Peel to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)

With reference to Mr Elliot's letter of 4th Instant
on the subject of Coinage for British Columbia.

I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's
Treasury to acquaint you, for the information of the Duke of
Newcastle, that My Lords see no objection to the device
(according to the specimens in Silver forwarded) for the pieces
to be issued from the Government Assay Office; but They think that
it may be advisable, with reference to the proposed issue of the
20 Dollar pieces, that the Governor should be informed of a fraud that
has been discovered in this Country in the case of the United States
Double Eagle. On melting some of these Coins at the Bank of England,
it was found that by an ingenious contrivance the Coin had been cut
in half horizontally, and rejoined, after the removal of Gold from
the inside and the substitution of platinum, so as to restore the
Weight and substance of the Coin.

It is obvious that a fraud of this nature could not be readily
perpetrated with a thinner coin; and it renders questionable the
policy of issuing Gold pieces of the size proposed.

The specimens in Silver are herewith returned.