_Aug. 6th_.--We returned to Philadelphia, not _overloaded_ with _cash_, but with more than was sufficient for our expenses, which, owing to several excursions from Lancaster, were not trifling.--Farewel.--Believe me Yours very sincerely. * * * * * _Philadelphia, 14th August, 1794._ DEAR SIR, By captain H----, of the Betsy, who will deliver this letter, I have sent you specimens of the federal coinage. When that government was formed, a mint was established, and a coinage issued on a new plan. This was much wanted, as scarcely three of the states agreed as to the value currency of a dollar. Here it was seven shillings and sixpence, in South Carolina four shillings and eight pence, at New York eight shillings, and in the New England states six shillings. According to the new regulations, all _nominal_ coins are exploded, and the silver dollar, weighing 17 dwts. 6 grs.[Footnote: This is the exact weight of the spanish milled dollar, which, as well as the divisions, are allowed to pass current; they consist of the half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth, also the pistreen, or fifth, and the half pistreen, or tenth.], is fixed as the standard, divided into one hundred decimal parts; these are of copper, and called cents. All taxes, duties and imposts, that extend to the _whole Union_, are levied in these coins _only_. The other federal coins, like the english guineas and crowns, never appear on the public accounts. Those of _gold_ are eagles, half eagles, and quarter eagles, value ten, five, and two and a half, dollars: of _silver_, the half, quarter, tenth, and twentieth of the standard dollar; or fifty, twenty-five, ten, and five cents: of _copper_, the half cent, or two hundredth part of a dollar. The principle on which this coinage is formed is so very simple, that the proportion they bear to each other, and the standard dollar may be found with the utmost facility. Indeed little else is wanted than the adding or cutting off figures or ciphers: for instance, the public accounts being kept in two columns, dollars, and cents; suppose in adding up the latter, you find they amount to 27621, you have only to cut off the two right hand figures, and their value stands thus; 276 dollars, 21 cents. To reduce eagles to dollars, add a cipher, and vice versa. To reduce half, and quarter eagles to dollars, you have only to divide by 2 or 4 previous to adding the cipher.