OUR U.S. BRANCH MINT
When the Branch Mint was established in this city, it was upon the calculation that its annual coinage would amount to about five millions. Upon that supposition, its organization as to number of officials, accommodation, and the pay of the employes, was fixed. Although the coinage has about quadrupled what was calculated upon, neither accommodations, employes nor compensation have been increased. On the contrary, the pay is now in green-backs instead of gold, and the payment often delayed, as at present, for four months, through inefficiency on the part of some one in Washington. However, Congress made an appropriation at its last session for a new Mint here, and we hope that something may come of it different from the present miserable kennel called a Mint, and that something may also be done for the relief of the unpaid men and women who perform the labors of the institution. Herewith we give a synopsis of the business done by the Branch Mint in this city for the last twelve months. It will be seen that, instead of five, the coinage has been nearly twenty millions:
FISCAL YEAR 1863-4.
Gold - $19,068,400.00
Silver - 468,409.00
[Total] $19,536,809.00
FISCAL YEAR 1862-3.
Gold - $17,510,960.00
Silver - 1,040,638.68
[Total] - $18,551,598.68
Gain of 1863-4 over 1862-3 - $ 985,210.32
Loss of Silver, $572,229.68. Gain of Gold, $1,557,440.00.
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