The forming of Dies in Steel, to strike Medals or Money is generally with the Intention of marking a great Number of the same Form.

The Engraving those Dies in Steel is from the Hardness of the Substance, very difficult & expensive: but once engraved, the great Number to be easily produc’d afterwards by Stamping justifies the Expence, it being but Small when divided among a Number.

Where only one Medal of a kind is wanted, it seems an unthrifty Way to form Dies for it in Steel to strike the two sides of it, the whole Expence of the Dies resting on that Medal.

It was by this Means that the Medal voted by Congress for M. Fleury cost 100 Guineas. When an Engraving of the same Figures & Inscriptions might have been beautifully done on a Plate of Silver of the same size for two Guineas.

The Antients when they ordain’d a Medal to record the Memory of any laudable Action, and do honour to the Performer of that Action, struck a vast Number and us’d them as Money. By this Means the Honour was extended thro’ their own & neighbouring Nations; every Man who receiv’d or paid a Piece of such Money was reminded of the virtuous Action, the Person who perform’d it, & the Reward attending it; And the Number gave such Security to this kind of Monuments, against perishing & being forgotten, that some of each of them exist to this Day, tho’ more than 2000 years old; and being now copied in Books by the Arts of Engraving and Printing, are not only exceedingly multiply’d, but likely to remain some thousands of years longer.

The Man who is honour’d only by a single Medal, is oblig’d to show it, to enjoy that Honour; which can be done only to a few, and often awkwardly.

I therefore wish the Medals were ordered to be Money, and so contrived as to be convient Money, by being in value aliquot Parts of a Dollar.

Coppper Coins are wanting in America for small Change. We have none but those of the King of England. After one Silver or Gold Medal is struck from the Dies, for the Person to be honour’d, they may be usefully employed in striking Copper Money, or in some Cases small silver.

The nominal Value of the Pieces might be a little more than the real, to prevent their being melted down; but not so much more, as to be an Encouragement of Counterfeiting.