TNAG-0455-FCO40-520-Minting-of-new-coins-for-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 128

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Territories about World Coin Corps a fivities

FILE NOTE

29

7.

RECEIVED IN Successor ReferenEGISTRY No: 51†

WORLD-WIDE COIN CORPORATION LTD

1.

-3 JUL 1974 A

HKK 5/38 Th

Commander Michael Parker (formerly on the Duke of Edinburgh's staff, tel no 584 7289) rang in connection with his company's wish to arrange for the minting of Hong Kong coins.

2.

Q

WorldWide Coin Corporation Ltd's top man is a Mr McGrath and seems to be based in Panama although may be Miami They concentrate on arranging manufacture of coinage principally for numismatists. Mr Bennett of WIAD has told me that they have arranged the service on behalf of the Cayman Islands and other Caribbean territories, with marked financial benefits for the Colonies concerned.

3. In respect of Hong Kong, Commander Parker said that the Hong Kong Government wished to mint new coinage for circulation, i.e. not collectors' pièces, and were going to give the order to World- Coin Corporation Ltd because the Royal Mint would require 18 months to produce the goods. Commander Parker said they had then come across a stumbling block because of the Hong Kong Coinage Order 1936, which stipulated that Hong Kong coinage should be minted either at the Royal Mint or at a mint in British India. This, according to Commander Parker, had disconcerted the Hong Kong Government. He asked whether the provisions of the Order were as stated and what the position was.

4. I told Commander Parker that I did not know the terms of the Order but assumed that what the Hong Kong Government said was correct. Should the Hong Kong Government wish to pass amending legislation, they would need to consult us in advance because of the various factors involved in the manufacture of coinage. Not least amongst these was the necessity of clearing the new style with the Palace. I suggested that if Commander Parker wanted a copy of the Hong Kong Coinage Order he should obtain one through his representative in Hong Kong, which he said would be perfectly simple to arrange.

5. I subsequently spoke to Mrs Drummond in Protocol and Conference Department, through whom requests for new coinage from the Dependent Territories are passed to the Palace. She has no knowledge of a new issue in Hong Kong although I have a twinge of memory which makes the matter seem familiar.* Registry cannot trace any papers. Mrs Drummond subsequently rang back to say she had spoken to the Royal Mint (Mr Lothrington, 488 3424 Ext 263). The Mint say that whilst it might take 18 months for casual numismatists' orders, they regard Hong Kong as a most favoured customer (because of the business they get from them) and that it would take a matter of around 6 months to produce new coinage. Their Mr Cornell was in fact in Hong Kong at Easter to discuss a new coinage, and immediately the designs are ready application will be made through P&CD to the Palace for The Queen's authority. There should be no delays.

/6.

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