TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

Washington, D. C., January 1, 1887.

Values of Foreign Coins.

In accordance with the provisions of section 3564 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, the value of the standard coins of the various nations of the world were estimated by the Mint Bureau and proclaimed by the Department on January 1, 1887.

These estimates, to be followed at the custom-houses of the United States on and after January 1, 1887, in determining the values of invoices expressed in terms of foreign units of account, are shown in the following table (see opposite page):

The average price of silver in London for the period embraced between October 1 and December 26, 1886, was 45.862 pence per ounce, British standard, equivalent at the par of exchange to $1.00535 per ounce fine.

The corresponding value of silver for the three months ending December 24, 1885, was $1.038141 per ounce fine, a decline of $0.03279, a little over three cents a fine ounce.

The depression in the price of silver occasioned a change in the estimated values given the following coins:

Changes in Values of Foreign Coins from 1886 to 1887.

Coins.Value, Jan. 1, 1886.Value, Jan. 1, 1887.
Florin of Austria$0.371$0.359
Boliviano of Bolivia.751.727
Sucre of Ecuador.751.727
Rupee of India.357.346
Yen of Japan.810.784
Dollar of Mexico.816.790
Sol of Peru.751.727
Rouble of Russia.601.582
Mahbub of Tripoli.677.656
Peso of United States of Colombia.751.727

The monetary unit of Egypt has been nominally changed from the piaster to the pound containing one hundred piasters.

The monetary unit of Ecuador also has been nominally changed from the peso to the sucre, but with no change as to weight or fineness.

In regard to Japan, in the table for 1887 the values of the gold and silver yen were estimated separately, for the reason that while by law the standard of Japan is gold, silver is practically the standard of value, and invoices of merchandise from Japan are generally in terms of the silver yen.

Aggregate Issues of Paper Money in War times.

The following table exhibits the amount per capita issued of the Continental money, the French assignats, the Confederate currency, and the legal-tender greenbacks and National bank notes of the United States.

Population.
Continental money.3,000,000 in 1780$119.84
French assignats.26,500,000 (France in 1790)343.98
Confederate curr’cy.9,103,332 (11 Confederate States, 1860)71.89
Greenbacks and national bank notes.31,443,321 (United States in 1860).$750,820,22823.87

Refining (by acids), fiscal year 1887.

Mint or Assay Office.Gross ounces.Gold.Silver.Total value.
Standard ounces.Value.Standard ounces.Value.
Philadelphia.721,765190,539$3,554,912553,437$643,999$4,188,911
San Francisco.1,506,217365,9706,808,7441,248,0711,452,3008,261,044
Carson.45,4473,60667,08845,66553,137120,225
New Orleans.15,5444,84090,04611,16712,994103,040
New York.3,822,148764,67614,226,5303,005,8123,497,67217,724,202
Total.6,111,1211,329,631$24,737,3204,864,152$5,660,102$30,397,422

Value in United States Money, of One Ounce Troy of Gold, at different Degrees of Fineness.

500Fine$10.33.6
510”10.54.3
520”10.74.9
530”10.95.6
540”11.16.3
550”11.36.9
560”11.57.6
570”11.78.3
580”11.99.
590”12.19.6
600”12.40.3
610”12.61.
620”12.81.7
630”13.02.3
640”13.23.
650”13.43.7
660”13.64.3
670”13.85.
680”14.05.7
690”14.26.3
700”14.47.
710”14.67.7
720”14.88.4
730”15.09.4
740”15.28.7
750”15.50.4
760”15.71.1
770”15.91.7
780”16.12.4
790”16.33.1
800”16.53.8
810”16.74.4
820”16.95.1
830”17.15.8
840”17.36.4
850”17.57.1
860”17.77.8
870”17.98.4
880”18.19.1
890”18.39.8
900”18.60.5
910”18.81.1
920”19.01.8
930”19.22.5
940”19.43.1
950”19.63.8
960”19.84.5
970”20.05.2
980”20.25.8
990”20.46.5
1000”20.67.2

N. B.—When there is an intermediate degree of fineness, a short calculation is necessary. For every one-thousandth, add 2.07 cents per ounce for gold. Thus, one ounce of gold at 992 fine—$20.50.6

Comparison of Expressing the Fineness of Gold in Thousandths, and in Carats.[29]

500Fine12.00Carats
510”12.08”
520”12.15”
530”12.23”
540”12.31”
550”13.07”
560”13.14”
570”13.22”
580”13.29”
590”14.05”
600”14.13”
610”14.20”
620”14.28”
630”15.04”
640”15.11”
650”15.19”
660”15.27”
670”16.03”
680”16.10”
690”16.18”
700”16.25”
710”17.01”
720”17.09”
730”17.17”
740”17.24”
750”18.00”
760”18.08”
770”18.15”
780”18.23”
790”18.31”
800”19.07”
810”19.14”
820”19.22”
830”19.29”
840”20.05”
850”20.13”
860”20.20”
870”20.28”
880”21.04”
890”21.11”
900”21.19”
910”21.27”
920”22.02”
930”22.10”
940”22.18”
950”22.25”
960”23.01”
970”23.09”
980”23.17”
990”23.24”
1000”24.00”