The feature of the summary of the operations of the Royal Mint, London, during the past year es th big increase in the number of silver pieces struck. No less than 92,456,- 543. pieces, or 60,159,316 more than in 1913, were made, irrespective of the 12,330,000 silver coins struck for colonial use. This extraordinary advance is due to the abnormal potition created by the outbreak of war, when it became necessary to meet the demand for currency first by the issue of Treasury notes, and secondly by a plentiful supply of silver coins. The same causes which led to the expansion of silver were responsible for the contraction of gold coinage; indeed, the face value of the sovereigns and half-sovereigns struck was more than £12,000,000 below that of the preceding year. The total number of pieces struck was 213,862,180, which shows a big advance on the total of 185,436,761 produced an 1913.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.