CO129-301 - Governor Sir Blake - 1900 [9-12] — Page 442

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on what that profit is.

The Bombay Mint coins a British Dollar at

a lower seignorage than can be done elsewhere, and it only

does so, because the Mint happens to be idle, with its staff still kept on; so that I do not suppose that the HongKong Mint will find it profitable to coin British Dollars, more es

pecially as very few of these come here, owing to the legisla

tion of this Colony, making them only current if unchopped,

consequently they are no use as money between Canton and this,

and these dollars are used nearly exclusively in the Straits.

If the Government altered the law, so that the British Dollar

could be treated here exactly in the same way as the Mexican,

they would be largely used in China and it might be profit-

able for the Mint to coin them.

I have etc.,

(sd) John Thurburn,

Manager.