between Hongkong and Foochow "currency is a difficulty, and is to a great extent in the hands of the Bank compradores, who occasionally are not of however a highly respectable class of men and on the whole deal fairly and equitably with the public in receiving and making payments in coin. It would be most desirable, if it were possible, to have a fixed definition of what is a current Dollar in the Colony instead of depending on the opinion of any class of men, but this is one of the disadvantages of a "chopped" currency and I am unable to suggest a remedy.
Considering the question an impression may naturally arise that when payments are by weight it matters little to what extent the Dollars are "chopped" if they are so defaced at all; but apart from other considerations which suggest themselves, it is undoubted that chopped Dollars, such as are current in the South of China, known as "Foochow" Dollars are depreciated as to intrinsic value by the adhesion of a considerable amount of dirt, small paper labels, gum, and other matter to each coin which are of course weighed with the Dollars. In proof of this I give the following Mint out turns charge being at the same rate on both shipments referred to 40,000 nearly clean (i.e. unchopped) Dollars weighed at 717. shipped to Calcutta and there minted your out turn of Hc 231.4 per $100.
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