Work at the Philadelphia Mint

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From my Saturday Night Reading:

 

WORK AT THE PHILADELPHIA MINT.

THE demand for dimes continues unabated, and most of the recoinage for the

present at the U. S. Mint in Philadelphia, will be of that denomination. The coinage of

dimes during the last three years has been $3,156,476, or 31,564,762 pieces, the principal

part of which was executed at Philadelphia, taxing that mint, with its cramped

space, to its utmost capacity. It is proposed to distribute this recoinage between the

mints at San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. By law, the coinage of minor

coin 1 cent and 5 cent pieces is confined to the mint at Philadelphia. This coinage

has been heavy for several years past. During the last three years the coinage of

five-cent pieces amounted to $2,092,163, and the coinage of one-cent pieces to $1,395,364,

making a total coinage of 181,379,671 pieces. This has all been absorbed by the

public, and there is every indication that the demand for these coins will continue large

for months to come, and add considerably to the work of the Philadelphia mint. The

coinage at the mints of San Francisco and Carson City after July 1 will be confined to

gold pieces and such recoinage of subsidiary silver coins as may be required on the

Pacific coast.

This mint has recently installed an Eddy electric motor of twenty-five horsepower,

which is run by wires from the street. Lack of space has compelled Mr. James,

the master mechanic, to utilize every possible situation. Power is conveyed from the

motor on a twelve-inch pulley, making 1,050 revolutions a minute over a six-inch belt

to a pulley making 275 revolutions ; thence to the machine shop, where the revolutions

are reduced to seventy per minute, and last by a belt along the east wall to a shaft on

the basement line which drives the coinage presses. A 2,ooo-pound hoisting machine,

and fan used in ventilating the front offices, will also be driven by the motor, which is

designed for use while the steam plant is being repaired and in case of accident.

This is the first instance of an electric motor being used for coinage purposes.

-AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUMISMATICS Boston, July 1891; Vol. XXVI, No. 1.

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