view to increase the consumption of American tobacco in that country. Mr. Dodge, who was formerly the United States consul at Bremen, is, we believe, the agent thus referred to. He is thoroughly conversant with the commercial state of Germany. He arrived at Berlin, we are informed, as the sittings of the delegates of the Zoli Verein were closing, and is supposed to be furnished with power to accede to the demands of the League respecting the terms on which German manufactures are to be admitted into the United States, in return for a diminution in Germany upon American tobacco and other produce.

STATISTICS OF COINAGE.

OPERATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES MINT, 1840.

On the 22d of January, 1841, the president transmitted to congress a report of the Director of the Mint, exhibiting the operations of that institution during the year 1840, and inviting the special attention of congress to that part of the director's report in relation to the over-valuation given to gold in foreign coins, by the act of congress of June 28, 1834,"regulating the value of certain foreign gold coins within the United States." The president states that applications have been frequently made at the mint for copies of medals voted at different times by congress to officers who have distin. guished themselves in the war of the revolution and in the late war, the dies for which are deposited in the mint;—and submitted to congress whether authority should be given to the mint to strike off copies of those medals in bronze or other metal, to supply those persons making applications for them, at a cost not to exceed the actual expense of striking them off.

We subjoin the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint of the United States at Philadelphia entire :

MINT OF THE UNITED STATES, Philadelphia, January 20, 1841. ( SIR, I have the honor to present, as the annual report required of me by law, the following statement of the operations of the mint and its branches during the past year. The coinage executed at the mint in 1840 amounted to $2,260,667, comprising $1,207,437 in gold, $1,028,603 in silver, and $24,627 in copper coins, and composed of 7,053,084 pieces. (Statement A.)

The deposits of gold within the year amounted to $1,201,998, of which $176,766 was derived from the mines of the United States. (Statements B. and C.)

The deposits of silver amounted to $1,033,070, and were derived principally from Mexico. (Statement D.)

By successive improvements in the machinery and processes of the mint, introduced during the last few years, its means for executing a large amount of coinage have been greatly increased; and it is matter of regret, that, in consequence of the diminished supply of bullion, these means have been of late so inadequately employed. The mint could readily have coined twelve millions in the past year, instead of little more than two and a quarter, without any considerable advance in its expenses.

At the close of the year, the public funds in our vaults, under the laws authorizing deposits with the mint for the purchase of metals for coinage, and for securing prompt payments to depositors, amounted to $389,198 25 in gold and silver. The amount withdrawn during the year, on treasury drafts, was $153,916 76; and the amount added, $26,417 97.

At the New Orleans Branch Mint, the coinage for 1840 amounted to $915,600, comprising $217,500 in gold, and $698,100 in silver coins, and composed of 3,446,900 pieces. (Statement E.)

The deposits for coinage during the year amounted to $164,929 in gold, and $666,676 in silver. (Statement F.)

It gives me great satisfaction to state that this branch of the mint has escaped, during the last season, the disasters which have before so seriously interfered with its efficiency. Its operations have gone on throughout the year; and as it appears to have

made prompt and full returns for all the bullion brought to it for coinage, it must be considered as having performed its functions successfully.

The Branch Mint at Charlotte received during the year deposits of gold to the value of $124,726, exclusive of a few small deposits at the end of the year, of which the value has not been reported. The amount of its coinage was $127,055, composed of 18,994 half-eagles and 12,834 quarter-eagles. (Statements E. and F.)

The Branch Mint at Dahlonega received during the year deposits of gold to the value of $121,858, and its coinage amounted to $123,310, composed of 22,896 half-eagles and 3,532 quarter-eagles. (Statements E. and F.)

The deposits at these mints do not differ materially from those of the two preceding years; nor does there appear, from other evidence, to have been any considerable change, during this period, in the production of gold from the mines of the United States.

There are two circumstances which serve to diminish the amount of gold coinage at our mints, and which seem to me to call for legislative interference. One of these is the private coinage known to be carried on in the neighborhood of the mines to a considerable extent. Assays repeatedly made at this mint show that the coins thus fabricated are below the nominal value marked upon them; yet they circulate freely at this value, and therefore it must be more advantageous to the miner to carry his bullion to the private than the public mints. It seems strange that the privilege of coining copper should be carefully confined by law to the general government; while that of coining gold and silver, though withheld from the states, is freely permitted to individuals, with the single restriction that they must not imitate the coinage established by law.

The second circumstance adverted to, is the over-valuation given to the gold in for. eign coins by the act of June 28, 1834. This act supposes the gold coins of Great Britain, Portugal, and Brazil, to be 22 carats (corresponding to 916 thousandths) fine— an assumption which is not confirmed by our assays. The British gold does not exceed 915 thousandths, and is not received at the mint of France at more than 915. The gold coins of Portugal and Brazil vary from 913 to 914. All these coins, therefore, are virtually over-valued by the law; for what it states as a condition, is received and acted upon by the public as a fact. Indeed, even if the coins in question were of the assumed standard, they would still be rated too high, because our own standard was raised by the act of January 18, 1837, from 899.225 to 900. I have before invited at. tention to this subject in my annual reports, and have respectfully recommended, as I again do, that the act in question be repealed. This act is unnecessary, because the mints of the United States are abundantly sufficient for all the gold coinage required for circulation; it is inconvenient, because the foreign coins which it makes a legal tender do not correspond in value and denomination with our money of account; and it is erroneous and impolitic, because it stamps a higher value upon foreign gold than upon our own. I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your faithful servant, R. M. PATTERSON, Director of the Mint. A.

Statement of the coinage at the Mint of the United States, Philadelphia, in the year

Statement of the annual amounts of deposits of gold, for coinage, at the Mint of the United States and

578,595 2,738,804 352,119 1,911,313 14,304 4,931 13,400 378,562 370,593 10,404 6,373,025

Statement of the deposits of gold for coinage at the Mint of the United States, Phila.

D.

Statement of the deposits of silver, for coinage, at the Mint of the United States,

European coins,..
Bullion and plate,..

Of which there was in

Mexican dollars,.

Dollars of South America,...

The deposits of silver, for coinage, amounted to.

Philadelphia, in the year 1840.

SILVER.

G.