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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;E Pluribus Unum, post: 2869345, member: 74265&quot;]I was on the PCGS Coin Facts website to find the total mass of a Double Eagle.&nbsp; The mass is reported 33.40 grams.&nbsp; Knowing the mass of gold in a Double Eagle in terms of troy oz (i.e., 0.9675 troy oz), I calculated the total mass of a Double Eagle as 33.44 grams (using 4 significant figures).&nbsp; So, to verify my figures, I searched the web for the total mass of a Double Eagle.&nbsp; NGC&#039;s website stated the mass of a Double Eagle to be 34.4360 grams.&nbsp; Wikipedia states the mass as 34.4362 grams.&nbsp; Other sites give the mass as 34.44 grams or 34.436 grams.</p><p><br /></p><p>These small deviations in the way these masses are reported may seem trivial, but, as a chemist, these numbers are screaming at me.&nbsp; Back in 1849, I highly doubt that the US mint was able to mass produce coins to one ten-thousandth of a gram.&nbsp; So it doesn&#039;t make sense to state the mass of a Double Eagle as 34.4360 grams or possibly even 34.436 grams.&nbsp; This variation in the way these masses are reported is not limited to Double Eagles; I have seen such discrepancies for almost all US coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>So then, is there a reference source that states the mass of US coins in terms of how the US mint originally intended?&nbsp; For example, in the 1800&#039;s, it was common to measure mass in terms of ounces, troy ounces, grains, etc.&nbsp; Masses are now stated in the metric system.&nbsp; When converting from one system to another, there is always the chance of sacrificing a digit (if the number of significant figures is taken into account).&nbsp; If the mass of a Double Eagle was intended to 1.075 troy oz, then converting to the metric system should give 34.44 grams <b>after rounding</b>.&nbsp; It is tempting to write 34.436 grams to account for the error in rounding, however, stating the mass as 34.4362 grams makes no sense.</p><p><br /></p><p>Sorry for the numerical analysis - I realize that it is not the most interesting topic.&nbsp; I am trying to find a source that states the mass of a coin with both the number of significant figures and the units as intended by the US mint at the time of production.&nbsp; I suspect that the US mint did not use the metric system back in the 1800&#039;s.&nbsp; This is probably the reason why there are so many variations in reporting the mass in grams.&nbsp; I see the same issue with the diameter of US coins as well.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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