§ 36. Mr. ROBINSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what were the actual arrangements made for the issue of the pattern Silver Jubilee crown pieces; and whether he is aware that the public have been unable to obtain them through the banks at the nominal price of issue, and that the dealers are offering them for sale at a price of £6 a piece instead of the nominal rate of 7s. 6d. a piece?
§ Mr. COOPERMy hon. Friend seems to have confused the 5s. coins bearing the Jubilee design with the silver pattern pieces. The former are ordinary coins obtainable through the banks at their face value of 5s. Over 150,000 have been issued already, and they will remain on offer until the end of the year. The pattern pieces, the issue of which was publicly announced before the Jubilee, are not coins, and only a limited number of them, 2,500 in all, were struck for supply to collectors at an issue price of 7s. 6d. Applications were dealt with only at the Royal Mint and in the order in which they were received. One piece was issued to each successful applicant. In reply to the last part of the question, I have no responsibility for the present market price, but my hon. Friend may rest assured that dealers have had no opportunity of obtaining the patterns which was not open to members of the public in all parts of the country.
§ Mr. ROBINSONis my hon. Friend aware that while the public applications were not satisfied a large number of the pattern pieces are in the hands of dealers, who are offering them at very inflated prices?
§ Mr. COOPERThe dealers have probaply purchased them at inflated prices and are offering them at still higher prices. It was not intended that there should be a universal supply of them, but only a limited number which were supplied to those people who applied first.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENAre they only collectors who are engaged in the lottery?