CO129-116 - Sir MacDonnell - 1866 [11-12] — Page 278

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

I apprehend that the chief duty of the Colonial Government towards the Mint is to secure the services of an efficient Staff, fully competent to the rigid maintenance of the fineness Standard; and Weight of the several coins to be issued, and to supply effective machinery to turn out perfect coins with capacity to despatch to the extent of all probable demands on it - the financial success being a question apart, dependent on conditions on which the Government can have no control.

I am not competent to speak of the efficiency of the present Staff, but the English coining presses, with which the Mint was opened, were a total failure, both as to the character of the dollar stamped and rapidity of coinage. To that circumstance I attribute much of the despondency felt and expressed as to the success of the Mint, that is now, so generally felt and expressed by many of the island residents, including, I regret to say, many of the officials; for after the issue of the Governor Notification of the Mint being ready to coin dollars (free of seigniorage on Mexican dollars for one month) several millions of these coins were at once sent in, and had the machinery been equal to the call on it, a large number of the new dollars would quickly have been thrown into circulation, and backed by a proclamation of these being legal tender within the Colony and its dependencies, would have laid the foundation,

Edit History

2026-05-19 12:32:19 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct
Live
View comparison
AI Proofread
I apprehend that the chief duty of the Colonial Government towards the Mint is to secure the services of an efficient Staff, fully competent to the rigid maintenance of the fineness Standard; and Weight of the several coins to be issued, and to supply effective machinery to turn out perfect coins with capacity to despatch to the extent of all probable demands on it - the financial success being a question apart, dependent on conditions on which the Government can have no control. I am not competent to speak of the efficiency of the present Staff, but the English coining presses, with which the Mint was opened, were a total failure, both as to the character of the dollar stamped and rapidity of coinage. To that circumstance I attribute much of the despondency felt and expressed as to the success of the Mint, that is now, so generally felt and expressed by many of the island residents, including, I regret to say, many of the officials; for after the issue of the Governor Notification of the Mint being ready to coin dollars (free of seigniorage on Mexican dollars for one month) several millions of these coins were at once sent in, and had the machinery been equal to the call on it, a large number of the new dollars would quickly have been thrown into circulation, and backed by a proclamation of these being legal tender within the Colony and its dependencies, would have laid the foundation,
Baseline (Original)
on) I apprehend that the chief duty of de Colonial Government towards the Mint is to secure the services of om efficient Staff, fully competent to the rigio maintenance of the fiord Standard; and Weight of the several coins to be issued, and to supply effective machinery to turn out perfect coins with cans nich despatih to the nctont of all probable demands on it - the financial succes being a question apart, dependent on conditions on which the Goommment I can have no conhal of the efficiency of the present Staff but the am not competent to speak, English coining preses, rich which the Mint was opened a total failure, fi both as to the character of the dollar stamped 276 and rapidity of comage. To that circumstanes I attribute much of the despondency ай to the success of the Mint, that is now, so gronnalefly as I thrust felt and exprefed; of the island residents, including by many of the I regret to say many of the officials; for after the issue of the Governor Notification of the Mint bring ready to coin dollar (free of signerage on Mexican dollar for one month) several millions of chees coins were at once sent in, and had the machinery been equal to the call on it, large mimber of the a new dollars would quickly have been thrown into circulation, and backed by a proclamation of these being A legal linder within the Colony and its dependencies, would have laid the foundation,
2026-05-19 12:32:19 · Baseline
View content

on) I

apprehend that the chief duty of de Colonial Government towards the Mint is to secure the services of om efficient Staff, fully competent to the rigio maintenance of the fiord Standard; and Weight of the several coins to be issued, and to supply effective machinery to turn out perfect coins with

cans nich despatih

to the nctont of all probable demands

on

it - the financial succes being a question apart, dependent on conditions on which

the Goommment

I

can

have no conhal

of the efficiency of the present Staff

but the

am not competent to speak, English coining preses, rich which the

Mint was

opened

a total failure,

fi

both as to the character of the dollar stamped

276

and rapidity of comage. To that circumstanes I attribute much of the despondency

ай

to the success of the Mint, that is now, so gronnalefly as I thrust felt and exprefed; of the island residents, including

by many of the I regret to say many of the officials; for after the issue of the Governor Notification of the Mint bring ready to coin dollar (free of signerage

on Mexican dollar

for one month) several millions of chees coins were at once sent in, and had the machinery been equal to the call on it,

large mimber of the

a

new dollars would

quickly have been thrown into circulation, and backed by a proclamation of these being

A

• legal linder within the Colony and its dependencies, would have laid the foundation,

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.