CO129-089 - Public Offices - 1862 — Page 321

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Secondly, with respect to the Comage of Copper Cash. The Governor attaches much, importance to the improvement of the Cash, the domestic currency of upwards of 100,000 Chinese Inhabitants Com of the Colony . The Cash is the

only of China, and notwithstanding the or inferior quality of a louge proportion of this Com it appears to circulate at rather more than it's intrinsic value calculated

more

mode

by the price of Metals in Europe. The Cash is essentially Copper alloyed with another.

fusible metal, and capable of being cast in moulds, the only of coming money known to the Chinese: The second metal is always zine, or zine with a minor adunature of lead and tin. The chemical assay will be onljoined of sine Comages of the Cash, at present in circulating, issued by seven Emperors of the last dynasty, the specimens being those transmitted by Governor Robinson, with his despatch to the Duke of Mweastle. Assuming Copper to be worth 2100 per ton, and the Alloy (sine and lead) £20 per ton, the inhinoie value of 1000 Cash would be as follows-beginning with the earliest and ending with the latest Comage, that of the last Emperor. -

Intrinsic value of 1000 Cash .

318

Of, 15. lmperor £0.6.572; of which 5/107. is Copper

2th Emperor 0-5-147/4; 3. Emperor 0-44-3/2;

11th Emperor yo

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12ad On 4.

باهتم

3/67/4

4/9/2

3/814

3/9774

;

4/6

4/272

3/1

3/11/2

3. Emperor [10. 6. 274;

81t.0.5.0 6th imperor 20 0.3.1172

12 0.5.03⁄4/4;

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The Cash this

0.4.674

appears to very in intrinsic value from about 6/6 to 4/ per thousand.. This Com fluctuates in the Marked with. reference to silver but was rated in Hong Kong at the date of the Governor's Despalet. at 970 Cash for tollexican dollar a 4/2 Sterling. This would make 1000 Cash worth 4/3/, while the value of the last Emperor's Cash, is found by Assay to be 4/674 or a little higher._

little higher._ It this appears

at once that Cash of the Chinese, weight and composition could not be manufactured England and exportect to China, except at a loss, owing to the value of the Metals. It may be further added that the proportion of Copper and Zine in the Cash of recent date.

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