17.79 | ||
| 1789 | 22 | 03 | 1 | 29 | 17.78 | ||
| 1791 | 22 | 01 | 1 | 31 | 17.74 | ||
| Half johannes of Portugal, |
1739 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 01 | 17.63 | |
| 1770 | 22 | 05 | 1 | 27 | 17.78 | ||
| 1776 | 22 | 05 | 1 | 27 | 17.87 | ||
| 1785 | 21 | 30 | 2 | 02 | 17.68 | ||
| 1788 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 01 | 17.78 | ||
Silver coins.
| Date. | In 12 ounces. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine silver. | Alloy. | |||||||
| English half crown of William III. |
oz. | dwts. | grs. | oz. | dwts. | grs. | ||
| 10 | 19 | 09½ | 1 | 00 | 14½ | |||
| English shilling, | 1787 | 11 | 00 | 02½ | 0 | 19 | 21½ | |
| French crown | 1791 | 10 | 16 | 00 | 1 | 04 | 00 | |
| Do. half crown | 1739 | 10 | 17 | 00 | 1 | 03 | 00 | |
| Do. | 1792 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 03 | 05 | |
| Spanish dollar of | 1772 | 10 | 15 | 05 | 1 | 04 | 19 | |
| 1782 | 10 | 14 | 02½ | 1 | 05 | 21½ | ||
| 1790 | 10 | 14 | 00 | 1 | 06 | 00 | ||
| 1791 | 10 | 14 | 21½ | 1 | 05 | 02½ | ||
Assayed by Mr. David Ott, under my inspection, at the mint, in pursuance of a resolution of Congress of November 29, 1792. I have added the specific gravity of each piece of gold coin.
DAVID RITTENHOUSE, Director of the Mint..
Mint, January 7, 1793.