Pre-1873 silver dollars coined for private account from foreign silver coins
RogerB
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This might help clarify the Mint's position on silver dollars coinage. Also, another letter notes that the coins were exported.
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When he says "prior to 1873," I am assuming that he means "up to and including 1873 for the Standard Silver Dollars but not including the Trade Dollars."
Many people mis-use the phrase "prior to." People commonly refer to U.S. junk silver as "dimes, quarters and halves before 1964" or whatever when they mean up to and including 1964.
That said, why was this question being asked in 1896? Something to do with the great gold vs. silver debate?
Mr. Lamb was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 1896.
http://www.ksgenweb.com/archives/1912/l3/lamb_giles_h.html
RE: "That said, why was this question being asked in 1896? Something to do with the great gold vs. silver debate?"
Yes. There are several related requests from members of Congress or forwarded by other government bureaus. The underling questions were who paid for coinage and how much did it cost to make. The files for 1889 through about mid-1897 are filled with correspondence on the silver/gold question. The mint had form letters that appear to have been manually copied in reply....most letters have slight differences in wording.