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Message:: [QUOTE="Conder101, post: 1258499, member: 66"]The purchase of copper was allowed by the mint, they were not dependent on depositors for that.  The copper was paid for with warrents drawn on the US Treasury, and the coining of the copper returned a profit.  That copper profit paid for the cost of the free coinage of the gold and silver and the operating costs of the mint.  Unfortunately in the early years the operating costs and coining cost for the gold and silver were greater than the copper profit and the mint was a constant drain on the Treasury.  This improved greatly after the weight of the copper coins was reduced in December of 1795 resulting in larger profits. Eventually small fees were added to the "Free coinage" which also helped.[/QUOTE]