The necessity for the existence of this de-8 entirely from the exceptional work which devolves upon the assay department of this Mint.
minting establishments of other nations, all bullion is re by a reliable assay report and the bullion merely re check valuation previous to being alloyed and assed into. work. But whether from the Inadequate knowledge of assaying at present possessed by native assayers, or from inattention in conducting the different processes, the variations between the out-door valuations of bullion and its actual value as determined by assays in the Mint, have been so wide that the original reports have afforded no assistance whatever in arriving at correct result:
me cases this variation has been as great 'a8 11 per mil, and, where successive ingots were found to be reported alternatively either too high or too low, ithas always been deemed. the safest and quickest course to ignore outside values altogether, and to perform the different operations from the very commencement.
The total number of silver ingots for coinage assayed since the Report in August last amounts to 3,366. In addition to the valuation of silver bullion received into the Mint for coinage, this department has also been serviceable to the Imperial Government in
period of last year when the Imperial Govern-other respects, For instance, duving_ the
large' quantity. of silver bullion to be accomment, for commercial Purposes, required a panied by a reliable assay report, the whole of this work was thrown upon this department. This silver was east into ingots in native establishments; and the assay pieces, which were cut by native officials and forwarded through you for valuation, represent a total of upwards of 2,400 assays.
This department has also subserved the purpose of fixing the value of all so-called "parting bullion." When the Imperial Government decided upon assimilating their old metallic circulating medium to the system of coinage adopted by western nations, the original gold and silver coins in circulation were gradually withdrawn for conversion into coins of the new standard of value, Before, however, issuing the ingots obtained from melting these coins to the various refineries, that both the gold and silver in them might be made separately available for coinage, a the relative amounts of gold and silver in each ingot, was obtained from this department, jures show, since August last, a total of 1,650 assays.
Assay Office, August, 1873.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.