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United States Statutes at Large/Volume 1/2nd Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 5

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United States Statutes at Large, Volume 1
United States Congress
Public Acts of the Second Congress, 2nd Session, Chapter 5
636582United States Statutes at Large, Volume 1 — Public Acts of the Second Congress, 2nd Session, Chapter 5United States Congress


Feb. 9, 1793

Chap. V.An Act regulating foreign Coins, and for other purposes.[1]

Rates of foreign coins established.Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the first day of July next, foreign gold and silver coins shall pass current as money within the United States, and be a legal tender for the payment of all debts and demands, at the several and respective rates following, and not otherwise, viz: The gold coins of Great Britain and Portugal, of their present standard, at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-seven grains of the actual weight thereof; the gold coins of France, Spain and the dominions of Spain, of their present standard. at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-seven grains and two fifths of a grain, of the actual weight thereof. Spanish milled dollars, at the rate of one hundred cents for each dollar, the actual weight whereof shall not be less than seventeen pennyweights and seven grains; and in proportion for the parts of a dollar. Crowns of France, at the rate of one hundred and ten cents for each crown, the actual weight whereof, shall not be less than eighteen pennyweights and seventeen grains, and in proportion for the parts of a crown. But no foreign coin that may have been, or shall be issued subsequent to the first day of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, shall be a tender, as aforesaid, until samples thereof shall have been found, by assay, at the mint of the United States, to be conformable to the respective standards required, and proclamation thereof shall have been made by the President of the United States.

When all coins except Spanish dollars shall cease to be a tender.Sec. 2. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That at the expiration of three years next ensuing the time when the coinage of gold and silver, agreeably to the act, entitled “An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,” shall commence at the mint of the United States, (which time shall be announced by the proclamation of the President of the United States,) all foreign gold coins, and all foreign silver coins, except Spanish milled dollars and parts of such dollars, shall cease to be a legal tender, as aforesaid.

Other foreign coins to be coined anew.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all foreign gold and silver coins, (except Spanish milled dollars, and parts of such dollars,) which shall be received in payment for monies due to the United States, after the said time, when the coining of gold and silver coins shall begin at the mint of the United States, shall, previously to their being issued in circulation, be coined anew, in conformity to the act, entitled “An act establishing a mint and regulating the coins of the United States.”

After 1st of July, 1793, 55th section of a certain act rating foreign coins, repealed.
1799, ch. 22, sec. 61.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and after the first day of July next, the fifty-fifth section of the act, entitled “An act to provide more effectually for the collection of the duties imposed by law on goods, wares and merchandise imported into the United States,” which ascertains the rates at which foreign gold and silver coins shall be received for the duties and fees to be collected in virtue of the said act, be, and the same is hereby repealed.

Assay of coins when to commence.
1792, ch. 16, sec. 18.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the assay, provided to be made by the act, entitled “An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,” shall commence in the manner as by the said act is prescribed, on the second Monday of February, annually, any thing in the said act to the contrary notwithstanding.

Approved, February 9, 1793.


  1. Acts relating to foreign coins: An act to provide more effectually for the collection or the duties imposed by law on goods, wares, and merchandise, imported into the United States, and on the tonnage of vessels, August 4, 1790, chap. 35, sec. 40; an act relative to the rix dollar of Denmark, March 3, 1791, chap. 19; an act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes, February 9, 1793, chap. 5; an act supplementary to an act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes, February 1, 1798, chap. 11; an act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, March 2, 1799, chap. 22, sec. 61; an act to suspend in part the act entitled, “An act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes,” April 30, 1802, chap. 38; an act regulating the currency of foreign coins in the United States, April 10, 1806, chap. 22; an act regulating the currency within the United States, of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and crowns of France, and five franc pieces, April 29, 1816, chap. 139; an act to continue in force an act regulating the currency within the United States, of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and crowns of France, and five franc pieces, March 3, 1819, chap. 96; an act to continue in force an act entitled, “An act regulating the currency within the United States, of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and crowns of France, and five franc pieces,” March 3, 1821, chap. 52; an act to continue in force an act entitled, “An act regulating the currency within the United States, of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and crowns of France, and five franc pieces,” March 3, 1823, chap. 49; an act regulating the value of certain foreign silver coins within the United States, June 25, 1834, chap. 71; an act regulating the value of certain foreign gold coins within the United States, June 28, 1834, chap. 96; an act supplementary to an act entitled, “An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,” January 18, 1837, chap. 3, sec. 8; an act regulating the currency of foreign gold and silver coins in the United States, March 3, 1843, chap. 69; an act to fix the value of certain foreign moneys of account in computations at the custom-house, March 3, 1843, chap. 92.