Gentlemen,
Royal Mint to Crown Agents.
12th July 1899.
138
C. O.
183/17
RECD Rest 15 JUL 39
Hong Kong
I have to acknowledge the receipt of Sir Montagu Ommanney's letter of yesterday's date, stating that the Government of Hong Kong have now requested, by telegram, that the original supply of subsidiary silver coin, for which application was received in this Department on the 22nd of April last, may be executed for shipment, in the place of the smaller quantity which you last month agreed should be prepared.
In reply, I have to say that the coinage, as applied for in the first instance, of the nominal value of $3,700,000 will be completed, and that the next delivery, as already arranged, will be made during the third week in August.
It now becomes necessary, however, that the whole of the balance of the metal to be supplied to the Mint, Birmingham Ltd, should be despatched, and I am to request that you will give instructions for the amount required to complete the blanks to be prepared by that firm, namely, 470,325 ounces standard, to be forwarded without delay.
It would be convenient also if part of the metal required in this Department, say, four hundred thousand ounces standard, could be delivered at an early date.
I may add that although it is not possible to state precisely to what extent the deliveries can be increased, every endeavour will be made to prepare for fortnightly shipment, consignments of coin in excess of the $250,000 originally asked for, so that the completed coinage may reach the Colony at the earliest date possible.
-4913.
I am,
&C,
(signed) Horace Seymour.
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