CO129-430 - Others & Individuals - 1915 — Page 174

COPY.

MEMORANDUM.

TEN-CENT PIECES from HONG KONG.

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169

56512

REC REG 8 DEC 15

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An examination of the 4 coins has been made with

special reference to the points raised in paragraphs 2 and 3

of the despatch.

The result of this examination shows that the coins

are all genuine ones.

With reference to the specific differences between

the coins of 1866 and 1880 and those of 1897 and 1899, to

which attention has been drawn, a comparison has been made

with a number of specimen coins of similar issues which are

preserved in the Mint Museum.

These differences, viz. a mark in the hyphen between

Hong and Kong and the relative position of the word "cents"

with the Chinese characters immediately above it, are common

to all the issues previous to 1884. They afford in them-

selves, therefore, no evidence that coins with such features

are necessarily counterfeit.

The issue of 1884 and those subsequent to it, do

not show these features.

The coins have not been assayed as this would involve

their destruction, but careful determinations of their

densities indicate that their fineness does not deviate

appreciably from the correct standard (800 parts of silver

per 1000).

The coin of 1866 differs from the other three in

general appearance, but its weight, and the comparative sharp-

ness of its design, tend to show that it has not circulated to

the same extent as the others.

(Sgd.)

S. W. SMITH.

29 Nov., 1915.

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