1850 Senate Doc [21]: Taylor on Refining CA Gold & Mint Coinage Report, 7pp

Description

This is an original 1850 Senate Executive Document No. 21 from the 31st Congress, 1st Session, titled Message from the President of the United States, Communicating the Report of the Director of the Mint for the Year 1849. Dated January 28, 1850, and spanning 7 pages, this document was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and ordered to be printed.

President Zachary Taylor introduces the report with remarks on the significant influx of gold from California, noting that much of it contains a high proportion of silver. He explains that separating these metals through a chemical refining process is essential for the bullion to meet minting standards. This statement is one of the earliest presidential acknowledgments of the technical challenges introduced by Gold Rush ore.

The report includes detailed tables that break down deposits and coinage activity at each U.S. Mint location. Of particular note is the final page, which documents the coinage output by mint, including Philadelphia and New Orleans, offering a rare statistical snapshot of U.S. monetary production at the peak of the Gold Rush.

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Features President Zachary Taylor’s remarks on California gold’s silver content

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Discusses early refining practices and the impact on minting standards

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Includes official 1849 coinage data by mint facility across seven pages

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Dated January 28, 1850, and printed by Senate order as Executive Document No. 21

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Historically significant as an early federal response to the Gold Rush economy

This is a rare and important primary-source document that blends political history, economic policy, and early American numismatics. An ideal acquisition for collectors of mint documents, presidential communications, or California Gold Rush material.