Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 4]
raising the nominal value of certain coins some of them not of a very defensible nature.
The most advantageous mode of supplying our dependancies with coins would certainly be to strike legal money for them at his Majesties Mint, but as they will require an arrangement of some intricacy & of considerable Labor, it is not likely this it should be at present adopted.
The next is to suffer such colonies as chuse to do so, to purchase tokens of silver and of copper from Mr Boulton or any other person who will furnish them on the best terms, on condition that these tokens are not put into circulation at a higher value then that allowd for foreign coin by the 30th [indecipherable] Chap 6. The Committee will therefore find it necessary themselves to determine the value at which each peice is to be issued.
This was my opinion in the case of Antigua when it came before the board Committee last & I stated it at length; the Committee however thought otherwise & induced I believe by a laudable inclination to oblige the Master of the Mint & his moneyers who were rather clamorous for business at that time, it was determin'd at at a time which when I was not in my place, I believe from ill health that a bill should be bought into the House Parliament to enable the mint to strike silver coin & that the Antigua Coinage should be excused there but as no determination has yet been taken come to respecting the value at which each peice should bear, & as the bill has not been brought in, the whole subject is clearly left open for now.