Mr Lucas
Instead of asking for a special Report, send Treasury copy of 20058. I do not think further correspondence will elicit a more satisfactory explanation than is given there.
P.C.M. 29/10/27.
I hear from the Agents that they have already arranged with the Birmingham Mint to supply what the Royal Mint cannot roughly.
We need not telegraph. Simply inform them that arrangements have been made with the Birmingham Mint.
Draft herewith. Ju[l]y 29/10
In the reply to this Letter the following Number should be quoted.
TREASURY CHAMBERS,
15th October 1897
Sir,
I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Lucas's letter of the 13th instant (21727/97) stating that a further indent has been received from the Governor of Hong Kong requesting that the fortnightly consignment of ten-cent pieces which were forwarded to the Colony up to the 30th ultimo may be continued until the 31st December and that the number of pieces be increased from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000.
In reply, I am to request that you will inform Mr Secretary Chamberlain that, owing to heavy demands for Imperial Coinage etc., the Master of the Mint regrets that the resources of his Department render it impossible for him to increase these deliveries, and that the utmost which he can deliver, (in addition to the issues already made as shown by the enclosed statement) before the 31st December next will be $400,000 in ten-cent pieces and $100,000 in five-cent pieces, or 6,000,000 pieces in all.
It will be observed from the accompanying statement that 21,500,000 pieces have been issued for Hong Kong since the beginning of the present year and I am to say that it would be of interest to this Board to learn what are the reasons for these very large demands.
The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office.
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