Mint authorized to make foreign coins in 1874

Published 6:12 pm Sunday, July 30, 2017

By American Press Staff

Did the U.S. Mint ever make a coin called a peso? And when did the Mint stop putting silver in its coins?

The U.S. Mint produced millions of pesos between the late 1870s and the mid-1980s — along with centavos, florins, shillings, francs, colones, centimos, centstukken, kroner, quetzales, centimes, piastres, hwan, rupees, balboas, riyals, zloty and other foreign denominations.

“The mints of the United States were first authorized to manufacture coins for foreign governments in 1874,” reads the U.S. Treasury Department publication “Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States 1793-1980,” printed in 1981.

“The first foreign coinage order was executed for the Government of Venezuela during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.

“Through December 31, 1980, U.S. mints at Philadelphia, Pa., San Francisco, Calif, New Orleans, La., and Denver, Colo., had produced 11,193,348,346 coins for 42 foreign countries.”

The countries — including Hawaii, which became a state in 1959 — and their coinage-production totals through the end of 1980, as listed in the publication:

{{tncms-inline content=”<p class="p3">Argentina (blanks) — 64,058,334.</p> <p class="p3">Australia — 168,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Belgian Congo — 25,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Belgium — 25,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Bolivia — 30,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Brazil (Blanks) — 406,249,266.</p> <p class="p3">Canada — 85,170,000.</p> <p class="p3">China — 39,720,096.</p> <p class="p3">China, Republic Of (Taiwan) — 428,172,000.</p> <p class="p3">Colombia — 133,461,872.</p> <p class="p3">Costa Rica — 131,798,820.</p> <p class="p3">Cuba — 496,559,888.</p> <p class="p3">Curacao — 12,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Dominican Republic —  76,954,297.</p> <p class="p3">Ecuador — 214,451,060.</p> <p class="p3">El Salvador — 226,695,351.</p> <p class="p3">Ethiopia — 375,433,730.</p> <p class="p3">Fiji — 4,800,000.</p> <p class="p3">France — 50,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Greenland — 100,000.</p> <p class="p3">Guatemala — 7,835,000.</p> <p class="p3">Haiti — 90,324,000.</p> <p class="p3">Hawaii — 1,950,000.</p> <p class="p3">Honduras — 115,929,500.</p> <p class="p3">Indo-China — 135,270,000</p> <p class="p3">Israel — 91,000.</p> <p class="p3">Korea — 295,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Liberia — 56,744,679.</p> <p class="p3">Mexico — 91,076,840.</p> <p class="p3">Mexico (Blanks) — 175,714,411.</p> <p class="p3">Nepal — 195,608.</p> <p class="p3">Netherlands — 562,500,000.</p> <p class="p3">Neth. E. Indies — 1,716,368,000.</p> <p class="p3">Nicaragua — 26,080,000.</p> <p class="p3">Panama (Republic) — 193,838,428.</p> <p class="p3">Peru — 761,067,479.</p> <p class="p3">Philippines — 3,483,718,169.</p> <p class="p3">Poland — 6,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Saudi Arabia — 124,712,574.</p> <p class="p3">Siam (Thailand) — 20,000,000.</p> <p class="p3">Surianam (Netherlands Guiana) — 21,195,000.</p> <p class="p3">Syria — 7,350,000.</p> <p class="p3">Venezuela — 306,762,944.</p>” id=”24b58240-19eb-471f-ad39-38af6528576a” style-type=”info” title=”Coinage-production by country” type=”relcontent”}}

As for when the U.S. government stopped including silver in coins:

“A silver crisis caused the replacement of silver in 1966 in quarters and dimes; however, the half-dollar was composed of 40 percent silver from 1965 to 1970. The Bicentennial Kennedy Half Dollar contained 80 percent silver and 20 percent copper,” reads the U.S. Mint’s website.

“But today these coins are now composed of cupro-nickel clad, with a pure copper core, and an outer layer of a 75 percent copper, 25 percent nickel alloy.”

Online: www.usmint.gov.

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.

Argentina (blanks) — 64,058,334.

Australia — 168,000,000.

Belgian Congo — 25,000,000.

Belgium — 25,000,000.

Bolivia — 30,000,000.

Brazil (Blanks) — 406,249,266.

Canada — 85,170,000.

China — 39,720,096.

China, Republic Of (Taiwan) — 428,172,000.

Colombia — 133,461,872.

Costa Rica — 131,798,820.

Cuba — 496,559,888.

Curacao — 12,000,000.

Dominican Republic —  76,954,297.

Ecuador — 214,451,060.

El Salvador — 226,695,351.

Ethiopia — 375,433,730.

Fiji — 4,800,000.

France — 50,000,000.

Greenland — 100,000.

Guatemala — 7,835,000.

Haiti — 90,324,000.

Hawaii — 1,950,000.

Honduras — 115,929,500.

Indo-China — 135,270,000

Israel — 91,000.

Korea — 295,000,000.

Liberia — 56,744,679.

Mexico — 91,076,840.

Mexico (Blanks) — 175,714,411.

Nepal — 195,608.

Netherlands — 562,500,000.

Neth. E. Indies — 1,716,368,000.

Nicaragua — 26,080,000.

Panama (Republic) — 193,838,428.

Peru — 761,067,479.

Philippines — 3,483,718,169.

Poland — 6,000,000.

Saudi Arabia — 124,712,574.

Siam (Thailand) — 20,000,000.

Surianam (Netherlands Guiana) — 21,195,000.

Syria — 7,350,000.

Venezuela — 306,762,944.

      a980562c-a9e3-11e7-a4c3-d72c2b7946b42017-10-05T18:00:00Znews/local,newsACT scores at St. Louis Catholic High School rise

      Sarah Halehttps://www.americanpress.com/content/tncms/avatars/b/da/8da/bda8dada-a794-11e7-b387-472a06ea2a50.285e8f95ef1d7f322ce00ee65a06f12e.png

      St. Louis Catholic High School’s average ACT score increased this year to 24.3, nearly five points above the state average of 19.6.

      Assistant Principal Mia Orgeron said the higher test scores are a result of students being better prepared. Orgeron said the school offers a variety of courses, including Advance Placement, Latin, Spanish and French. 

      “The rigorous curriculum, along with our unique one-to-one computer program, prepares students for college and future endeavors,” she said.

      Orgeron said students preparing to take the test should “relax, have a positive mind-set and review test-taking strategies rather than cram for content.”

      State Superintendent John White said in August that Louisiana has seen a slow but steady rise in ACT scores over the last four years, ranking 13th out of 18 states that test all graduates and second in overall gains.

      White suggested that raising the bar for Louisiana’s students could be a factor in the rising scores.

      “Four straight years of gains on the ACT proves, beyond a doubt, that when you raise expectations for all students, they can achieve great things,” he said. 

      The number of Louisiana graduates meeting TOPS ACT eligibility requirements has reached record heights, with more than 8,694 seniors earning TOPS-qualifying scores of 17 or more, he said.

      More Informer

      The Informer: Pro-Palestinian protesters want schools to pressure Israel

      The Informer: New ‘select’ school definition includes charter, magnet schools

      The Informer: Unanimous decision not required by grand jury to indict

      The Informer: Permit-less carry law applies to anyone in La.

      Print Article

SportsPlus

  • Special Sections