Walter Breen
5th. The stock of metal now on hand, uncoined, amounts to upwards of fifteen tons of copper, most of which requires refining, and the whole melting into ingots, preparative to rolling.
6th. The produce of the works when complete.
The three cutting presses will each cut from fifteen to eighteen thousand planchets per day, and the milling machine will pass them through at the same time, when worked by horses; but, in the present state, will mill about ten thou-sand.
The three coining presses, when complete, will strike from eight to twelve thousand of the smaller kinds of coin per day, so that, on an average, ten thousand cents, (Author's note: Until then, a day's labor produced 8,000 coins per press. There is no evidence that even two presses were ever Simultaneously at work on cents.) equal to one hundred dollars, may be coined in a day by each press, if all are worked.
Boudinot's report ended on a very optimistic note, contrary to the attitudes of some Mint personnel. The Congressional committee had submitted a list of 13 questions about Mint operations to each of the principal officers; the most relevant reply came from Albion Cox:
Phil[adelphia], Jan. 18, 1795.
Sir:
I enclose to you my answers to different questions communicated to me as Assayer of the Mint-the last question [#13, on how the mint operations could be improved and made more efficient] puts me in a trying position. I do not wish to condemn, but if a remedy is not pointed out to alter the present proceedings of the mint, I anticipate its destruction very shortly -three years has very nearly elapsed since the institution was first made and more than twenty thou-sand dollars has been expended on complex machinery without producing one-half that sum in coins. [A gross underestimation] I will take the liberty of recommending to you a practical man who operated in the Jersey coppers-he will give you such information with respect to the proceedings of coinage as will appear almost increditable [sic] when contrasted with the present proceedings. I mean this only that you may be acquainted with the defects and see the remedy and apply it.
I declare to you, Sir, that I have no personal enmity against any officer of the mint, but the nature of my obligations to the public requires me to give every information in my power to remedy the defects in the institution of which I am concerned as a public officer. I should have endeavored to have made such remarks as have come under my knowledge, but accidently meeting this person Friday evening, who is much better informed than I possibly can be and who is willing to communicate his knowledge regarding the practice of coinage in England. This information, I trust, will remain in your own breast and not be communicated; if any question should arise from my answers I should be glad to answer them personally.
I am, very respectfully
Sir, your most obedient servant Albion Cox.
The Honorable Elias Boudinot-
The person I allude to is John Harper, now very extensively in the saw-making business near the iron works at Trenton-he will return to Trenton on Wednesday-I will communicate anything to him should you think proper.
Accordingly, the committee questioned Harper, then sent him to the Secretary of State (Jefferson), who in turn sent him to the Mint to describe the necessary mechanical improvements. On the usual NIH 'Not Invented Here' principle, the Mint officials were uncooperative; Julian says they "treated him poorly." Harper therefore decided to go above their heads: he proposed to make a practical demonstration of his methods before Boudinot's committee.
This included cutting cent dies, cutting blanks from sheet copper (with close attention to diameter: part of Harper's improvements had to do with an improved feeding system for presses), and striking sample coins. From circumstantial evidence, Julian fixes the date of the demonstration as "February or March of 1795." Following suggestions by Raymond H. Williamson, I had tentatively identified the ''Jeffersons" as Harper's sample cents, (New Netherlands Coin Co., 1952 ANA: 1713.) no alternative candidates are known, nor is the exact location of the experiment. Likely places include either of two Philadelphia locations where Harper had done likewise in 1791-2: the cellar of his saw manufactory at 6th and Cherry streets (for the Peter Getz Washington cents and half dollars), or his coach house at 6th Street near Chestnut, opposite Carpenter Street (for the half dismes).
Boudinot's report of February 8, 1796, addressed to the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, gives details found nowhere else:
The Director of the Mint, in Obedience to the Order of the House of Representatives of the United States, of the 3d Instant, has carefully examined the Memorial of John Harper of the City of Philada., and begs leave to make the following Report thereon.-
That in the Beginning of the Year 1795, a Committee of the House of Representatives was appointed to enquire into and report on the State of the Mint of the United States. - When being informed that the sd. Memorialist was able to give them some useful Information respecting the Management and Machinery of Mints, the Committee sent for him and put a number of Important Questions to him. The Memorialist with great Candour and Freedom communicated his Knowledge to the Committee, who thought it worth forwarding to the Secretary of State and recommended to him an Interview with the Memorialist, as the Committee did not consider the Improvement of the Machinery of the Mint as coming within their Appointment.
Some Days after, the Memorialist complained to the Members of the Committee that he had not been well treated, as on his going to the Mint, and pointing out the Improvements which he thought necessary he was treated with Neglect, and as a Person knowing but little of the Business - But that to convince the Committee he had said nothing but what was true, he would make a Press & cutting Machine at his own Expense. The Committee dissuaded him from it, as it was not in their Power to reimburse him the Expenses he would necessarily be at. In a few weeks the said Memorialist again called on the Committee of his own Accord, and informed them that his Press was ready: That he had made the Dies also, and would prove by actual Experiment what he had asserted as Theory. The Committee attended, and were greatly pleased with the simplicity of the Machine, and the Expedition with which it struck the Coins- The Committee from their own Pockets reimbursed the Memorialist for the Copper he had used in the Experiment, and recommended him to the Secretary of State for further Attention; but the Memorialist did not receive any further Compensation.