grains, and the quarter dollar, dime, and half dime, at one-half, onefifth, and one-tenth of the said half dollar. The standard weight of these latter coins was, by the coinage act of 1873, increased to 385.8 grains to the dollar, composed of two half dollars, four quarter dollars, or ten dimes, and corresponding in weight and fineness with the five-franc coin of the Latin States of Europe. These coins are issued at the rate of 1.24414 per standard ounce, 8033 ounces giving coins of the nominal value of $1,000. The coinage act in effect abolished the silver dollar of 412 grains troy (371 grains pure silver) and declared the gold dollar of 25.8 grains, nine-tenths fine (23.22 grains pure gold) the unit of value, and thus legally established gold as the sole standard or measure of value. The issue of copper coin commenced in 1793, silver in 1794, and gold * in 1795. Branch mints were established in 1835 at New Orleans, La., Charlotte, N. C., and Dahlonega, Ga., in 1854 at San Francisco, and in 1870 at Carson City. An assay office was established in New York in 1854, Denver in 1864, Boise City, Idaho, 1872, and Helena, Mont., in 1874. These establishments were not distinct institutions, but branches of the mint, managed by superintendents, who were subject to the general control of the Director of the Mint at Philadelphia. The coinage was conducted under this organization until the 1st of April, 1873, when the new law became operative, which established the mints and assay offices as a bureau of the Treasury Department, placed the several institutions upon substantially an equal basis, and brought them under the general supervision of the chief officer of the bureau. The manufacture of the minor coins is confined by law to the mint at Philadelphia, where also all dies for the coinage and for national medals are executed. Prior to April 1, 1873, no statutory provision authorizing the striking of medals existed, the business having been carried on since 1856 under departmental authority only, but the act of 1873 provided that national and other medals should be struck by the coiner of the mint at Philadelphia, under such regulations as should be prescribed by the superintendent with the approval of the Director of the Mint. DESCRIPTION OF UNITED STATES MEDALS EXHIBITED AT THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 1876. No. 1. Washington before Boston. Obverse: Bust of Washington. Reverse: Washington and officers on horseback; Boston in the distance. No. 2. Major-General Gates, for Saratoga. Obverse: Bust of Gates. Reverse: General Burgoyne surrendering his sword to General Gates; troops in background. No. 3. General Daniel Morgan, for Cowpens. Obverse: An Indian queen placing a wreath on brow of General Morgan. Reverse: Combat-Americans pursuing retreating British. No. 4. Col. John Egar Howard, for Cowpens. Obverse: A mounted officer pursuing foot soldier bearing a stand of colors; Victory with palm branch descending between them. Reverse: Legend, inclosed within laurel wreath. No. 5. Col. William Washington, for Cowpens. Obverse: A mounted officer leading American cavalry in pursuit of British troops. Reverse: Legend, inclosed in laurel wreath. No. 6. Col. George Croghan, for Sandusky. Obverse: Bust of Colonel Croghan.. Reverse: American Fort Stephenson, at Sandusky; English and Indian line attacking fort. No. 7. Major-General Harrison, for the Thames. Obverse: Bust of General Harrison. Reverse: Battle of the Thames. No. 8. Governor Isaac Shelby, for the Thames. Obverse: Bust of Governor Shelby. Reverse: A female placing laurel wreath on a stack of arms; drum, cannon, &c., at her feet. No. 9. Major-General Scott, for Chippewa and Niagara. Obverse: Bust of General Scott. Reverse: Inscription inclosed in wreath. No. 10. Major-General Gaines, for Fort Erie. Obverse: Bust of General Gaines. Reverse: Victory placing laurel wreath on the cascabel of a cannon fixed upright in the ground; helmet and cannon-balls on the ground. No. 11. Major-General Porter, for Chippewa, Niagara, and Erie. Reverse: Figures of Victory and the Muse of History; Victory holding flags; the Muse recording the victories. No. 12. Major-General Brown, for the same. Obverse: Bust of General Brown. Reverse: The Roman fasces, surrounded by British colors, swords, muskets, &c.; laurel wreath hangs from top of fasces; eagle standing on British flag. 10 CEN, PT 2 No. 13. Brigadier-General Miller, for the same. Obverse: Bust of General Miller. Reverse: Battle of Chippewa. No. 14. Brigadier-General Ripley, for the same. Obverse: Bust of General Ripley. Reverse: Fame hanging a tablet on palm-tree, bearing inscription: Chippewa, Niagara, and Erie. No. 15. Major-General Macomb, for Plattsburgh. Obverse: Bust of General Macomb. No. 16. Major-General Jackson, for New Orleans. Reverse: Figures of Victory and Peace, tablet, &c. No. 17. Major-General Taylor, for Palo Alto. Obverse: Bust of General Taylor. No. 18. Major-General Taylor, for Monterey. Reverse: Inscription within wreath. No. 19. Major-General Taylor, for Buena Vista. Obverse: Bust of General Taylor. Reverse: Battle of Buena Vista. No. 20. Major-General Scott, for battles in Mexico. Obverse: Bust of General Scott. Reverse: Representations of the several engagements during the Mexican campaign at which General Scott commanded. No. 21. Major-General Grant: Obverse: Bust of General Grant. Reverse Circle formed by Mississippi River monitors and steamboats, the Genius of America descending on a rainbow over Vicksburg and Chattanooga, cornucopia in left hand, shield in right, marked "Donelson," eagle holding up her drapery. No. 21a. Colonel Lee, "Light Horse Harry." Reverse: Inscription inside wreath. No. 22. John Paul Jones, for Serapis. Obverse: Bust of Captain Jones. Reverse: Engagement between Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis, sailors in water, &c. No. 23. Capt. Thos. Truxton, action with the frigate L'Insurgente. Reverse: Engagement between La Vengeance and Constellation. Note-Captain Truxton captured the French frigate L'Insurgente on the 9th of February, 1800. No. 24. Captain Hull, for capture of the Guerriere. Obverse: Bust of Captain Hull. Reverse: Engagement between the Constitution and the Guerriere. No. 25. Captain Jacob Jones, for capture of Frolic. Obverse: Bust of Captain Jones. Reverse: Engagement between the Wasp and Frolic. No. 26. Captain Decatur, for capture of the Macedonian. Reverse: Engagement between the Macedonian and the United States. No. 27. Captain Bainbridge, for capture of the Java. Obverse: Bust of Captain Bainbridge. Reverse: The Java with all her masts gone; the Constitution under full sail. No. 28. Captain Lawrence, for capture of the Peacock. Obverse: Bust of Captain Lawrence. Reverse: Peacock in the act of sinking; a boat from the Hornet is being rowed to her. No. 29. Captain Burrows, for capture of the Boxer. Observe: An urn on a tomb surrounded by military emblems; W. Burrows on tomb. Reverse: Action between Enterprise and Boxer. No. 30. Lieutenant McCall, for capture of Boxer. Obverse: Bust of Lieutenant McCall. Reverse: Action between Enterprise and Boxer. No. 31. Captain Perry, capture of British fleet on Lake Erie. Reverse Engagement between American and British fleets. No. 32. Captain Elliott, for same. Obverse: Bust of Captain Elliott. No. 33. Captain Warrington, for capture of the Epervier. Obverse: Bust of Captain Warrington. Reverse: Engagement between the Peacock and Epervier. No. 34. Captain Blakely, for capture of Reindeer. Obverse: Bust of Captain Blakely. Reverse: Engagement between the Wasp and Reindeer. No. 35. Captain Macdonough, capture of British fleet on Lake Champlain. Obverse: Bust of Captain Macdonough. Reverse: Engagement between the American and English fleetssailors in boats-on the right Plattsburg in flames. No. 36. Captain Henly, for the same. Obverse: Bust of Captain Henly. No. 37. Lieutenant Cassin, for the same. No. 38. Captain Biddle, for capture of Penguin. Obverse: Bust of Captain Biddle. Reverse: Engagement between the Hornet and Penguin. No. 39. Captain Stewart, for capture of the Cyane and Levant. Reverse: Engagement between the Constitution and the Cyane and No. 39a. Captain Edward Preble. Obverse: Bust of Captain Preble. Reverse: American fleet before Tripoli. No. 40. Rescue of officers and crew of brig Somers. Obverse: Brig Somers capsized. Reverse: Brig Somers in the distance, capsized; three boats going to her assistance. No. 41. Captain Ingraham, for rescue of Martin Koszta. Obverse: Smyrna in the distance; American sloop-of-war St. Louis and Austrian sloop-of-war Hussar confronting each other. Reverse: Inscription inside wreath. No. 42. Shipwreck medal. Obverse: A light-house and sinking ship in the distance; a wrecker has just reached the shore with a shipwrecked person. Reverse: A spread eagle. No. 43. United States Coast Survey, for gallantry and humanity. Obverse: Inscription in wreath. Reverse: Plain inscription: "The Treasury Department of the U. S. Coast Survey to——.” |