(R3)
LAW AFFECTING CURRENCY.
1. Ordinance No. 4 of 1865, sectious 13 and 20.—This Ordinance relates to the offence of forging Bank Notes,
2. Ordinance No. 7 of 1865,-Offences against Coinage.
3. Ordinance No. 7 of 1895.–Defacing or Chopping British Dollars.
4. Order in Council of 2nd February, 1895, published in Government Gazette Extraordinary of 30th March,
1895, declares that Mexican Dollars, Hongkong Dollars und British. Dollars or other Silver Dollars of equivalent
value duly authorised by the Governor of Hangkong shall be the only legal tender, and provides that Silver Coins
representing some multiple of the cent or one-hundredth part of the said Dollars shall be a legal tender for any
sam not exceeding Two Dollars, and that Copper or Bronze Coins representing the cent or one-hundredth part,
or the mil or cash representing one-thousandth part of the Dollar shall be a legal tender for any sum not
exceeding One Dollar.
The above Currency consists of the following Coins, viz. :—
1. The Silver Dollar of Mexico.
2. The Hongkong Dollar and Haff-Dollar issued from Her Majesty's Mint at Hongkong.
3. The British Dollar.
4. Silver Coins issued from His Majesty's Mint, representing-
(1) One-half of the said Dollar, commonly called Fifty-Cont Piece;
(ii) One-fifth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Twenty-Cent Piece :
(iii) One-tenth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Ten-Cent Piece;
(iv) One-twentieth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Five-Cent Piece; and
5. Copper or Bronze Coins, also issued from His Majesty's Miut representing—
(1) One-hundredth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called One Cent ; and
(ii) One-thousandth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Mil or Cash.
The Army rate of exchange for issue of Silver Dollars to His Majesty's Troops is now fixed quarterly by
the Imperial Treasury,
The rate for first quarter of 1905 was 1,11, for second quarter 111, for third quarter 111 and for fourth
quarter 1/11 per Dollar.
AMOUNT OF COIN IN CIRCULATION.
Approximate amount of Hongkong Dollars and Half-Dollars struck at the Hongkong Miut,...§1,421,487.00
Approximate amount of Hongkong Silver and Copper Subsidiary Coins (50, 20, 10 and 3- } $43,604,205.00
C'ent pieces; and 1-Cent and Mil pieces) put into cireulution up to 31st December, 1905,
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It is impossible to state how many of the above Coïus, and of coins of other denominations are in circulation,
but the probability is that of the Hongkong Silver Coius there is not 2 per cent. of the totul issue at the present
time within the Colony.