. Standard Gold and Silver Trial Plates. 87 



piece of the value of one pound sterling, and so in proportion 

 on pieces of greater or less sterling value. 



Silver — One pennyweight or one-twentieth part of an ounce 

 in one pound troy weight of silver coin, whether varying above 

 or below the standard either of weight or of fineness. 



It will thus be seen that the Mint is legally restricted to ,a 

 very close approximation to the true standards, of which the 

 trial-plates are the exact representatives. In consequence of 

 this all coinages of the precious metals executed at that estab- 

 lishment have to be conducted with excessive care as regards 

 the mixture of the alloys with those metals, in order to avoid 

 the errors and evils which might otherwise be fallen into, and 

 to ensure to the public that no debasement of the currency 

 result either from negligence or malversation. Not a single 

 bag or journey- weight of 15 lbs. of gold coin, nor a single bag 

 or journey- weight of 60 lbs. of silver coin is permitted to pass 

 from the Mint presses to the Bank of England without at least 

 one piece, taken at random from it, being impounded and 

 placed under seal for testing against the trial-plates at some 

 future day. The nomination of that day rests with the Lords 

 Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, and the trial itself 

 is presided over by the highest legal officer of the State, the 

 Lord Chancellor. 



The advocates of the metric system of weights, measures, 

 and money, are desirous of lowering the standards of fineness 

 of gold and silver coins of the United Kingdom, and of assi- 

 milating them, in fact, to the standards of France and of the 

 United States of America. If this proposition were acceded 

 to, the proportion of fine gold in our sovereigns and half- 

 sovereigns would be nine-tenths, and that of copper, one-tenth, 

 whilst our silver monies of every denomination would contain 

 nine-tenths of fine silver and one-tenth of copper in lieu of the 

 existing standards. We offer no opinion upon this point, 

 except to say that it might be found inconvenient to have 

 coins in simultaneous circulation of two descriptions of fine- 

 ness, and that it is probable that the colour of the gold, if 

 not that of the silver pieces also, would not be improved by 

 the larger admixture of copper. It is to some extent a 

 chemical question as well as a social one, and no doubt it will 

 be carefully considered in all its bearings before being answered 

 affirmatively. 



