A trifling incident tends to shew what the scarcity of these coins is. A lady presented herself the other day at the Post Office window and begged to be allowed two dollars worth of small change. She was a stranger, and was unable to get change anywhere in the Town. Had the applicant been a man, I should unhesi- tatingly have refused, for I had with difficulty spared $80 from the scanty reserve in the Treasury for the wants of the Post Office and Stamp Office.
Had the shipment which is now to hand arrived but a week or two later, we should have had to purchase small coins at a premium of about one per cent. for the use of the various Departments.
A profit of about 5 per cent. accrues on these coins.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
The Hon. W. H. MARSH, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
(5)
A. LISTER,
Treasurer.
No. 43.
SIR,
TREASURY,
HONGKONG, 3rd November, 1883.
With reference to my letter No. 41 of October 29th, on the subject of a further supply of Subsidiary Silver Coin, I beg to call your attention to the following
facts.
A consignment of $50,000 worth of these coins has just come to hand. They were counted into the Bauk on the 31st. No notice whatever has been issued to the public, indeed I am at a loss to know where the applicants for the coins got their information.
Nevertheless in two days issues have been made to the amount of $16,390, mostly in small sums. Had I not cut down some of the Requisitions, which were for immoderate amounts, the issue would have been over $26,000, or more than half the shipment.
A set of rules has been framed for the regulation of the issue of these coins, I would suggest that a few printed copies be forwarded to the Secretary of State.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
The Hon. W. H. MARSH, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
No. 26.
(6)
A. LISTER, Treasurer.
TREASURY,
SIR,
HONGKONG, 4th September, 1884.
I have the honour to call your attention to a point of considerable practical interest in connection with our subsidiary coinage.
It appears to me that if this coinage, instead of consisting of 5, 10, and 20 cent pieces consisted of 5 and 10 cent pieces, quarter dollars, and half dollars, it would be in every way more useful even than it is. There is moreover, I think, ample power to introduce quarter and half dollars under the Queen's proclamation of January 9th, 1863 (see Gazette of May 2nd, 1863) and Ordinance No. 1 of 1864.