Actual Weight. Legal Weight.
87
Legal Weight of corresponding coins of Hong Kong.
Dollar Half-dollar
1890. 1892. Grains Grains. 415.54 414.92 207.38 207.78
Grains. Grains. 417.30 208.80 209.53
Twenty Cents Ten Cents Five Cents
83.31 83.68 83.52 83.81 41.76 41.90 20.95 41.73 41.31 20.85 20.98 20.88
It is thus evident that the weights of the three minor coins are well maintained and, in regard to the Dollar and Half-dollar, in which the deficiency in weight is more serious, Mr. Walter's letter (enclosed) points out that these coins are "made only in very small quantities".
With a view to facilitate comparison between the intrinsic values of these Chinese coins and those of the subsidiary coins of Hong Kong with which they compete I append a statement showing the fine silver content of each:-
Dollar Half-dollar Twenty Cents Ten Cents Five Cents
Fine Silver Content.
Chinese Coins. Legal Actual (1892)
Hong Kong Coins. Legal
grains grains 375.840 373.440 grains 187.621 88.486 88.152 67.048 34.243 33.739 33.520 17.122 17.086 13.730Setting aside the two first coins, which do not in any way compete, it is interesting to observe that the coins as issued from the Canton Mint are in each case of a slightly higher intrinsic value than those of Hong Kong, and this is true of the twenty-cent coin, the standard of which was found to be only 805.6. As the details given above in regard to weight appear to prove...