On the Produce of Gold and Silver in the Russian Empire.

—(Alexander von Humboldt.)—The yearly produce of the Russian gold and silver mines has lately been very variously stated; and as I am afraid that some of these statements may be attributed to me, I take an opportunity of giving the following numerical exposition of the fact.

According to official documents, the Russian mines yield annually about 22,000 marks of gold, and 77,000 of silver.

In 1828 the produce of gold was 22,256 marks (318 puds, of which 115 were obtained from imperial, and 203 from private mines); of silver 76,498 marks (1093 puds); and of platina 6570 marks (94 puds); and the respective value was, of gold, 4,896,000 Russian dollars (700,000l. sterling); and of silver, 1,071,000 dollars (153,000l. sterling).

The gold mines of the Ural yielded in

1826 232 puds.

1827 282 „ 1828 291 „

In the first six months of 1829 they gave 142 puds of gold (46 from imperial, and 96 from private mines,) and 43 puds of platina.

The total produce of the Ural mines, from 1814 to 1828, is 1551 puds, of the value of about 3,413,000l. sterling; the last five years alone yielded 1247 puds.

The annual produce of gold in Europe and in Asiatic Russia amounts to 26,500 marks of gold, and 292,000 of silver, of which the Russian empire alone yields 22,200 marks of gold, and 76,500 of silver.