The yearly Average Price paid per ounce for Silver Bullion purchased in the market The Amount of Seignorage on the Silver Coinage paid into the Exchequer in the Years 1869 to 1878 has been This sum represents the amount of Seignorage on the Silver Coinage actually paid into the Exchequer during the year 1878, whereas the figures given at page 42 represent the amount which accrued during the year on the purchase of bullion. Royal Mint, 20th March 1879. C. W. FREMANTLE, New Bronze Coin No. VIII. ISSUE of BRONZE COIN, &c., to 31st December 1878. £ s. d. 581,340 0 11 2,834 16 11 9941 C. W. FREMANTLE, Deputy Master of the Mint. No. IX. CORRESPONDENCE respecting the SUPPLY of SILVER and BRONZE Treasury Chambers, 12th February 1879. SIR, 2. It will be in your recollection that my Lords at that time declared their 3. My Lords have now received from the Master of the Mint a copy of a further Memorial from the Associated Banks of Melbourne, complaining that the token silver circulating in that Colony is deficient in quality and quantity, and representing that the cost of obtaining fresh supplies must prevent the banks from undertaking that duty. 4. Under the Regulations communicated to the Colonial Office on the 14th June 1871, token coins are supplied to Colonial Governments on payment of the full nominal value, and of all expenses connected with their shipment to the Colony concerned. Up to the present time, the Colonial Governments generally have accepted the conditions thus laid down; and there can be no doubt that the state of the coinage in the Colonies has materially improved. 5. But, on full consideration, my Lords have come to the conclusion that, the application of the banks at Melbourne is in itself reasonable, and in accordance, therefore, with the policy announced in their letter of th December 1873 above mentioned, they have revised the Regulations of the 14th June 1871. *The 31st of December 1877 was fixed as the limit of time for the reception by the Mint of old copper coin withdrawn from circulation in Colonies, but two consignments were received, by special Treasury authority, after the close of the year. s d. 16 4,671 10 6 6. I am to forward you a copy of them as revised, and I am to ask that you will lay them before the Secretary of State. *[Sir Michael Hicks Beach will perceive that the Mint will from henceforth defray all expenses connected with the shipment of silver and bronze coin to the port in the Colony agreed on between the Master of the Mint and the Agent of the Colony in London, including packing, freight, insurance, and shipping charges. 7. Thus bronze coin is now for the first time included in the Regulations, and the Colonies using Imperial token coin will, in all cases, be supplied with such amounts as they require on the mere payment of its nominal value. 8. I am to request that the Secretary of State, if he approves of the proposed arrangement, will cause copies of the amended Regulations to be sent to the Governors of all Colonies using the Imperial system of coinage, and to the Agents of those Governments in London. 9. It will be observed that it is not necessary to require that application for supplies of coin should any longer be made to the Mint through the Colonial Office and the Treasury.] 10. The petitioning banks request that the Branch Mint at Melbourne may be entrusted with a supply of silver coin for issue to the public. This is already the rule with respect to bronze coin, and my Lords have much pleasure in extending it to silver. 11. It will be desirable, therefore, that separate communications should be addressed to the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria, stating that, as there are branches of the Royal Mint at Sydney and Melbourne, the Deputy Masters at those places have been authorised to apply for consignments of new silver coin to be held by them for issue to applicants, and have been instructed to give public notice, with the Governor's approval, of the conditions under which the coin will be issued. The Deputy Masters will be instructed to comply with all demands for the coin in question, unless there should be any special reason for refusal, in which event they will take the pleasure of the Governors. [12. My Lords trust that the Secretary of State will point out to the Governors of the Colonies affected by the Regulations that, as the conditions of supply have now been made so favourable, it is incumbent on them to secure that the silver coinage is kept in proper condition, by the systematic withdrawal of worn coin.] The Assistant Under Secretary of State I am, &c. for the Colonies. (Enclosure.) REGULATIONS for the SUPPLY of BRITISH SILVER and BRONZE COINAGE to the COLONIES. New silver and bronze coin (half-crowns, florins, shillings, sixpences, and threepences, and pence, halfpence, and farthings) can be supplied to Colonial Governments from the Royal Mint on the following conditions: 1. On receiving an application from the agent of the Colonial Government in London, the Master of the Mint will cause to be packed, and held to his order, such an amount of silver or bronze coin as may be required on behalf of the Colony. 2. The Master of the Mint will undertake the payment of all expenses, including packing, freight, insurance, and shipping charges, connected with the shipment of silver and bronze coin to the port in the Colony agreed upon by the Master of the Mint and the agent of the Colony in London. 3. The agent of the Colonial Government will be required to pay to the account of the Master of the Mint at the Bank of England, on or before the delivery of the coin, the sum representing the nominal value of the new silver or bronze coin ordered. * The Extracts marked [] sent with Colonial Office Circular Despatch No. 1. L 596. D 4. The Colonial Government will be required to make such arrangements as may be deemed necessary for the withdrawal of worn silver coin from circulation, and to cause the coin so withdrawn to be forwarded to the Mint or one of its branches (at Sydney or Melbourne), for recoinage. The Master of the Mint will defray all expenses, including freight, insurance, and shipping charges, incurred in the transmission of worn coin to London, Sydney, or Melbourne, from a port of shipment to be agreed upon by the Master of the Mint, or the Deputy Master at Sydney or Melbourne, and the agent of the Colony. 5. The Imperial Government will pay to the Colonial Government, or its agent, the nominal value of the worn coin so withdrawn from circulation, as soon as it is received at the Royal Mint or one of its branches. Treasury Chambers, 12th February 1879. SIR, Downing Street, 27th February 1879. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, enclosing revised regulations for the supply of new silver and bronze coin. 2. I enclose for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury copies of circular Despatches which Sir Michael Hicks Beach has addressed to the Governors of the Colonies using the Imperial system of coinage, and to the Governors of other Colonies for information, enclosing copies of the new regulations, which he has no doubt will be received in those Colonies with great satisfaction. 3. Copies of the revised regulations have also been sent to the Crown Agents for the Colonies and to the Agents-General in London for the Australasian Colonies. The Secretary to the Treasury. I am, &c. ROBERT G. W. HERBERT. (Enclosure.) SIR, Circular No. 2. Downing Street, 27th February 1879. WITH reference to the Earl of Kimberley's circular Despatch of the 27th of June 1871, enclosing regulations respecting the supply of British silver coins to Colonial Governments, I have the honour to enclose, for communication to your Legislature and for publication in the Colony under your Government, a copy of [(in Circular No. 1) extracts of] a letter from the Treasury, enclosing revised regulations for the supply of new silver and bronze coin. 2. I entirely concur in the opinion expressed by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, that as the conditions of supply of new coin have now been made so favourable, it is incumbent on the Governors of Her Majesty's Colonies to secure that the silver coinage is kept in proper condition by the systematic withdrawal of worn coin, and I trust that they will specially charge themselves with that duty. 3. Copies of this Despatch and of its enclosures have been sent to the AgentGeneral in London for your Government [(in Circular No. 1) to the Crown Agents for the Colonies, and to the Agents-General in London for the Australasian Colonies]. The Officer Administering the Government of I have, &c. No. X. VERDICT of the JURY of the Goldsmiths' Company at the Trial of the Pyx held on the 10th of July 1878. WE, whose names are hereunder written, having been sworn this 10th day of July 1878, before the Queen's Remembrancer, at Goldsmiths' Hall, in the City of London, have made the assays and trials of Her Majesty's gold and silver coins in the Pyx of the Mint, and which, according to accounts produced by the Officers of the Mint, were coined in the said Mint from the 1st day of July 1877 to the 30th day of June 1878, both days inclusive. We ascertained that the number of coins, both of gold and silver, in each packet produced to us, corresponded with the number which the Officers of the Mint represented it to contain, and we took a coin or coins from each of such packets of gold coins, making altogether 26 sovereigns or 20-shilling pieces, and 56 half-sovereigns or 10-shilling pieces, and we weighed each of the said coins separately, so as to ascertain whether they were within the remedy prescribed in the First Schedule of the Coinage Act, 1870. We found that the amount of variation from the standard of weight specified in the said First Schedule of the said Act was minus five thousandths of an ounce (or 005) on the whole of such coins, and that, therefore, they were within the prescribed remedy as to weight. We then melted the said gold coins, so taken out and weighed, into an ingot, and assayed such ingot, comparing it with the standard gold trial-plate produced by the Board of Trade, so as to ascertain whether the metal was within the remedy as to fineness prescribed in the said First Schedule to the said Act, and we found that there was no variation thereof from the standard of fineness specified in the said First Schedule to the said Act. We weighed the residue of the said gold coins in bulk, and we ascertained that they were within the remedy as to weight. We then took from such residue five sovereigns and four half-sovereigns and weighed and assayed them separately, and we found that such sovereigns weighed respectively, the first 123.279 grains, the second 123.272 grains, the third 123-281 grains, the fourth 123.304 grains, and the fifth 123 174 grains, and that such half-sovereigns weighed respectively, the first 61:587 grains, the second 61 617 grains, the third 61.637 grains, and the fourth 61.567 grains. We then assayed the said five sovereigns and four half-sovereigns separately, and we found the millesimal fineness of such sovereigns to be 916-8, 916-8, 916-8, 916·8, and 916·8 respectively, and the millesimal fineness of such half-sovereigns to be 916·5, 916·7, 916-8, and 916.6 respectively. We also took a coin from each of such packets of silver coins, making altogether 10 half-crowns, 9 florins, 6 shillings, 8 sixpences, and 9 threepences, and weighed each of the said silver coins separately, so as to ascertain whether they were within the remedy of the said First Schedule of the said Coinage Act, 1870. We found that the amount of variation from the standard of weight specified in the said First Schedule of the said Act was minus seven thousandths of an ounce (or 007) on the whole of such coins, and that, therefore, they were within the prescribed remedy as to weight. We then melted the said silver coins, so taken out and weighed, into an ingot, and assayed such ingot, comparing it with the standard silver trial-plate produced by the Board of Trade, so as to ascertain whether the metal was within the remedy as to fineness prescribed in the said First Schedule to the said Act, and we found that the amount of variation from the standard of fineness specified in the said First Schedule to the said Act was minus fifteen tenthousandths (or 0015), and, therefore, that the said metal was within the prescribed remedy as to fineness. We weighed the residue of the said silver coins in bulk, and we ascertained that they were within the remedy as to weight. We then took from such residue one half-crown, one florin, one shilling, and one sixpence, and weighed and assayed them separately, and we found that such half-crown weighed 218.381 grains, that such florin weighed 174.745 grains, that such shilling weighed 87.572 grains, and that such sixpence weighed 43.656 grains. We then assayed the said half-crown, the said florin, the said shilling, and the said sixpence separately, and we found the millesimal fine |