ASSAYS OF FOREIGN COINS.

Communicated to the Senate, December 27, 1810.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in obedience to the act, entitled “An act regulating the currency of foreign coins in the United States,” respectfully reports:

That the assays of the foreign gold and silver coins, made current by the said act, have been made at the Mint of the United States, conformably thereto; the result whereof is shown in the letter of the Director of the Mint, dated December 19, 1810, which is annexed to this report, and which is prayed to be received as part thereof.

All which is respectfully submitted.

ALBERT GALLATIN.

Treasury Department, December 24, 1810.

. . . . . . . .

Mint of the United States, December 19th, 1810.

Sir:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 22d ultimo, and have, according to your desire, caused assays to be made of the several species of foreign coins, made current in the United States by an act of Congress, passed the 10th of April, 1806, and the following, according to the Assayer’s report, is the result:

Gold coins of Great Britain.
							C.	grs.
No.	1.	made of	5	pieces of	promiscuous dates prior to	1806,	22	0
	2.	“	2	do.	dated	1806,	22	0
	3.	“	4	do.	dated	1808,	22	0
	4.	“	5	do.	dated	1809,	22	0
	5.	“	2	do.	dated	1810,	22	0

Gold coins of France.

No.	1.	made of	5	pieces of	promiscuous dates prior to	1806,	21	23/8
	2.	“	4	do.	dated	1806,	21	23/8
	3.	“	3	do.	dated	1808,	21	21/4
	4.	“	4	do.	dated	1809,	21	21/4
	5.	“	1	do.	dated	1810,	21	23/8

Gold coins of Spain.

No.	1.	made of	5	pieces of	promiscuous dates prior to	1806,	20	31/4
	2.	“	3	do.	dated	1806,	20	23/4
	3.	“	5	do.	dated	1807,	20	31/2
	4.	“	5	do.	dated	1808,	20	3
	5.	“	5	do.	dated	1809,	20	23/4
	6.	“	5	do.	dated	1810,	20	3

Gold coins of Portugal.

No.	1.	made of	5	pieces of	promiscuous dates prior to	1806,	22	0
	2.	“	4	do.	dated	1806,	22	0
	3.	“	5	do.	dated	1807,	22	0
	4.	“	4	do.	dated	1808,	22	0
	5.	“	5	do.	dated	1809,	22	0
	6.	“	3	do.	dated	1810,	22	0

Silver coins of France.
							Oz.	Dwt.	Gr.
No.	1.	made of	5	crowns of promiscuous dates,			10	19	0
	2.	“	3	five franc pieces of promiscuous dates,			10	19	0

Silver coins of Spain, viz: dollars and parts.

No.	1.	made of	5	pieces of	promiscuous dates prior to	1806,	10	15	0
	2.	“	5	do.	dated	1806,	10	15	0
	3.	“	5	do.	dated	1807,	10	15	0
	4.	“	5	do.	dated	1808,	10	15	12
	5.	“	5	do.	dated	1809,	10	15	12
	6.	“	5	do.	dated	1810,	10	15	12

From the foregoing assays. it appears-

That the gold coins of Great Britain, and Portugal, being of the same quality with those of the United States, viz: 22 carats fine. or 1/12 part alloy, are, by the act of Congress, rated at their true intrinsic value of 27 grs. to the dollar or 100 cents.
That the gold coins of France, averaging 21 c. 21/3 grs., (very nearly) would require 2752/100 grains to the 100 cents, instead of the legal weight of 2740/100 grs.
That the gold coins of Spain, averaging about 20 c. 3 grs., would require 2862/100 grs. to the 100 Cents, instead of the legal weight of 2740/100 grs.
That the silver French crown, weighing, as the law required, 18 dwt. 17 grs., and of the quality 10 oz. 19 dwt., as per assay, would, compared with the quality and weight of the silver coins of the United States, be equal in value to about 36/100 parts of a cent more than that established by law.
That the Spanish silver dollar, of the legal weight of 17 dwt. 7 grs. and of the quality of 10 oz. 15 dwt. 6 grs. the average per assay, would, by a like comparison with the silver coins of the United States, be equal in value to about 23/100 parts of a cent more than the value established by law.

It may, however, be observed, that the foreign silver coins, especially those that have been long in circulation, are seldom of the above weights; and, therefore, their value, as current by tale, will be generally less than that stated above.

I have the honor to be, with great respect and esteem, your most obedient servant,

R. PATTERSON.

The Honorable Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.