§ SIR JOHN LENG (Dundee)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £425,000 of small coins held by the Bank of England ready for issue to the public are coinage of the late or present reign; and whether supplies of coin can be obtained by others as well as bankers.
(Answered by Mr. Ritchie.) Of the £425,000 silver coin held by the Bank of England, £417,000 is Victorian and fit for circulation; the balance of £8,000 consists of new coin of the present reign. Silver coins of any denomination, and in any quantity desired, are issued to the general public on personal application at the head office of the Bank in exchange for gold or Bank of England notes, and at country branches of the Bank of England in exchange for gold or notes of the particular branch of the Bank at which application is made. A further sum of £10,000 in sixpences of this year's date was issued to the Bank on the 9th instant and is available for issue.