Description of operating procedures in the Melting and Refining Office of the United States Mint. Digitized content does not include page seven because it is not held by the repository. Dated after 1849, before 1887.
A followup volume to the 1842 work by the same authors (A Manual of Gold and Silver Coins of all Nations), this book describes developments in gold and silver coinage in the preceding decade, including California discoveries, Mormon gold, and various foreign pieces. The most valuable copies retain the California gold samples that were mounted on p. 45.
Memoranda (in Newman's hand) in the Newman papers notes:
A portion of the 1850 edition is reprinted in the September 1850 issue of Bankers Magazine, vol. 5, pp. 193-202. Most of the 1851 edition including the Pledges of History (by Du Bois only) is reprinted in the September, October, November, and December 1851 issues of Bankers Magazine, vol. 6 (Boston 1852), pp. 175-191; pp. 314-321; 322-323; 337-360; 432-453; Table & 5 plates are also in the January 1852 issue.
Mint Director Robert M. Patterson's report for the year 1849. Inkstamp of Remy Bourne library.
Paul Hybert summary: "A report from mint director R.M. Patterson to President Taylor, who relayed it to Congress. The first gold dollars are minted but not so for the first double-eagles, due to die difficulties. The large amount of California gold does not exceed the amount of gold deposited in 1847. However, mostly foreign gold coins were deposited in 1847 while the native California gold contains an amount of silver higher than the legal coinage standard, requiring additional refining steps. The extra steps produced a large backlog of deposits to be coined, but with additional resources now in place, prompt payment to depositors is foreseen."
From the Congressional serial set, 31st Congress, 1st session, Senate Executive document no. 21. Note, the same report is entered in the House record, 31st Congress, 1st session, House Executive document no. 31.
Original manuscript in the American Numismatic Society library. Charles Ira Bushnell's 49 page manuscript detailing early American coinage. Images of the original handwritten manuscript are displayed as well as the transcribed text of each page, courtesy of Ray Williams. Note, creation date is approximate. See also Ray Williams' article in The Asylum, April 2015 (vol. 33, no. 2).
