ST. HELENA 293 



sterling, but when treasury money was handed over by 

 the Company's officers in March, 1836, the whole of it was in 

 Spanish dollars. It was supposed that this was managed 

 in order to get the 2cl. extra on each dollar, as in the follow- 

 ing proclamation : — 



As the correct value of the dollar (4s. 2d.) clashed with 

 the incorrect (Imp) rating, and as other ratings were also 

 at variance with existing Treasury regulations for military 

 pay. The Secretaiy of State ordered, in October, 1835, 

 that — 



All receipts and payments on behalf of Government should be 

 in British currency, or in foreign coins at regulated military rate. 

 This led to the retrograde proclamation by the Governor, February, 

 1836, when 



There was such a variety of coin on the island that mer- 

 chants, when applying to the commissariat for bills on 

 London, seldom knew what coins they had, and Ducatoons, 

 rupees, francs, etc., etc., etc., were all mingled. They were 

 many short of the right weight even, but that did not 

 prevent their circulation. 



In 1843 a proclamation was issued by Order in Council 

 that the dollar was to be 4s, 2d., the doubloons 64s., and 

 all other non-sterling coins to be de-monetized. These 

 were exchanged for British silver by the commissariat 

 oiftcer to the amount of nearly £12,000, the money being 

 shipped to England and sold as bullion. 



Dollars still at 4s. 2d. here were valued at 3s. 8^. at the 

 Cape. So they began to pour into St. Helena. This 

 caused an ordinance to be passed that the dollar should be 

 valued at 4s. 2d. for only three days after date. Conse- 

 quently the dollars were all paid in. And now it was 



