igo Mr. Hatchett's Experiments on the various Alloys , 
any extraordinary addition of silver appears to be the less neces- 
sary, as there is commonly some silver in the gold which is sent 
to the Mint, which, being reckoned as part of the alloy, con- 
tributes to produce those beneficial effects which result when 
silver is purposely added. 
From a general view of the present experiments, there does 
not appear to be any very great or remarkable difference in 
the comparative wear of the three kinds of standard gold, all 
of which suffer abrasion slowly, and with much difficulty ; and 
(as it has been already observed) the difference of wear between 
the two last mentioned, is certainly but inconsiderable. For 
these reasons, and from the consideration of every other circum- 
stance, it must be evident, that the extraordinary loss which 
the gold coin of this kingdom is stated to have sustained within 
a certain limited time, cannot, with even a shadow of proba- 
bility, be attributed to any important defect in the composition 
or quality of the standard gold ; and all that can be said upon 
this subject is, that some portion of this loss may have been 
caused by the rough impression and milled edge now in use, 
by which, each piece of coin acts, and is acted upon by the 
others, in the manner of a file. 
The loss thus occasioned cannot however be considerable ; for 
the quality of the present standard gold is certainly that which 
is well adapted to resist abrasion, especially in the case of the 
friction of coin against coin ; and this is strongly corroborated 
by the observations of bankers and others, who are in the habit 
of sending or receiving large quantities of gold coin from any 
considerable distance. When a number of guineas, rather 
loosely packed, have been long shaken together by the motion 
of a coach or other carriage, the effects of friction are observed 
