WEST INDIES. 



I'he dedudion for every grain of deficiency of weight is 

 ^J. currency. 



The filver coins of Jamaica are dollars, with their halvet, 

 quarters, eighths, and fixteenths, paffiiig for 6j. Sd., 3/. 4^/., 

 11. 8(/., 10^., and 5J. currency. Befides, here are bits or 

 iittj, being Spanilh reals, and palling for 7-^. currency ; fo 

 that 10 bits and 5J. currency make a dollar, and i bit is 

 worth 5-rV^. fterling. Piftcreens, or two-bit pieces, which are 

 Spanilh pecetas, pafs for u. 3^. currency, and are worth 

 \o\d. fterling. Englilh {hillings and fixpences occafionally 

 pafs as piftereens and bits. From the above ftatement it 

 appears, that the intrii.fic par of the currency of Jamaica 

 with refpeft to fterling is as follows ; the calculations being 

 made according to the mint price of gold and filver in 

 England : 



In the EngUfti leeward iflands the dollar is ici.koneJ ai 

 9^., and this rate is generally called the leeward currency. 



A fmall circular piece cut out of the centre of the dollar, 

 about one-twelfth of its value, in order to prevent its ex- 

 portation, is allowed to pafs for one-eighth, and is ftamped 

 by authority with the initials of the ifland. 



The dollar, thus cut, paffes for Sj. ^d. currency ; it is 

 called the " cut dollar," by way of diftinftion from the whole 

 or " round dollar." The piece taken out is fonietimes called 

 the " bit," and fometimes the " moco," which moco is, in 

 fome places, one-fourth of the dollar, and in others one- 

 eighth. In thefe iflands there are fmall copper coins, called 

 ftampes, dogs, and half dogs, valued as in the following 

 Table. 



bo 



8 o 



< 



Englifti gold coins, 

 Spanilh ditto 

 Portuguefe ditto 

 Dollai- 



100/. fterling ■= 



By a law of the Jamaica aflembly, the exchange with 

 England was fixed at 40 /^r ««/. ; but it has confiderably 

 varied: bills being fometimes at a premium of 20 per cent. 

 above the legal exchange, and feldom under 10 : dollars oc- 

 cafionally bear a premium of 3 or 4 per cent. 



The currency of Barbadoes is fometimes reckoned at 135, 

 and fometimes at 140, for loc/. fterling; but it has never 

 been fettled by legal authority. The value of the coins has 

 been eftablithed by proclamation, and according to thefe 

 values the par is above 140. 



The gold coins current here, with their legal value, are 

 (hewn in the following Table. 



N.B. — The deduflion for hght coin is 2\d. currency for 

 every grain of deficiency. 



The current iilver coins are dollars, with halves, quarters, 

 eighths, and fixteenths, pafling for 6s. ^d., 3/. i^d., u. 6ld., 

 oid., and 4^J. currency. Alio bits, which are Spanilh reals, 

 and which pafs for -j^d. currency ; thus, 10 bits make i dol- 

 lar, and 1 bit is worth ^id. fterling. Piftereens, or two-bit 

 pieces, which are Spanilh pecetas, pafs for ij-. ^d. currency. 

 There are alfo French bits, called crtmbal, or tfle du vent bits, 

 which pafs for 75^. currency. 



The Barbadoes currency compared with fterling is, 



U) 



fig 



_ [ Englifh coins, 100/. fterlins = 

 ■-| ^ I Spani(h ditto 

 g '^ j Portuguefe ditto 

 "i" [. Dollar ditto - 



2 Half dogs 



make 



• ^ Dog - - 

 6 Dogs or 4 ftampes 

 li Bit 



11 Bits 



1 2 Bits or 8 mocos 

 5 Round dollars - 

 8 Cut dollars 



16 Round dollars - 



I Dog - = 



I Stampe - =: 



I Bit - - = 



I Moco - = 



I Cut dollar = 

 I Round dollar := 



I Guinea - = 



I Joe - - = 



I Doubloon = 



Leewar<t Currency. 

 t. d. 



I. 



o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



2 



3 



7 



•5 

 3 



o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



For a deficiency of weight, an allowance is made of /^^d. 

 currency for Englilh grain. The exchange with London is 

 generally about 200 per cent. 



In the Englifh luindward iflands the currencies are nearly 

 the fame as the former, allowing for fome local regulations 

 and cuftoms. 



In the French iflands accounts are kept by the French 

 fettlers in livres, fols, and deniers ; and by the Englifti (par- 

 ticularly in exchanges) in pounds, fliillings, and pence cur- 

 rency ; the livre and ftiifling being of the fame value. 



The currency is the fame as that of the Englifti lee- 

 ward and windward iflands : but the names of the coins are 

 different ; the dog being called the noir, the ftampe the 

 tempe, the bit the efcalin, and the dollar the gourde. 



The value of the coins appears in the following Table. 



The following gold coins are taken by weight. 



Portugal pieces, at - - - - 2 2 livres ^^r gros 

 Counterfeit ditto, coined in America, at 20 ditto ^cr gros 

 French and Spanifti coins deficient in 1 , 



weight, at *^ . . - . j 19/- 15^- /"-gros 



Englifti ditto at 8 livres, 8 fols per dwt., that is, 7 fols per 

 Enghfti grain. 



In 



