E. L. J. Ridsdale is qualified for Assay office and will return on probation. Production [of Crimean medal]. Distribution of copper coins. Hopes JH's health is improving.
The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
E. L. J. Ridsdale is qualified for Assay office and will return on probation. Production [of Crimean medal]. Distribution of copper coins. Hopes JH's health is improving.
New details of gold shipment to Australia aboard vessel Hannibal. Will order more copper from Hays & Son for use as gold alloy at Sydney branch mint.
Sudden appointment of Thomas Graham to succeed JH as Master of Mint. Told C. E. Trevelyan that WB should have been considered. Details of gold shipment to Australia aboard Hannibal. Conflict with Lord Panmure [Fox Maule] over Crimean Medal. Report that Queen has approved Kaffir medal ribbon, but War department lost Benjamin Wyon's wax model for medal.
Mint business. Should WB continue to intervene in hunt for Benjamin Wyon's model [of Kaffir medal lost at War Department]? Still no official letter of Queen's approval for Kaffir Medal.
Gives former reason for retaining Charles Stiles, who may now be dismissed.
Wages and overtime pay for Patrick Shanahan.
Notified Patrick Shanahan that his pay requires 12 full hours attendance. Gave Charles Stiles one week notice of termination. Forwarded 'Parisian Memorandum to Mr. Napier.'
Will produce 6,000 Crimean medals each week, as soon as Benjamin Wyon provides reverse dies.
Estimates cost of producing a single [Crimean] medal at 35 shillings. Die Department now working 13 hours daily on medal.
Bank of England will begin importing gold again next week. Asks permission to be relieved of attending the pyx, in order to assay gold ingots. W. H. Barton will still have assistance of E. L. J. Ridsdale. Notes £600 savings made by HF in Assay department.
Concern for careless work of E. L. J. Ridsdale, who is still on probation as assayer. Explains precedent for letting HF's assistant attend pyx trial.
Directs JH to call on Lord Palmerston [H. J. Temple] tomorrow.
Sends audit form with covering letter for JH's signature.
Expects difficulty with wages listed for Patrick Shanahan and one other worker at Mint. Find documents that authorized JH to pay additional overtime wages during coinage pressure of last two years.
Appointment of JH's successor is delayed by changes in Cabinet. CT spoke to George Lewis, who promised to speak to Lord Palmerston [H. J. Temple]. Will forward JH's latest note as reminder to Lewis. JH is free to leave London; W. H. Barton is competent to handle JH's duties.
Must know soon if LW's wax model for Kaffir medal has been approved.
Will visit JH tomorrow at Bedford Place to submit LW's wax model for Kaffir medal.
Reports status of Crimean medal and Cape medal [Kaffir medal?]. Benjamin Wyon expects to have models ready soon. [Addressed to 'My Lord'.]
Copy [in JH's hand] of doctor's prescription for four to five weeks of bed rest and country air for JH before resuming duties at Mint.
JH is very ill; would GA please deal with the disbursement of funds from Melbourne University [see JH's 1854-10-17].