--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Talmage, James Edward collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 10 published: 1914-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'James E. Talmage, "The Parable of the Minted Coin," *Improvement Era* 17, no. 10 (August 1914): 917–918.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera17010unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera17010unse start_page: 917 end_page: 918 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera17010unse publication_year: 1914 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Parable of the Minted Coin The Parable of the Minted Coin BY DR. JAMES E. TALMAGE It was once my privilege to make a visit of inspection to the United States Mint at Philadelphia. This is the largest and best equipped establishment of its kind in the country and within ; its walls a large proportion of our national coinage is minted, the output ranging from the bronze penny and the nickel piece to the silver dollar with its fractions, thence to the eagle, its half and its double in gold. I was one of a small party individually invited by the Director of the Mint, under whose official guidance we were conducted through the several departments. In the section devoted to the coining of gold there was great activity, due to the fact that a targe issue of eagles, or ten dollar gold-pieces, had been ordered by the Treasury Department, of which the Mint is a bureau. As privileged visitors we were allowed to view the processes at close range from first to last. We observed the preliminary assay of the gold, and the intro- duction of the small proportion of base metal to insure the hard- ness and fineness required by law then followed the casting of ; the molten metal into ingots, the rolling of these into strips or fillets each of the exact thickness prescribed. From the thick ribbons of gold, disks were cut, of the diameter and thickness required for the finished coin, and known as blanks or planchets. Though in weight and fineness as true as any eagles in circula- tion, they were at this stage but smooth pieces of metal ; they lacked the stamp that would make them legal tender in the country. The process that followed next was to me the most impres- sive of all. The yellow blanks were fed into the great "striking machine" that held the dies. One by one they were delivered to the lower die or anvil then the arm holding the upper die de- ; scended with noiseless precision and lo what a moment before ; ! had been but an unmarked disk of metal, was now a stamped coin, bearing the attest of the nation as to its genuineness. The pressure exerted upon the piece between the dies was such as to make the gold flow like a viscous mass a rigid collar confined it, however, ; and produced the milled edge, while the circular border of the die gave the slight elevation of the rim which is nece-sary to re- tard the wearing away of the stamped surface. Notwithstanding the tremendous force behind the descending die, the operation seemed so gentle, so speedy, and so quiet, as to 918 IMPROVEMENT ERA suggest only a passing* touch nevertheless the imprinted piece ; will never forget the experience of that moment. Only through disfigurement can it belie its authoritative stamp only through ; acid corrosion, long continued attrition, or destructive violence, can the impress be obliterated and by such defacement the piece ; would fall below the established standard of value, and would cease to pass as a legal medium of exchange. The stamped disks, no longer blank, but to all appearances finished coins, were then weighed on an automatic balance of extreme precision, by which any chance defective piece was thrown out. As a true coin of the realm the yellow eagle issued from the mint. Wherever it goes it will bear testimony to the official im- press it received in that moment of pressure and stress, to the authority it bears as an intrinsic endowment, a commission, an appointment, such as shall be respected throughout the country, and even in other lands, for the credit and the official assurance of the nation are behind the stamp on the coin. Think of what may be done by virtue of the power pos- sessed by that stamped disk of gold. It may bring food to the famishing, clothing to the needy, professional attendance and skilled nursing to the afflicted it mav help to build a cottage, a ; mansion, palace, castle, or temple it may go to pay the way ; . on errands of mercy it may be made a means of relief and ; blessing to thousands. With such capacitv for good, however, there is correllated a corresponding power for evil. That same gold-piece, because of its official stamp, may buy fuel to feed the flames of lust it mav be bartered for the liquor that corrodes ; body, mind and soul it may purchase the bomb that destrovs the ; very structure it once assisted to build it mav pass in exchange ; for the murderer's weapon, and may even hire the murderer it ; may prove a veritable curse to its temporary possessor. Had it never been touched bv the die in the mint, had it not received the stamp that insures it currency, it would be just as truly gold, intrinsically worth the full ten dollars for the metal of which it consists but it would be of no ready service, since ; every time it changed hands the receiver would have to weigh it and determine its composition. Such necessity would involve consideration, test, calculation, and withal, hesitation and caution, with nossible failure to meet the exigencies of the time. — How like that precious gift of God the assurance and testi- mony of the gospel of Christ, how like the bestowal of the gift of the Holv Ghost bv the authoritative imnosition of hands, how like the divine call and ordination to the Holy Priesthood, is the stamp on the coin ! The soul so impressed, so chosen, so ordained, shows by word and act as well as by silent influence, the touch of the finger of God, even though the divine contact has been but momentary.