Coinage Act, 1891

COINAGE ACT 1891

CHAPTER LXXII.

An Act to amend the Coinage Act, 1870. [5th August 1891.]

Provision as to exchange of light gold coins.

33 & 34 Vict. c. 10.

1.(1) It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by Order in Council, to direct that gold coins of the realm which have not been called in by proclamation and are below the least current weight as provided by the Coinage Act, 1870, shall, if they have not been illegally dealt with, and subject to such conditions as to time, manner, and order of presentation, as may be mentioned in the Order, be exchanged or paid for by or on behalf of the Mint at their nominal value.

(2) For the purposes of this Act a gold coin shall be deemed to have been illegally dealt with where the coin has been impaired, diminished, or lightened otherwise than by fair wear and tear, or has been defaced by having any name, word, device, or number stamped thereon, whether the coin has or has not been thereby diminished or lightened.

(3) In a sovereign or half-sovereign loss of weight exceeding three grains from the standard weight shall, for the purposes of this Act, be prima facie evidence that the coin has been impaired, diminished, or lightened otherwise than by fair wear and tear.

[Subs. (4) (charge on Consolidated Fund for expenses) rep. 8 Edw. 7. c. 49 (S.L.R.) See now 56 & 57 Vict. c. 1.]

Remedy allowances for coin.

2. The remedy allowances for gold, silver, and bronze coins shall be such as are specified in the schedule to this Act; and in all copies of the Coinage Act, 1870, printed after the passing of this Act, the First Schedule to that Act shall be printed so as to give effect to the amendments made by this section.

Short titles and construction.

3.(1) This Act may be cited as the Coinage Act, 1891.

(2) This Act and the Coinage Act, 1870, may be cited together as the Coinage Acts, 1870 and 1891.

(3) Expressions used in this Act have the same meaning as in the Coinage Act, 1870.

SCHEDULE.

Denomination of Coin.

Standard Fineness.

Remedy Allowance.

Weight per Piece.

Millesimal Fineness.

Imperial Grains.

Metric Grams.

Gold:

Five-pound                             -

}

Eleven twelfths fine gold, one twelfth alloy; or millesimal fineness 916·6.

{

1·00

0·06479

}

2

Two-pound                              -

0·40

0·02592

Sovereign                                -

0·20

0·01296

Half-sovereign                    -

0·15

0·00972

Silver:

Crown                                        -

}

Thirty-seven fortieths fine silver, three-fortieths alloy; or millesimal fineness 925.

{

2·000

0·1296

}

4

Double-florin                       -

1·678

0·1087

Half-crown                             -

1·264

0·0788

Florin                     -                  -

0·997

0·0646

Shilling                 -                  -

0·578

0·0375

Sixpence               -

0·346

0·0224

Groat or Four-pence.

0·262

0·0170

Threepence                             -

0·212

0·0138

Twopence                                  -

0·144

0·0093

Penny                   -                      -

0·087

0·0056

Bronze:

Penny                      -                     -

}

Mixed metal copper, tin and zinc.

{

2·91666

0·18899

}

None.

Halfpenny                                  -

1·75000

0·11339

Farthing               -                     -

0·87500

0·05669