Figure 36. — Medal coined on the steam-driven coining press, 

 March 23, 1836. Diameter i's inches. Photographed by 

 courtesy of the U.S. Mint Service. 



introduce them he always spoke of them as the 

 Fckfeldt levers. 



Although Mr. Peale's legitimate duties in the mint 

 pertained to the assay and refining department, and 

 in which he was making great changes, including the 

 introduction of the humid assay and some important 

 changes in the details of refining to save labor and 

 prevent wastage, the yellow smoke or fumes from the 

 mint smoke-stack at the time created quite an excite- 

 ment among the residents of neighboring houses who 

 knew nothing of the work the acids were doing. Mr. 

 Peale's natural bent being mechanics his mind ran 

 from his department to improving the machinery of 

 the coining, and Mr. Eckfeklt availed himself of his 

 suggestions, in a moderate degree. The first instance 

 that I can recall to memory was to import a die 

 sinking lathe. I do not recollect the name of the 

 inventor, but it saved hand labor in duplicating dies. 

 I shall have occasion to refer to this further on. 



It was during the transition stage of the assay and 

 melting that we were first called on to do any work 

 for the mint. The first job was making patterns for 

 and the casting for the new melting furnaces; also 

 for a cupel furnace ,J7 and a crushing and grinding 

 machine, pulverizing the old black-lead crucibles to 



97 A cupel is a relatively small furnace for the refining and 

 preparation of precious metals. 



recover the metal that adhered to or permeated them, 

 but we had nothing to do with the finer machinery 

 until after our first locomotive was put in service on 

 the Pennsylvania State road in 1836, some account 

 of which I have given [in chapters 22ff, below]. Dr. 

 R. M. Patterson and Franklin Peale were of the com- 

 pany on an excursion to exhibit the performance of the 

 engine to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and return, a few 

 days after which we received a note from Dr. Patterson 

 requesting us to call at the mint. 



I answered this call, when Dr. Patterson placed in 

 my hands a copy of a note he had addressed to 

 M. W. Baldwin. S. V. Merrick, and to several other 

 mechanical concerns, inviting proposals for the 

 machinery of the branch mints, then about to be 

 built at Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dahlonega, 

 Georgia, saying that he should have addressed similar 

 notes to us had he known that we were constructing 

 machinery of the quality, as to workmanship, as was 

 required. 



He knew that we were engaged in general foundry 

 work, and for iron furnaces, rolling-mills and paper- 

 mill machinery; that to his mind did not come up to 

 the required standard, but on the locomotive excursion 

 the workmanship of the engine had satisfied him of 

 his mistake. He said bids would Lie received for any 

 portions of the work and referred me to Mr. Eckfeldt, 

 who was present at the interview, for specifications. 



71 



