standard silver, and weighing not less than three hundred and eighty-four grains each- at the rate of ninety-three (93) cents each. § 17. The following gold coins shall pass current as money in the United States, and be receivable in all payments by weight for the payment of all debts and demands at the rates following, that is to say: the gold coins of Great Britain, Portugal and Brazil, of not less than twenty-two (22) carats fine, at the rate of ninety-four cents and eight-tenths of a cent (94) per pennyweight; the gold coins of France, nine-tenths fine, at the rate of ninety-three cents and onetenth of a cent (93) per pennyweight, and the gold coins of Spain, Mexico and Columbia, of the fineness of twenty (20) carats, three grains and seven-sixteenths (3) of a grain, at the rate of eightynine cents and nine-tenths of a cent (89) per pennyweight.

Act January 18, 1837.

§ 18. The standard for both gold and silver coins of the United States shall hereafter be such that of one thousand parts by weight nine hundred shall be of pure metal and one hundred of alloy, and the alloy of silver coins shall be of copper, and the alloy of the gold coins shall be of copper and silver, provided that the silver do not exceed one-half the alloy.

§ 19. Of the silver coins, the Dollar shall be of the weight of 4122 grains; the Half Dollar of the weight of 2064 grains; the Quarter Dollar of the weight of 103% grains; the Dime, or tenth part of a dollar, of the weight of 414 grains, and the Half Dime, or twentieth part of a dollar, of the weight of 20% grains.

§ 20. And that Dollars, Half Dollars, Quarter Dollars, Dimes and Half Dimes shall be legal tenders of payment according to their nominal value for any sums whatever.

§ 21. Of the gold coins, the weight of the Eagle shall be 258 grains; that of the Half Eagle 129 grains, and of the Quarter Eagle 64% grains.

§ 22. And that for all sums whatever the Eagle shall be a legal tender of payment for ten dollars, the Half Eagle for five dollars, and the Quarter Eagle for two and a half dollars.

Act July 27, 1842.

§ 23. In all payments by or to the treasury, whether made here or in foreign countries where it becomes necessary to compute the value of the pound sterling, it shall be deemed equal to four dollars and eighty-four cents ($4.84).

Act March 3, 1843.

§ 24. The following gold coins shall pass current as money in the United States and be receivable by weight for the payment of all debts and demands at the rates following, that is to say: the gold coins of Great Britain, of not less than nine hundred and fifteen and a half thousandths (9151⁄2-1,000) in fineness, at ninety-four cents and six-tenths (94%) of a cent per pennyweight, and the gold coins of France, of not less than eight hundred and ninety-nine thousandths (18) in fineness, at ninety-two cents and nine-tenths of a cent (92%) per pennyweight.

899

The following foreign silver coins shall pass current as money within the United States and be receivable by tale for the payment of all debts and demands at the rates following, that is to say: the Spanish pillar dollars, and the dollars of Mexico, Peru and Bolivia, of not less than eight hundred and ninety-seven thousandths (8) in fineness and four hundred and fifteen (415) grains in weight, at one hundred cents each, and the five-franc pieces of France, of not less than nine hundred thousandths (%) in fineness and three hundred and eighty-four (384) grains in weight, at ninety-three (93) cents each.

Act March 3, 1849.

§ 25. There shall be from time to time 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 for gold coins now established by law-coins of gold of the following denominations and value, viz.: Double Eagles, each to be of the value of twenty dollars or units, and Gold Dollars, each to be of the value of one dollar, or unit.

§ 26. For all sums whatever the Double Eagle shall be a legal tender for twenty dollars, and the Gold Dollar shall be a legal tender for one dollar.

§ 27. In adjusting the weights of gold coins henceforward the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the single pieces, namely: in the double eagles, 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.

Act March 3, 1851.

§ 28. It shall be lawful to coin at the mint of the United States and its branches a piece of the denomination and legal value of three cents, or three-hundredths of a dollar, to be composed of threefourths silver and one-fourth copper, and to weigh twelve (12) grains and three-eighths (%) of a grain; that it shall be a legal tender in payment of debts for all sums of thirty cents and under.

Act February 21, 1853.

§ 29. That the weight of the Half Dollar, or piece of fifty cents, shall be one hundred and ninety-two (192) grains; and the Quarter Dollar, Dime and Half Dime shall be respectively one-half, one-fifth and one-tenth of the weight of the Half Dollar.

§ 30. 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.

§ 31. 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 the standard of gold coins now established by law, a coin of gold of the value of Three Dollars or Units.

§ 32. And that hereafter the Three Cent piece now authorized by law shall be made of the weight of three-fiftieths of the weight of the half dollar, as provided in said act, and of the same standard of fineness. And said act, entitled "An act amendatory of existing laws relative to the Half Dollar, Quarter Dollar, Dime and Half Dime," shall take effect and be in full force from and after the first day of April, 1853, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Act February 21, 1857.

§ 33. The standard weight of the Cent coined at the mint shall be seventy-two (72) grains, or three-twentieths of an ounce troy, with no greater deviation than four grains in each piece; and said Cent shall be composed of eighty-eight (88) per centum of copper and twelve (12) per centum of nickel. And the coinage of the Half Cent shall cease.

Act February 21, 1857.

§ 34. The pieces commonly known as the quarter, eighth and sixteenth of the Spanish pillar dollar and of the Mexican dollar shall be receivable at the Treasury of the United States and its several offices, and at the several post offices and land offices, at the rates of valuation following, viz.: the fourth of a dollar, or piece of two reals, at twenty cents; the eighth of a dollar, or piece of one real, at ten cents; and the sixteenth of a dollar, or half real, at five cents.

§ 35. All former acts authorizing the currency of foreign gold or silver coins, and declaring the same a legal tender in payment of debts, are hereby repealed; but it shall be the duty of the director of the mint to cause assays to be made from time to time of such foreign coins as may be known to commerce, to determine their average weight, fineness and value, and to embrace in his annual report a statement of the results thereof.

Act April 22, 1864.

§ 36. The standard weight of the cent coined at the mint of the United States shall be forty-eight grains, or one tenth of one ounce troy, and said cent shall be composed of ninety-five per centum of copper and five per centum of tin and zinc in such proportions as shall be determined by the director of the mint; and there shall be from time to time struck and coined at the mint a two-cent piece of the same composition, the standard weight of which shall be ninetysix grains, or one fifth of an ounce troy, with no greater deviation than four grains to each piece.

§ 37. The said coins shall be a legal tender in any payment, the one cent coin to the amount of ten cents, and the two cent coin to the amount of twenty cents; and it shall be lawful to pay out said coins in exchange for the lawful currency of the United States (except cents or half cents issued under former acts of Congress) in suitable sums, by the treasurer of the mint, and by such other depositaries as the secretary of the treasury may designate.

Act March 3, 1865.

§ 38. There shall be coined at the mint of the United States a three cent piece composed of copper and nickel in such proportion — not exceeding twenty-five (25) per centum of nickel -as shall be determined by the director of the mint, the standard weight of which

shall be thirty grains, with no greater deviation than four grains to each piece.

§ 39. The said coin shall be a legal tender in any payment to the amount of sixty cents; and it shall be lawful to pay out said coins in exchange for the lawful currency of the United States (except cents or half cents or two cent pieces issued under former acts of Congress) in suitable sums, by the treasurer of the mint, and by such other depositaries as the secretary of the treasury may designate. Pro vided, that from and after the passage of this act no issues of fractional notes of the United States shall be of less denomination than five cents.

§ 40. The one and two cent coins of the United States shall not be a legal tender for any payment exceeding four cents in amount, (previous laws to the contrary repealed).

Act May 16, 1866.

§ 41. There shall be coined at the mint of the United States a five cent piece, composed of copper and nickel in such proportion— not exceeding twenty-five per centum of nickel-as shall be determined by the director of the mint, the standard weight of which shall be seventy-seven and sixteen hundredths grains, with no greater deviation than two grains to each piece.

§ 42. Said coins shall be a legal tender in any payment to the amount of one dollar; and it shall be lawful to pay out said coins for lawful currency of the United States, in suitable sums, by the treasurer of the mint, and by such other depositaries as the secretary of the treasury may designate.

§ 43. That from and after the passage of this act no issues of fractional notes of the United States shall be of less denomination than ten cents.

§ 44. It shall be lawful for the treasurer and the several assistant treasurers of the United States to redeem in national currency, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the secretary of the treasury, the coins herein authorized to be issued when presented in sums of not less than one hundred dollars.

Act March 3, 1871.

§ 45. That the secretary of the treasury is required to redeem in lawful money all copper, bronze, copper-nickel and base-metal coinage of every kind hitherto authorized by law, when presented in sums of not less than twenty dollars.