Show GUIN WEIGH brass troy pound used for 85 years Is too heavy tests of standard brought over ba b gallatin Gallat ln in n 1827 indicate lightness of yellow money watchful beyes guard washington dy by comparison with the tha government system of weights hora here tho the discovery has been made that tho the brass troy pound the basis for tho the standardization of weights used by the mints and assay offices of tta tro tt a united ettes has increased by oxidation seven one thousandths of a grain since it was brought to this country in A sugg suggestion tion that the accretion by br oxidation to tho the pound probably had amounted to two or three hires grains caused consternation among treasury treasur r officials for a time for gold coined on such basis would be profitable for ex e port aa a a commodity platinum will be substituted as a standard for the brass if congress con giess sanctions the change this metal la Is used in tho majority of other countries and at tho bureau of standards the brass troy pound was brought to a the tha united states by albert gallit gallat aln in then minister to england in 1827 and since sance that time has the standard of the american mint it Is kept within the innermost of three separate boxes at Philadel philadelphia pl la and Is in opened only once a year this being on the occasion of the visit of the government assay commission appointed by tho the president to test the weight and fineness of tho coles 0 tho the united states A key to each one of the boxes la Is kept in different cities thus preventing pos possible sibia tampering with tho the weight by unauthorized persons discovery of the change in the metal Is due to edward rigg superintendent of the machinery of the royal mint at london who at the invitation of A platt andrew director of the united states mint was present at the meeting of the assay commission at philadelphia tn in february when he ans told that the standard weight shown to him was the tha same that had bad been in use for 83 years he expressed the greatest surprise and asked whether any test of its accuracy ever had been bee n made by modern standards and at th tho samo time suggesting that in all probability prole there was waa a considerable accretion in grains due to the lapse of time soon boon after the brass pound was brought to washington where a comparison comp camp P with tho the metric weights at tho bureau of standards showed the slight indrea increase s a that almost a century had developed develop 4 ve celop loped e d As th the e treasury has accepted and coined the gold on the same basis ot of weights it has not lost any money following the disclosure made by the comparison of the brass pound and tho he weights we bights at the bureau of standards tho calculation was reached that the difference between the two on oil of gold coinage would amount to the coinage last year amounted to |