1804. ] tals ODD. Lee 
MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. — 
AT a 
"Tage bank of England has, at length, found a mode of accommodating the public with 
filver, without the fame danger of lots to itfelf which attended its firft iffue of doliars, It 
has hada large quantity of genuine dollars, ftamped at Mr. Boulton’s mint, at Soho, near 
Birmingham, with entirely cath impreflions, exceedingly elegant. This re-coinage cots 
about a farthing for eachpiece. It is not eal,*y to be counterfeited in fecret. The difference 
between the. corrent, value-ofv ave thillings, for which each of thefe pieces is a bank-token, 
and the true value of the piece, as bullion, is fufficient to hinder thefe dollar-crowns from 
being clandettinsly withdrawn ovt of circulation. Yet thefe pieces are in bullion, more 
nearly equal co their nominal value, than our fhillings and fixpences to that for which they. 
Some e sarrafiment has arifen between the bank and their cuftomers, the public at large, 
in the ree sth f the dollars which they had, before, iffued, with the light oftagon impre{- 
fion. Phat j it sere was very ealily aguacereuae There was temptation to counterfeit 
it; becaufe, dollars put off for five fhillings each, were difpofed of to better advantage, than 
when fold, fimply as bullion: “the bank tnuft fae have been a lofer.to a large amount, if it 
had continued to take, for five fhillings each, all the dollars which might have been brought 
In toit, bearing the ertenn impreiion. On this confideration, it had recourfe to the re- 
coinage, ts notices to the public, thatall dollars bearing the oftagon impreiflion,- would be 
received atthe bank, for five fhillings each, till the 2d of June, brought initant returns 
which threatened before that date, to lead the bank with twice or thrice the quantity of 
dollars, which it had iffued with the oétagon ftamp, A rigorous examination of fuch as were 
offered, | became nece Mary, The counterfeit was eafily diftinguifhed, in mo‘t cafes, from 
dhe genuine bank-ftamp. There were other inftancesin which the fervants of the bank, with 
Shika candour, and Ppavetl care, might be liable to decide even againft its own ftamp : 
but, it was evident, that unlefs the bank jhould be very much upon its guard, a valt number 
of dollars might be privately marked with the o€tagon, merely to be given in at the bank for 
five fhillings ; upon the recall, in confideration of this, a prodigious number of the dollars 
fentin, have been refufed at the bank. The public murmur, that many of thofe which are 
refufed unqueftionably bear the genuine ftamp; tome perfons tell that the very dollars refufed 
from one, are accepted, when fent in by another; ignorant and ill difpofed .perfons endeavour 
to raiie an iil-natured clamour, upon this occafion, againft the bank, while the difcerning 
and the well-meaning only regret, that a little mifchief of this fort fhould net have been 
feparable from the plan which the Direétors of the bank in the firit inflance conceived for 
accommodating thé public by an iflue of dallar tokens, iii 
The prices of Weft India goods, in general, have rifen. Sugars fell 2 per cent. at Brif- 
tol, in the beginning of laft month; but the late news:from the Weft Indies, ahd ftill more 
the renewal of Mr. Wilberforce’s motion againft the Slave Trade, have.contributed to chis 
change. 
The prices of “lean Eaacle. fo important in their indication of the ftate of the country, 
and fo interefting in regard to manufaCtures, have, at all the country fairs, rifen confidera- 
bly in the courfe of the month of May. 
The traders of the American States continue to enlarge their trafic with the Eaf Indies ; 
but there is no reafon to fear, that they fhould injure the trade between England and the 
Eaft, uniefs the price of freight from England to India fhould be enhanced enormoufly above 
ohat it is even at prefent. 
The demands of goods for the Weft Indies are, for the tei rather increafed by the 
new independence of the N eBROES in St. Domingo. 
Throughout the fouth-weit of Scotland, the cotton manufactures are ina very thriving 
condition, 
The works of the Caledonian Canal Bee already much increafed the ftir of bufinefs at 
Invernefs. 
The arrivals from the Baltic begin to have a fenfible effect in diminithing the prices of nae 
val ftores. 
The ftocks have fuffered little fluctuation from either political or commercial events in the 
courfe of Juftmonth. The g per Cents, fluctuate about.56. The French 5 per Cents. are 
at S55. : 
We have reafon to believe, that, in confequence of the late military tranfactions i in India, 
theemarket for Britifh manufactures on that Continent may be confiderably enlarged, 
Large feizures of Englifh goods have been lately made in Flanders and in Switzerland, but 
at the expence chiefly of the foreign purchafers, 
It is expected. tha : there will be an alteration in the Corn Laws, by which the higheft 
average prices for the maritime counties will be made to vetermine the importation; the 
lowes average price for the fame counties, to regulate the exportation. 
Min 
