hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

ASSAY OFFICE AND MINT. 187
In 1850 the government provided for an assay office
at San Francisco, and although a merely semi-official
establishment was opened, 80 it rendered good service
in checking inferior coinage and correcting irregularities
with gold-dust. Two years later an appropriation
was granted of $300,000 for a branch mint, 81 which
"The agent in charge, A. Humbert, made contracts with private firms to
issue slugs, etc Crane, Past, 28-9, condemns it as a 'shaving shop.' The
legislature passed an act Apr. 20, 1850, for the appointment of an assayer.
Placer Times, May 22, 1860. Kohler was appointed. 8oc. Transcript. June
29,1850.
31 For measures to this end since 1850, see U. 8. Gov. Doe., Cong. 31, Seas.
2, H. Ex. Doc. L, p. 10; Cong. 32, Seas. 1, Doc. 92, v., Doc. 132, xni.; Id., H.
MisceL Doc 60; petitions, in Unbound Doc, 136-7; Hayes* Mining Arch.,
MS., i. 5; Id., Pub. Laws, 11-13; Pac. News, May 13, Nov. 1,1850; comments
of Gwin, Mem., 67, 81, who introduced the bilL N. Am. Rev., lxxv. 410-24;
Alia CaL, Apr. 13,1852. The absence of a mint was estimated to cause a loss
of $10,000,000 a year to the state. Curtis & Perry, aasayers on Commercial
srt, contracted with the government to make certain additions to their establishment
and put in the necessary machinery for the sum of $296,000. The
contractors turned over the mint to L. A- Birdsall, the superintendent, and
all was ready for the reception of gold-dust the 3d of April, 1854. The new
machinery was manufactured in Philadelphia, under the supervision of George
Eckfeldt of the U. S. mint, and put up conjointly by himself and his son,
John M. Eckfeldt, the first coiner. J. R. Snyder was the first treasurer,
John Hueston, melter and refiner, A. Haraszthy, assayer, and there were some
25 assistants. For assaying and running into bars, the then prevailing local
charge of one half of one per cent was made. For assaying and refining, the
rate was 11 cents an ounce, or six tenths of one per cent. Half of one per
cent additional was charged for coining, thus making the whole cost for turning
gold-dust into coin 1.10 per cent. Seven eighths of one per cent was the
Philadelphia rate. At this time only one private coining establishment was
in operation here, that by Kellogg & Richter. It is estimated that only one
fourth of the gold so far produced had been coined in S. F. A description
of the mint is given in Alia CaL, Apr. 5, Sept. 25, 1853; Jan. 4, March 28,
Apr. 4, May 16, 1864, and other papers; and a view in Annals 8. F., 526.
For cost and later appropriations, with salaries, see U. 8. Goo. Doe., Cong.
33, 8ess. 2, U. Ex. Doc. 3, ii. 357; Cong. 34, Sess. 3, Doc 82, v.; Hun?*
Mag., xxxi 228; xxxiii. 353-5; Golden Era, Dec 18, 1853; Hayes* Mining, I
90. Operations were temporarily suspended on several occasions within the
following three years. P. Lott succeeded as supt in 1853, salary $4,500.
8. F. Bulletin, Nov. 14* 1855, Oct. 10, Nov. 1,1856. In 1857 several charges
of embezzlement were preferred against employe's. The coinage for 1854-6
amounted to $9,731,574, $21,121,752, and 188,516,147, respectively, of which
$164,075 and $200,609 were in silver for 1855-6, mostly quarter-dollars, and
about half as many fifty-cent pieces. The sold embraced over 2,000,000
double eagles, some 200,000 eagles, 150,000 half-eagles, some three-dollar,
quarter-eagle, and dollar pieces, besides some $12,000,000 in bars. 17. 8. Gov.
the., Cong. 35, Sess. 2, H. Ex. Doc. 3, i. 72-80. The pressure of business
under the growing silver production led congress in 1864 to appropriate $300,000
for a more commodious structure. Additional appropriations were granted,
and in 1874 was opened the new edifice on Fifth st, whose hollow parallelogram,
in two stories, covers an area of 160 by 217 feet. It is in Doric style,
with brick walls faced with blue-gray sandstone. Inauguration in 8. F. Call,
Nov. 1, 6, 1874; AUa CaL, May 25, 1S70; Taylor's Gates, 174-91. The coinage,
which in 1860 had fallen to $12,000,000, ranged between $14,000,000