Copy. No: 13,911/95
19th June 1894.
Counterfeit
C. O.
321 @
19020
RECP
IAL 23 YT JO
Shillings of good silver supposed to be
of Chinese origin.
Letter from the Deputy Master of the Melbourne
Mint to the Master of the Mint,London, as follows:-
Melbourne,
19th June 1894,
"Sir,
"I have the honour to enclose two specimens of
counterfeit shillings of which an attempt has been
detected to introduce a considerable quantity to this
country.
"But while this attempt ( a parcel of £55 worth)
has been detected, I am afraid that other attempts have
been more successful, as I have heard of several being
found in circulation.
"They are really so good an imitati on that shopkeeper s
overthe counter, would be almost certain to take them
without noticing anything peculiar, so there may be a great many going about undetected.
The £55 parcel was sent to one of the Banks by a
Chinese tea Merchant, Ay Mouy, and was placed to his credit
but, having some doubt, the Bank sent them up here where they were detected.
"They are all either of 1882 or 1890, in about equal
proportions, they are rather large, and, as you will
observe at once, the 1890 coin ought to have had a Jubilee
head,which indicates ignorance on the part of the forger.
That, coupled with the fact that the assay is about that
of