§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India what number of rupees was coined in the last financial year; what is the profit on each rupee at the present price of silver; what is the proportion of fine silver to alloy in the rupee; what is the proportion of fine silver in the quoted ounce of standard silver; and what number of silver dollars was coined at the Indian mints, and what is the weight and fineness of this coin.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSEThe number of rupees coined in 1906–7, including the recoinage of old rupees, was 254,331,516. Taking the price of silver at 31 ½d. per standard ounce the net profit on the coinage of a rupee is approximately 4d. The fineness of the rupee is 916 6 per thousand; and that of standard silver is 925 per thousand. No dollars were coined at the Indian mints in 190–7.