§ 61. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the face value of the 10 coins now being sold in a case at the Festival of Britain Exhibition for £1; what is the value of the metal in sterling; and what is the cost of the case.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Gaitskell)12s. 4¾d., 5d. and 2s. 8d., respectively.
§ Mr. FreemanDoes not my right hon. Friend think that this is an exploitation of the public, and will he consider adding another 5s. piece to this set? Were he to do that and still sell the set to the public for £1, he would even then be making a substantial profit.
§ Mr. GaitskellPerhaps my hon. Friend has overlooked the fact that these coins are specially struck for collectors and that the cost of their production is greatly in excess of the normal cost.
§ Mr. FreemanDoes not that argument apply also to the 5s. piece which is sold for 5s.?
§ Mr. GaitskellThe 5s. pieces are not for collectors specifically.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs my right hon. Friend aware that private enterprise is doing even better than he, because these 5s. pieces are now being sold outside the Exhibition for anything up to 30s. each?
§ Mr. GaitskellThat seems to be a case of caveat emptor.
§ Mr. FreemanWill my right hon. Friend say whether these sets can be sent abroad, and, if so, under what conditions?
§ Mr. GaitskellSo far as I know, they can be sent abroad quite freely.