ASSAY

(Fr. e ayer, to try.) This term is sometimes employed as synomymous with analysis, but more generally restricted to the determination of the composition and consequent value of alloys of gold and silver. From the quantity of coin, plate, and trinkets constantly fabricated, the art of a aying is of much importance, and requires considerable practical skill in its performance. At the mint there are two a ay masters, the master's a ayer and the king's a ayer: the busine of the former is to receive the gold and silver ingots brought for coinage, to cut one or more pieces from each ingot, and to make written reports of each a ay. The king's a ayer examines the melted bars previous to their pa ing into the moneyers' hands for coinage, and is responsible for their standard purity: and when the money is coined it is not allowed to go out of the mint until pixed; that is, until it has been ascertained, by the a ay of one piece taken out of each journey weight of coin, that it is of standard purity: the king's a ayer therefore is a check oflBcer upon the melter and upon the moneyers, and is responsible for the standard purity of all gold and silver coin i ued from the mint. About twelve grains of gold, and twenty grains of silver, are usually employed for the a ay. [s. 108]