#Technical features of coinage#.

For each kind of metal money there is an established _ratio of fineness_ for the more precious material, which is mixed with baser metals used as alloys.

In the United States all gold and silver coins are made nine-tenths fine; in Great Britain, eleven-twelfths.

The established weight of the gold dollar in the United States is 25.8 grains of standard gold which contain 23.22 grains of fine gold.

The _limit of tolerance_ is the variation either above or below the standard weight or fineness that a coin is allowed to have when it leaves the mint.