THE SAN FRANCISCO MINT IN 1913

 
The Old San Francisco Mint

A persistent problem in numismatic research is the scattered nature of documents relating to a specific subject. Normally, this requires careful examination of a dozen or more archival files of a general nature, i.e., "Letters Sent," "Miscellaneous Correspondence," "Branch Mint Letters," etc., before we can begin to assemble a complete description of the subject.

However, during a period of about a decade from 1910-1919 the Mint Bureau filed most documents by subject. Clerks used a 6-digit code to indicate a topic of the correspondence. Each new item on that topic was given the same code number and all were filed together.

This letter by the new Superintendent of the San Francisco Mint in 1913 is an example of the kinds of material currently being uncovered during digitization work at National Archives. In this instance we have a first-hand account of the condition of the mint facility and requests for improvements. An additional 30 pages of back-and-forth correspondence adds to our understanding of the circumstances surrounding coinage production at that time.

Currently, the files being scanned are organized by topic. This brings letters written over several years into one set of documents and might eventually help answer some of our questions. For example, a different file has early Mint sources of silver organized by origin and calendar quarter. These were made in 1914 from original documents.

A transcription and minimal formatting were used to save space.

[RG104 Entry 229 Box 300. 313296]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT
MINT OF THE UNITED STATES
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
November 12, 1913
Director of the Mint,
Washington, D. C.

Sir:

I am addressing you upon various matters which have come to my attention since assuming the Superintendency. Some of my recommendations will entail the spending of a considerable amount of money, but I feel that such expenditures are warranted by the existing conditions. I have discussed these matters at length with Dr. Dewey, and he will be able to explain anything that I may not have made clear. Two things have impressed themselves upon me: One, that every effort should be bent toward devising methods to protect the coin and bullion; the other, that the internal appearance of the Mint, especially the portion seen by the visitors, should be improved. I hope that after consideration, you will give me your ideas upon the various subjects.

Inquiry reveals the fact that my predecessor paid for this class of bullion without melting, the bars remaining unmelted until they were either run through the refinery or into ingots. Frequently months elapsed between the receipt and the melting. Judge Sweeny, on the contrary, insisted on the immediate melting of all deposits received by the Mint. The Selby bars, which weigh about 2,000 ounces, being for convenience, run into two bars, approximating one thousand ounces each. To avoid the second melting, a great number of these one thousand ounce bars were stored as certificate bars, and are now under seal in one of our vaults.

One thousand ounce certificate bars have many disadvantages. It is difficult to weigh them as closely as is required; they are very liable to abrasion, as from their size and weight it is hard to handle them without scraping on the iron trucks or other bars, and they differ greatly in appearance to the regulation size certificate bars.

While I shall insist upon the immediate melting of the Selby bars, I have directed that as far as possible they be run, on the first melting, into regulation four hundred ounce bars. In the meantime we will use the fine gold product of our refinery for ingots, when necessary, and for certificate bars when our stock of gold coin is replenished.

A most peculiar condition arose during the past few days. We received a deposit of Mexican dore bullion, the depositor requesting fine silver in payment for the silver contained in the deposit. In accordance with the depositor's request, we, on November 1, 1913, issued bars amounting to 44,695 fine ounces, leaving the Mint with only 10,000 ounces of fine silver on hand. In the meantime the Crocker National Bank delivered 100,000 pesos in Mexican silver coin at the Mint, asking that we purchase the same. Upon being informed that we were unable to purchase, the Bank requested that we return fine bars for the silver contained. This we were unable to do, owing to the small stock of silver on hand. The Bank withdrew the pesos in question and disposed of them on the outside.

I also desire to call your attention to the condition of our stock of subsidiary silver coin. Today we have on hand the following:

• Half dollars: $40,573.50
• Quar. dollars: 146,548.00
• Dimes: 27,636.34

Of the above dimes, $20,000.00 is reserved for the Assistant Treasurer of the United States in this city, he having notified us that he would before long call on us for that amount. We are in receipt of the 100,000 ounces fine silver purchased by you, making 110,000 fine ounces silver on hand, and we will receive from our refinery 50,000 fine ounces per month. You will see from these figures that it will be, to say the least, a very difficult matter for us to build up our stock of subsidiary silver coin, especially so if we are called upon to issue fine bars in the amounts requested during the past two weeks. It does not seem to me that we should ever be in a position where the question of coining one or two hundred thousand dollars in silver, or the payment of seventy five or a hundred thousand ounces of fine silver bars should embarrass us, and, in order to relieve us from the danger of such embarrassment, I request that you purchase for this Mint five hundred thousand ounces of fine silver.

I intend to run on purchased power until the first of January, when I hope to be able to operate the new plant. After one or two months operations on power from our own plant I will be able to decide whether it will be best to manufacture or to purchase the electric current required.

This matter is, I understand, under consideration at the present time. I hope that action will be taken as soon as possible.

Upon hearing from you some time ago in relation to the lighting of the outside of the Mint, I made it a point to personally inspect not only the outside lights, but the inner lighting system as well. Together with Mr. Hawkins, I made a very thorough inspection, and while I was prepared to find an inefficient system, I was surprised at the condition existing. The outside lights are attached to the building just below a ledge of stone which prevents the light being thrown upward, and leaves everything above the lamp shrouded in darkness. The lamps throw but little light on the sidewalk and in the garden, and the Mint in general presents a most gloomy appearance. From across the street the lamps look like small balls of light and no general illumination is apparent. In fact the light under the present system is confined to the small space immediately around the lamps, the space between the lamps being but dimly lighted. From Market Street, the main thoroughfare of San Francisco, no lights at all are visible, and the Mint property is to be noted only on account of its extreme darkness. From the Mint Mr. Hawkins and I visited the Post Office, and found conditions entirely different. The Post Office has lamps attached to the building and posts just on the inner edge of the sidewalk. With both kinds of lamps burning the Post Office property was very well lighted and presented a marked contrast to our institution. The comments of citizens and the newspaper articles on the inadequate lighting of the Mint are, I must say, justified. I believe steps should be taken to remedy the defect, and, as you are aware, this can only be done by installing a system of lamp posts that will diffuse light not only upon the sidewalk and garden, but upon the building as well.

In 1911 Judge Sweeny took steps to install an interior lighting system, being supplied with some $560.00 worth of material by the Supervising Architect's Department, the wiring to be done by the Mint electricians. Under Mr. Marshall, Assistant Superintendent of Machinery and Chief Electrician, the attic and portions of the top floor of the Mint were wired, and in these places the lighting is good. Mr. Leach, I am informed, considered the work unnecessary and ordered it discontinued. In other than the above mentioned places the lights are temporary in character, globes being carried on cords and draped over furniture, gas fixtures, furnaces, machinery, etc. Where the cords with the electric globes have not been run, light is furnished by flaring and smoking gas jets. In our trip through the building we found wax tapers a help, and in a number of the rooms, a necessity. It seems to me that the Mint should be wired so that any room or corridor could be flooded with light when desired. Of course that may never be necessary, but one would think that the storehouse for such a great quantity of coin and bullion should be equipped to meet the emergency.

The Chief Clerk's office was lighted by two chandeliers, six gas jets to each chandelier. My office had one chandelier of the same type, and it was rather amusing to see the watchmen endeavoring to light the offices. In mine he succeeded in getting one gas jet to burn. In the Chief Clerk's office he was a little more successful, finding, if I remember correctly, four of the gas jets in working order. I have had our electrician wire these two offices and have purchased and installed modern electric chandeliers. It may be that time will lessen my feeling for the responsibility for the immense treasure in my possession. Of that I cannot tell, but at present I desire to safeguard things in every possible way, and I think that light is one of the surest ways of doing so. Our small mechanical force has much to attend to and would not, in my judgment, be able to handle such a big job. Even if they should start on it, it would take at least a year and a half or two years before they could finish. Under the circumstances, I think it would be best to take the matter up with the proper authority, with a view to remedying the existing conditions as soon as possible.

I am informed by the Supervising Architect's office in this city that they have just completed the wiring of the Appraiser's Building, one of San Francisco's oldest structures, and I hope you will use your good offices to get similar work in the Mint.

The settlement just finished has shown the necessity for more vault space. We lost a number of days' work by being forced to move coin out of a vault so that we could count back into the same vault. We have a space that, with a little brick work, will make an ideal vault, and will not only guard against useless work in future settlements, but will help in our general operations as well. If provision can be made with the Supervising Architect's department to supply the door, we can attend to the balance of the work ourselves.

Dr. Dewey has advanced a suggestion that I think should be given serious consideration. It is his idea that a small tunnel be run directly under the outer edge of the three silver dollar storage vaults. This would enable the watchmen to patrol under the vaults at stated periods, and would absolutely prevent any tunneling with intent to rob the institution. The silver dollar vaults run back to the outer line of the building to Fifth Street, and fear of tunneling under the street to the vaults, has, I am informed, caused my predecessor great uneasiness. If such a thing were accomplished, it, under the present conditions, would not be discovered for years, as the seals of the vault doors will in all probability not be broken until either my death or my successor is appointed. The work would be expensive and might require a special appropriation by Congress, but I must confess that I am unable to see how the 61,395,000 standard silver dollars stored in these vaults can be rendered wholly safe from attack in any other way. Will you give this matter consideration with a view to placing it in the proper channel to secure relief.

I desire to call the attention of my superior officers in the Treasury Department to the condition of the watch in this Mint. This I can best do by giving the age, etc., of the various watchmen. Inasmuch as similar conditions no doubt exist in other Federal buildings, I feel that the matter is one that should be governed by Departmental policy rather than individual action. The list follows:

The greater portion of the furniture in the Superintendent's and Chief Clerk's offices is the original furniture that was supplied in 1874 when the Mint was first opened. I wish to bring these offices up to the standard of the other Government institutions in this city, and with that in view will, in the latter part of the fiscal year, if the state of our contingent appropriation warrants it, request you to approve such purchases of furniture as I may consider necessary.

Respectfully,
/s/ T. W. H. Shanahan,
Superintendent.

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