Smith Thompson

“ By the act of 1792, (2 Laws U.S. 263, sect. 9) establishing a mint and regulating the coin of the United States, the several denominations of silver coin are declared to be dollars, half dollars, quarter dollars, dimes and half dimes, and the value of each is established. The Spanish milled dollar, as the same was then in current use, was assumed as the standard. And the subdivision or parts of the dollar, according to the above denominations, are adopted as the most convenient division of the dollar. ”

“ The parts of a dollar having been recently fixed and defined in our domestic coin, it is no more than reasonable to conclude that the parts of a dollar here adopted in relation to foreign coin, are referable to the same denomination in the subdivision, as established in the domestic coin. The value of the foreign dollar is fixed in cents, at 100 cents, according to the denomination at the mint ”

“ The special verdict finds, that genuine coin of the description of the head pistareen has, for many years last past, been in common circulation in the country, and has generally passed at the rate of 20 cents each; that few of them are now in circulation; that they are still received and paid at the rate of 20 cents each; that their average value by weight is between 22 1/4 cents, and 22 1/2 cents each; that their average value by assays at the mint of the United States is 19 cents 7 mills each. ”