Reporting on silver on March 32 Messrs. Samuel Montagu & Ca. state The market has preserved a holiday appearance, and business is not yet really active. The Indian Bazaars have been nibbling again, and some bear covering has taken place. Supplies from the Continent and some China selling provided for the moderate demand. America has not been disposed to offer in this market. The stock in Bombay consists of 5,000 bars, a total very much larger than any in recent times.
Currency in China is becoming more homogeneous owing to the very large mintage of dollars and fractions that has been made of late years. The use of sycee, broken or otherwise, seems to be diminishing. A' North-China Daily News" correspondent remarks that "it is interesting to note how the silver dollar is replacing lump silver. A few years ago dollars were very scarce here but now they are as much in circulation as the copper cash, though the 10 and 20 cash coppers are not much in evidence. At Chungking I was told that 10 and 20 cent pieces were hardly usable, while everywhere west of that city, they seem to be welcomed, ten 10- cent pieces changing for a dollar without reference to the province of origin.
In fact Hongkong and Straits Settlement coins are very frequently met with. I suppose, 3£ it were not for the Customs regulations,, enterprising travellers from Shanghai would make 10 per cent. on their funds by investing them in subsidiary coins and bringing them to the west."
OrpeERS FROM THE Bazaars.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.