(Q5)
COINS.
The Currency of the Colony is now regulated by the Queen's Proclamation issued under Her Majesty's Order in Council of the 9th January, 1883, a copy of which was published in the Hongkong Government Gazette of the 2nd May, 1863, and such Currency, as hereinafter stated, was made a legal Tender throughout the Colony, from the 16th February, 1864, as proclaimed in the Gazette of the 23rd January of the same year.
The above Currency consists of the following Coins, viz, :—
1. The Dollar of Mexico.
2. The Hongkong Dollar and Half-Dollar issued from Her Majesty's Mint.
3. Silver Coins issued from Her Majesty's Mint, representing :-
(1.) One-fifth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Twenty Cent Piece ;- (2.) One-tenth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Ten Cent Piece ;-and (3.) One-twentieth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Five Cent Piece. 4. Copper or Bronse Coias, also issued from Her Majesty's Mint, representing:-
(1) One-hundredth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called One Cent, and (2) One-thousandth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Mil or Canh.
The Silver coins of Twenty, Ten, or Five Cents value are a legal Tender of payment for any sum not exceeding Two Dollars, and the Cents or Mil for any sum not exceeding One Dollar.
AMOUNT OF COIN IN CIRCULATION.
Approximate amount of Hongkong Dollars and Half-Dollars struck at the Hongkong Mint,...$1,421,487.00 Approximate amount of Hongkong Silver and Copper Subsidiary Coins (20, 10 and 5 Cent Pieces; and 1 Cent and Mil Pieces) put into circulation up to 31st December, 1873,........
$ 355,981.00 Hongkong Silver Subsidiary Cuins obtained from England in the year 1874, and subse- $ quently issued,..
48,000.00
Hongkong Silver and Copper Subsidiary Coins obtained from England in the years 1875, 1870, 1877, 1879 and 1880, and subsequently issued, deducting the amount in the Treasury on } $ 344,000.00 the 31st December, 1850,...................
It is impossible to state how many of the above Coins and of Coins of other denominations are in circulation, but the probability is, that of the Hongkong Silver Coins there is not 10 per cent of the total issue at the present time within the Colony.
AMOUNT OF PAPER CURRENCY IN CIRCULATION.
The Notes of the Oriental Bank Corporation; the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China; the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China; and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, in circulation during the year ending 31st December, 1880, were in amount as follows:-
Oriental Bank.
Mercantile Bank.
Bank of |India, Australiaj and Shanghai
and China.
Bank.
Hongkong
January,
584,217
438,055
523,079
2,279,668
February,
617,013
656,703
498,635
2,456,000
March,.....
522,130
490,704
432,480
2,007,330
April,.
740,127
505,790
494,041
1,732,760
+
May,
415,174
600,070
404,702
1,402,007
June,.
701,722
567,321
004,075
1,421,251
July,
041,354
480,958
653,263
1,602,110
August,..
074,175
177,198
080,167
1,307,116
September,
606,402
484,218
683,170
1,689,800
October,
570,320
403,430
503,007
1,704,228
November,
584,523
453,936
008,821
1,486,800
December,
533,233
460,230
678,726
1,719,452