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on this occasion arrange for the inspection of the bronze coinage required for the Government of Hong Kong which has been entrusted to the Birmingham Mint but that it is desirable that we should, if possible, make our own arrangements for the supervision of any future coinages which may be entrusted to a private firm.
2. It will be necessary for us to submit this question for the consideration of the Secretary of State but before doing so I have to request that you will inform us whether you could recommend to us any retired officer of the Royal Mint who would be thoroughly competent to undertake, from time to time as required, such supervision and what rate of remuneration would be required to be paid for the performance of such duties.
3. We should also be glad to know whether you consider such inspections absolutely necessary in the case of bronze and nickel as well as silver coinages, and I would point out, as we did in 1897 when a retired officer of the Royal Mint was employed in the supervision of a coinage of silver at the Birmingham Mint for the Government of Hong Kong, that the cost of such inspections was such as practically to destroy the profit which the Government of Hong Kong would otherwise have made out of the coinage.
I have …
(Sd)
M.R. Blake,
The Royal Mint to Crown Agents.