CONFIDENTIAL
Reference...........
............
Mr Stuart
in
; legom has waned
DRES
Mr Rushford (Legal Advisers)
Rika REI
16 DEC17/4
[Bikow]
1.
2.
Гель А
27
COMMEMORATION GOLD COIN.
I have discussed Hong Kong telegram 1252 of 13 December with Mr Rushford, FRD, the Treasury and the Royal Mint.
The problem turns on a legal interpretation of the Hong Kong (Coinage) Order 1936, and it will not be possible to obtain a definitive opinion today. There is also another problem on which we might seek clarification from Hong Kong. I THEREFORK TELEGRAM FOR
вк THE POSITION,
3.
INFORMINY
Номи Конв
SUBMIT
A
DRAKT
DESPATCH TODAY I would be grateful if Mr Rushford could thereafter advise on whether the Hong Kong (Coinage) Order, 1936 can be held to cover the minting of gold coins; the Treasury and the Royal Mint take the view that it probably cannot. If a new Order is required, will it be feasible to produce it in the time between now and the Royal Visit to Hong Kong, which begins on 4 May 1975? And if a new Order is required, would there be merit in wording it to cover the issue of coins of a higher denomination than HK$ 100, the present ceiling? The Royal Mint's estimate is that, to cover the cost of the gold and other expenses involved in producing a coin of the kind Hong Kong have in mind, its face value would probably have to be around HK 1,000.
13 December 1974
LAST
REF
*EXT
{"
D K Timms
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept
CODE
18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
---------