Foreign Coins

Coins issued by the authority of a foreign government. There were formerly several acts of Congress passed which rendered certain foreign gold and silver coins a legal tender in payment of debts upon certain prescribed conditions as to the fineness and weight, but by the act of Feb. 21, 1857, it was provided: That all former acts authorizing the currency of foreign gold or silver coins, and declaring the same a legal tender in payment for debts, are repealed; but it shall be the duty of the director of the mint to cause assays to be made from time to time of such foreign coins as may be known to our commerce, to determine their average weight, fineness, and value, and to embrace in his annual report a statement of the results thereof. The value of foreign coin as expressed in the money of account of the United States shall be that of the pure metal of such coin of standard value; and the values of the standard coins in circulation of the various nations of the world shall be estimated annually by the director of the mint, and be proclaimed by the secretary of the treasury: R. S. i 3564; Collector v. Richards, 23 Wall. (U. 8.) 246, 23 L. Bd. 95. The value of foreign coins as ascertained by the estimate of the director of the mint and proclaimed by the secretary of the treasury is conclusive upon custom-house officers and importers; Hadden v. Merritt, U6 U. 8. 26, 6 8up. Ct U69, 29 L. Ed. 333.

Coins issued as money under the authority of a foreign government. As to their valuation in the United States, see Rev. St U. S. §§ 3564, 3565 (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 2375, 2376).

Defined under Foreign in Black's Law Dictionary.

Coins issued as money under the authority of a foreign government. As to their valuation in the United States, see Rey. St. U. S. §§ 3564, 8365.

com. law. The money of foreign nations. Congress have, from time to time, regulated the rates at which certain foreign coins should pass. The acts now in force are the following. The act of June 25, 1834, 4 Sharsw. cont. of Story’s L. U.S. 2373, enacts, sect. 1. That from and after the passage of this act, the following silver coins shall be of the legal value, and shall pass current as money within the United States, by tale, for the payment of all debts and demands, at the rate of one hundred cents the dollar, that is to say, the dollars of Mexico, Peru, Chili, and Central America, of not less weight than four hundred and fifteen ins each, and those re-stamped in Brazil of the like weight, of not less fineness than ten ounces, fifteen pennyweights of pure silver, in the troy pound of twelve ounces of standard France, when of not less fineness than ten ounces and sixteen pennyweights in twelve ounces troy weight of standard silver, and weighing not less than three hundred and eizhtyfour grains each, at the rate of ninety-three cents each. The act of June 28, 1834, 4 Sharsw. cont. of Story’s L. U.S. 2377, enacts, sect. 1. ‘l‘hat from and after the thirty-first day of July next, the following gold coins shall pass current as money within the United States, and be receivable in all payments, by weight, for the payment ofall debts and demands, at the rates following, that is to say: the gold coins of Great Britain, Portugal and Brazil, of not less than twenty-two carats fine, at the rate of ninety-four cents and eight-tenths ‘ ofa cent per pennyweivht; the gold coins of France nine-tenths fine, at the rate of ninety-three cents and one-tenth of a cent per pennyweight; and the gold coins of Spain, Mexico, and Colombia, of the fineness of twenty carats three grains and sevensixteenths ofa grain, at the rates of eighty-nine cents and nine-tenths of acent per pennyweight. By the act of March 3, 1823, 3 Story’s L. U.S. 1923, it is enacted, sect 1. That from and after the passage of this act, the following gold coins shall be received in all payments on account of public lands, at the several and respective rates following, and not otherwise, viz: the gold coins of Great Britain and Portugal, and of their present standard, at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-seven grains, or eightyeight cents and eight-ninths per pennyweicht: the gold coins of France of their present standard, at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-seven and a half grains, or eighty-seven and a quarter cents per pennyweivht; and the gold coins the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-eight and a half-grains, or eighty-four cents per pennywaizht. The act of March, 2, 1799, 1 Story’s L. U. S. 573, to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, sect. 61, (p. 626,) enacts, That the ad valorem rates of duty upon goods, wares, and merchandise, at the place of importation, shall be estimated by adding twenty per cent. to the actual costs thereof, if imported from the Cape of Good Hope, or from any place beyond the same; and ten per cent. on the actual cost thereof, if imported from any other place or country, including all charges; commissions, outside pores ak and insurance, only excepted. That ‘all foreign coins and currencies shall be estimated at the following rates; each pound sterling of Great Britain, at four dollars and forty-four cents; each livre tournois of France, at eighteen and a half cents; each florin, or guilder of the United Netherlands, at forty cents; each mark banco of Hamburgh, at thirty-three and one-third cents; each rix dollar of Denmark, at one hundred cents; each rial of plate, and each rial of vellon, of Spain, the former at ten cents, the latter at five cents, each; each milree of Portugal, at one dollar and twenty-four cents; each pound sterling of Ireland, at four dollars and ten cents; each tale of China, at one dollar and fortyeight cents; each pagoda of India, at one dollar and ninety-four cents; each rupee of Bengal, at fifty-five cents and one half; and all other denominations of money, in value as nearly as may be to the said rates, or the intrinsic value thereof, compared with money of the United States: Provided, That it shall be lawful for the president of the Uniting the duties on goods, wares, and merchandise, imported into the United States, in respect to which the original cost shall be exhibited in a depreciated currency, issued and circulated under authority of any foreign government. By the act of July 14, 1832, s. 16, (4 Sharsw. Cont. of Story’s L. U. S. 2326,) the law is changed as to the value of the pound sterling, in calculating the rate of duties. t is thereby enacted, that from and after the said third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and thirtythree, in calculating the rate of duties, the pound sterling shall be considered and taken as of the value of four dollars and eighty cents.