146 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



Bank took every thing not clearly 

 ascertained to be foreign cur- 

 rency. The (lay passed over in 

 the city without the least tendency 

 to tumult, although the Bank was 

 beset by crowds. In the after- 

 noon, the following fresh notice 

 was posted at the Bank and Man- 

 sion-house : — 



Silver Coin. — Take notice — All 

 shillings and sixpences of the coin 

 of the realm, whether plain or 

 not, will continue to be exchanged 

 at the Bank of England as here- 

 tofore, till the issue of the new 

 silver coinage, which will not 

 take place before the month of 

 February next. — N.B. Those who 

 refuse to take the current coin of 

 the realm are liable to be prose- 

 cuted. — Bank of England, Sept. 

 91, 1816. 



Afterwards a third Notice was 

 issued : 

 Second Notice. — Wood, Mayor. 



Silver Coin. — By authority of 

 his Majesty's Secretary of State 

 for the Home Department. No- 

 tice is hereby given, that all shil- 

 lings and sixpences that can be 

 considered as of the Established 

 Standard in fineness will be ex- 

 changed for new silver coin when 

 it is issued ; and it appears that 

 large proportions of the plain 

 shillings and sixpences now in 

 circulation are of this description. 



By order of the Lord Mayor, 

 Mansion-house, F. Hobler. 

 Saturday, Sept. 21, J8I6. 



In the mean time, the rumour 

 that the Bank would not receive 

 plain shillings and sixpences oc- 

 casioned a general cessation of 

 retail dealing in Westminster ; 

 and the Police-office in Queen- 

 square was thronged with trades- 

 men almost of every description. 



inquiring of the Magistrates how 

 they must proceed. One person 

 said he had taken 501. in plain 

 silver that morning, and lie could 

 not get one other tradesman to 

 take any of it from him in busi- 

 ness. Several pawnbrokers said, 

 that persons who had small 

 pledges could not release them, 

 in consequence of their not taking 

 the silver ; and they could not 

 receive a pledge, as none would 

 take their money : persons offer- 

 ing the pledges said they could 

 not get food with it. The bustle 

 so increased, that the magistrates 

 began to fear some serious re- 

 sult, if something were not spee- 

 dily done. They sent an officer 

 to the Bank, and being informed 

 by Mr. Hase that he should not 

 refuse taking plain silver, if not 

 French or counterfeit, they, in 

 the course of an hour, issued 500 

 bills, to appease the public mind, 

 which, in a great measure, had 

 the desired effect, and business 

 was restored as usual. The fol- 

 lowing is a copy of the bills issued 

 from the Queen-scjuare Police- 

 office : — 



Silver — Public Office, Queen- 

 square, Westminster, Sept. 21, 

 1816. — The magistrates of the 

 above office infonn the public, 

 that all kind of shillings, now or 

 lately in circulation, are taken at 

 the Bank of England, with the 

 exception of French or base me- 

 tal ; they therefore recommend to 

 all shop-keepers, dealers, and 

 others, in order to prevent any 

 breach of the public peace, to 

 take such silver above-named, as 

 usual. Signed by order, 



W. Miller, Clerk. 



The attention of the magistrates 

 at the other police offices was oc- 

 cupied 



