Directory_and_Chronicle_1915 — Page 527

534

WEIGHTS, MEASURES, MONEY

copper

The above are weights of silver. They are not represented by any coin except the cash, which is supposed to be the equivalent in value of a li of silver, but the value of which differs greatly in different districts and at different times. They have no uniform intrinsic value, being made large and small and of varying composition. Silver is used uncoined in ingots, usually of fifty taels more or less, in weight, called "shoes," the usual shape being not unlike a Chinese shoe. In the maritime district from Canton to Amoy chopped dollars are the general medium of exchange. In 1890 a mint was established for the coinage of silver dollars and subsidiary pieces, and more recently mints for silver and copper coinage have been opened. at Nanking, Wuchang, and Tientsin, and others are projected. The coins, although supposed to be of equal weight and fineness, are differently inscribed. Some of the foreign banks issue- tael and dollar notes of the value of one dollar and upwards at the larger of the Treaty Ports.

HONGKONG AND STRAITS SETTLEMENTS

MONEY:-The legal tender in Hongkong is British or Mexican Dollars, local 50, 20, 10 and 5 cent silver pieces, to the amount of $2, bronze cents and mils. Chopped dollars of any coinage. except British, which it is illegal to deface, and subsidiary coins of the Kwangtang mint are in general use in Hongkong. Some of the banks issue notes from one dollar upwards. Mexican and British dollars were demonetised in the Strai s Settlements in 19 4 and a Straits dollar sub- stituted. The value of this dollar is fixed at 2. 41. In the Straits 50-cent pieces are legal. tender for the payment of any amount; so also are sovereigns.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES:-English, Malay and Chinese in the Straits Settlements, and English and Chinese in Hongkong and the Treaty Ports of China are used.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

The peso, equivalent in value to fifty cents, United States Currency, is legal tender in the Philippine Islands to any amount. So also are the United States gold coins. The media or half peso is legal tender up to ten pesos. Though the coinage is on a gold basis, no gold coins are in circulation. Government silver certificates are issued for ten, five, and two pesos, and the Banco Españ 1 Filipina of Manila issues bank notes for five, ten, twenty-five, fifty, one hundred and two hundred pesos.

WEIGHTS

The official system is the Metric system, but weights of Spanish origin are still in com- mon use. The picul in the Philippines is 137.9 lbs., 16 piculs going to the ton.

JAPANESE

1 Kwam-me or 1,000 Momme 1 Hiyaku-me or 100 Momme 1 Momme or

10 Fun

1 Fun

or

10 Rin

1 Rin

10 Mo

1 Mo

or

lo Shi

1 Shi

1 Hiyak-kin or

100 Kin

1 Kin

or 160 Momme

WEIGHTS

8.2817077001 lbs. avoir., or 0.828170770 lbs. avoir., or 0.0082817077 lbs. avoir., or 0.0008281708 lbs. avoir., or 0.0000828171 lbs. avoir., or 0.0000082817 lbs. avoir., or 0.0001008282 lbs. avoir., or 132.5073232011 lbs. avoir., or

3.7565217 kilogrammes 375.65217 grammes 3.756521 grammes 0.375652 grammes 0.0375-15 grammes

0.03756 grammes

0.000375 grammes 60.1043472 kilogrammes

1.3250732320 lbs. avoir., or 601.013-472 grammes AFOTHECARIES WEIGHT-1 Riyo or 4 Momme equal 0.0402583013 lbs. troy-

1 Jo make 10 Shaku

1 Shaku make 10 Sun

1 Sun

DRY MEASURE.

make 10 Bu

=

about 4 yards 5 inches English about 1 foot 21 inches English about 1 inches English