| 1882 | 209,880 | 9,243,000 | 8,965,000 | | 1883 | 1,274,328 | 9,468,000 | 9,323,000 | | 1884 | 658,548 | 9,633,000 | 9,986,000 | | 1885 | 720,918 | 9,434,000 | 9,852,000 | | 1886 | 417,384 | 7,472,000 | 7,224,000 | | 1887 | 861,498 | 7,819,000 | 7,807,000 | | 1888 | 755,113 | 6,000,000 | 7,500,000 | | 1889 | 2,215,742 | 9,000,000 | 10,500,000 | | 1890 | 1,708,415 | 10,300,000 | 10,500,000 | | 1891 | 1,049,113 | 10,500,000 | 11,800,000 | | 1892 | 773,353 | 12,375,000 | 14,075,000 | | 1893 | 1,089,707 | 11,320,000 | 13,532,000 | +-------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+ United States Under British dominion the American colonies retained the silver standard, as did their mother country, with such variation of actual coins and of their tariff as the situation of the country and the immense variety of metallic values prevailing in the different colonies gave rise to. The coin most commonly current was the Spanish _piece of eight_, but the system of weights and measures was the English system, and reckoning was by pounds, shillings, and pence. The method by which such a composite system was regulated consisted in those coinage tariffs with which early European monetary history is so well acquainted. According to a tariff issued in 1750, the ounce of silver was declared worth 6s. 8d. the Spanish milled _piece of eight_ was to be equal to 6s.; and "whereas there is great reason to apprehend that many and great inconveniences may arise in case any coined silver or gold or English halfpence and farthings should pass at any higher rate than in a just proportion to Spanish pieces of eight, or coined silver at the ratio aforesaid," a tariff list was appended according to which the guinea was 28s., the _English crown_ 6s. 8d., and so on for other European coins. [Sidenote: UNITED STATES: MORRIS'S SCHEME, 1782] In accordance with this system the earliest financial steps of the Continental Congress in 1775--its issues of bills of credit--were based upon, and the bills were declared payable in, the Spanish _dollar_ or _piece of eight_, to which, on the report of a special commission, appointed on 19th April 1776, the various gold and silver coins circulating by different standards in different colonies were rated by a tariff. According to this tariff the guinea weighing 5 dwts. 8 grs. was to be equivalent to 4-2/3 dollars, and the English crown equal to 1-1/9 dollar. Gold bullion was rated 17 dollars per oz. Troy weight; sterling silver at 1-1/9 dollar per oz. Assuming the coins to be of full weight, the ratio here established is nearly the English ratio of 15.21. The ratio for bullion is slightly different, but hardly materially.