oct.— dec. 1856.] Notes on Indian Currencies. 55 



that is, 440 grs. out of 480 grs. (the oz.) are pure silver. 



or 220 dwts. out of 240 dwts. (the lb.) are do. 

 that is, the Co.'s Rupee is -j-^-fine or *916 touch. 



The English Shilling is 87 T 3 T grs. in weight of which 80 r 8 f are 



pure silver. 



that is, 444 grs. out of 480 grs. (the oz.) are do. 



or 222 dwts. out of 240 dwts. (the lb.) are do. 

 that is, it is f I fine or -925 touch. 

 English silver which is f $ fine is called standard silver. 



The Company's Rupee, it will be observed, is Worse .009, that 

 is, a pound of English standard silver contains 2 dwts. more pure 

 silver than a pound of Company's Rupees. 



In England, from 1600 A. D. down to 1816, a pound of standard 

 silver was coined into 62 shillings — in 1816 it was ordered to be 

 coined into 66 shillings, 4 shillings being retained by Government 

 as a seignorage amounting to 6 \\ percent. By this means, a fictiti- 

 ous value is given to the silver coinage, and the pieces pass current 

 for more than their real value, and thereby having no value in 

 other countries equal to their value at home are neither melted nor 

 exported. Though in England an oz. of standard silver is coined 

 into 5 Shillings and fa of a Shilling over, ( x \ of which are retain- 

 ed as seignorage) yet silver coins are always rated at the assumed 

 price of 60c?. per oz. per British standard. 



An oz. of silver B. standard = 6Qd. 



therefore 1 grain = * 125 of a penny. 



A Company's Rupee contains 178*37 grains B, standard 

 therefore Co.'s Rupee = Is. 10-29625J. (Par of exchange.) 



Sicca Rupee weighs 191*916 grains of which 

 175-921 are pure silver, 

 or 176 B. standard silver. 



That is 439*995 out of 480 grs. (the oz.) are pure silver, 

 or 219*997 out of 240 dwts. (the lb.) are do. 



That is, it is f H fine, or *9165 touch, 

 and Is. lV78d. is its Par of Exchange. 



