1904 — Page 350

(R3)

LAW AFFECTING CURRENCY.

1. Ordinance No. 4 of 1865, sections 13 and 20.—This Onlinance relates to the offence of forging Bank Notes.

1. Ordinance No. 7 of 1835.--Offences against Coinage.

1. Ordinance No. 7 of 1895.—Defacing or Chopping British Dollars.

1. Order in Council of 2nd February, 1895, published in Government Gazette Extraordinary of 30th March,

1995, declares that Mexican Dollars. Hongkong Dollars and British Dollars or other Silver Dollars of equivalent value duly authorised by the Governor of Hongkong shall be the only beggal tender, and provides that Silver Coins representing some multiple of the cent or one-hnudredth part of the said Dollars shall be a legal tender for any sam not exceuling Two Dollars, and that Copper or Bronze Coins representing the vent or one-hundredth part, or the mil or cash representing one-thousandth part of the Dollur shall be a legal tender for any sum not

exceeding One Dollar.

1

The above Currency consists of the following Coins, viz. :—

1. The Silver Dollar of Mexico.

1. The Hongkong Dollar and Half-Dollar issued from Her Majesty's Mint, ut Hongkong,

1. The British Dollar.

1. Silver Coins issned from His Majesty's Mint, representing—

J

(i) Que-half of the said Dollar commonly called Fifty-Cent Piece;

(ii) One-fifth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Twenty-Cent Picco :

(iii) One-tenth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Ten-Cout Piece.

(iv) Ono-twentieth part of the said Dollar, commonly called Five-Cent Piece; and

1. Copper or Bronze Coins, also issued from His Majesty's Mint representing—

(i) One-hundredth part of the said Dollar, and commonly called Que Cent ; nul

(ii) One-thousandth part of the sail Dollars, and commonly culled 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 1904 was i 11, for second quarter 1. 10. for third quarter 1 19, and for fourthı

quarter 1:10 per Dollar.

AMOUNT OF COIN IN CIRCULATION.

Approximato amount of Hongkong Dollars and Half-Dollors struck at the Hongkong Mior,...$1,421,487,00 Approximate amount of Honkong Silver and Copper Subsidiary Coius (50, 20, 10 and 5- ) Cent pieces; and 1-Cant and Mil pieces) put into circulation up to 31st December, 1904,

}

#12,518,245.00

It is impossible to state how many of the above Coins, and of goins of other denominatious me in cirenlation,

If the probability is that of the Hongkong Silver Cuins there is not 2 per cent. of the total issute at the present

dine within the Colony.