22,135 marcs in 1825
20,071 1826
18,631 1827
21,731 1828
20,612 1829
20,887 1830
19,031 1831
22,083 1832
The whole annual production of Europe, and Asiatic Russia, has been
rated by Humboldt at 292,000 marcs; by other authorities, at 310,000;
while at the beginning of the present century, that of the Spanish
colonies in America was 3,349,160 marcs, or nearly twelve times as
much. The sum total is 3,704,160 marcs, of 3609 grains troy each; which
is nearly 1,900,000 lbs. avoirdupois; that is, little less than 9000
tons.
The English Mint silver contains 222 pennyweights of fine silver, and 18
of copper, in the troy pound of 240 pennyweights; or 92·5 in 100 parts.
1 pound troy = 5760 grains, contains 65·8 shillings, each weighing 87·55
grains. The French silver coin contains one-tenth of copper, and a franc
weighs 5 grammes = 77·222 grains troy. The Prussian dollar, (_thaler_),
is the standard coin; 10-1/2 _thaler_ weigh 1 marc; hence, 1 _thaler_
weighs 343·7 grains troy, and contains 257·9 grains of fine silver;
being 75 per cent. of silver, and 25 of alloy. The Austrian coin
contains 13/288 of alloy, according to Wasserberg; which is only 4-1/2
per cent.
SILVER LEAF, is made in precisely the same way as GOLD LEAF, to which
article I must therefore refer the reader.
SILVERING, is the art of covering the surfaces of bodies with a thin
film of silver. When silver leaf is to be applied, the methods
prescribed for gold leaf are suitable. Among the metals, copper or brass
are those on which the silverer most commonly operates. Iron is seldom
silvered; but the processes for both metals are essentially the same.