2
permission first of the K'u-p'ing tael pieces minted in Hupeh, and hearing
3
$152
And whereas I have now applied to the Throne to make trial, and redifferential rates and squeezes, they shall likewise he severely punished according to. inscription, "The Great Ching Silver Currency," in Manchu in centre, and of the nation's currency, they will be seized and brought to trial, when the capital
Chinese around it, with foreign inscription, province, name, and year and weigh addition, all entered on one face, and the other face encircled by dragon pattern, "Minted One Tael," so as to be easily recognized and dealt with. For receipts payments the coin will be reckoned at the Hupeh Treasury 103-6 K'u-p'ing rate, for issue and receipt will be taken as pure silver.
It is therefore proper at once to carry out the scheme, so as to show respect t the Constitution, and to advantage traders and people, and I have now ordered # Mint to coin and issue to the Hupeh Government cash-shops to put in circulati receipts and payments being reckoned Hupeh Treasury 1036 K'u-p'ing rate, m coins taken as pure silver, not the slightest variance being allowed, whereby it hoped that the coins will be current in all provinces, and the currency for e
and regular Government contributions, or for customs duties and li-kin, and any so
aw without mercy.
If scoundrels should counterfeit this coinage to the disturbance.
punishment will be at once inflicte
All should obey with fear and without fail.
A special Notification.
Published the 19th January, 1905.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Extract from Mr. J. Harvie's Letter.
I AM at one in every detail with the contents of the Memorandum from the
maintained accordingly. Whenever the people have to make payments for land ta china Association, as the confusion at present existing, owing to the unlimited
of lory whatever, and whenever District Magistrates, offices, and stations have coinage of dollars of varying values, is a great drawback to trade, and I feel sure the funds shall be reckoned according to the Hupeh Treasury rate of 103-6 K'u- (as it is a private scheme, and not a Government one) and cannot be made a universal
that the proposed new so-called Hupeh Treasury tael will only add to the confusion
forward revenue to the Treasuries and Bureaux of the Commissioners and Taotais a
tacls. This will have no prejudicial effect on standing regulations. As regards ex payments under existing rules on remittances apart from the regular items payable a Treasury touch, such as "extra weight," "meltage loss," "remittance charges, will be payable in addition to the amounts, reckoning the silver coins as Kupig silver. For the districts have, apart from the Treasury touch regular amounts, hea allowed to make extra levies, which must, of course. be remitted separately in making payments to the Commissioners' and Taotais' Treasuries, so
that the existing miscellaneous charges and expenses may continue; but it is forbidden to extort any further charge on account of short weight or deficient touch of this coinage, and where there are no existing miscellaneous charges it is still more forbidden to makej any pretext for additional exactions. ·
In short, in forwarding funds this currency is to cause no addition; in receiving funds it is to cause no decrease, so as to avoid objection by clerks and underlings.
If one wishes to get change at a Government cash-shop into cash or coppe pieces, or other sorts of raw silver, or the old silver dollars, the amount will e reckoned according to the Hupeh Treasury 103-6 K'u-p'ing rate for fine silver. without any deduction or addition whatever.
The old silver dollars, weighing 72 K'uping, coined in various provinces, were coined in imitation of foreign countries' silver currency. This was a temporar! measure of expediency, not a permanent uniform system. Henceforward the oli silver dollars will be taken as uncoined silver, and the people may use them as usual, the value rising and falling with the market price; they cannot be looked on a national currency.
The old silver dollars in style and inscription differ from this class of anifo silver currency, and they are quite apart in size and weight, so that they cannot b mixed up as the same. Thus the distinction between national currency and all the different sorts of uncoined silver is manifest.
I am ordering the Commissioners and Taotais, the Customs offices and all distret offices li-kin, duty and contribution bureaux, to carry out this system alike in paying and receiving.
It is further my duty to issue a public Notification.
Whereby take notice, ye merchants and traders, soldiers and people alike. Te must understand that this coinage of silver K'a-p'ing taels is a Government national legal currency, which in all accounts, whether public or private, and in the dealings. of officers and people, are to be reckoned for receipts and payments at the upen Treasury rate of 1036 K'u-p'ing fine silver taels, the coins being of uniform value, and quite unlike all other species of uncoined silver, which, when changed, ar charged for short weight and discount, and which hucksters and clerks can manipulate so as hereafter to cause all sorts of loss on them. This is indeed an important step for the benefit of trade and the advantage of the people. Should the officials and clerks concerned, when rates and taxes are paid by the people, make pretexts for objecting to this currency, or refuse to accept it at the rate of 103.6 Ku-ping fine silver, so soon as complaint is made or such acts are heard of, the Throne will be once moved to inflict the severest punishment. Should cash-shops, pawu-shops, licensed hongs, trading shops, in receiving and paying this currency, dare to make
coin. The profit accruing to the officials in charge of all these provincial mints is too great to presume they would withdraw their coins from circulation on the plan proposed by Viceroy Chang.