1813: 53 George 3 c.114: An Act to continue and amend an Act of the present Session, to prevent the issuing and circulating of Pieces of Gold and Silver, or other Metal, usually called Tokens, except such as are issued by the Banks of England and Ireland respectively.

[10th July 1813.]

WHEREAS an Act passed in this Session of Parliament,

[53 G. 3. c. 19. §2.]

intituled An Act to amend an Act of the last Session of Parliament, to prevent the issuing and circulating of Pieces of Gold and Silver, or other Metal, usually called Tokens, except such as are issued by the Banks of England and Ireland: And whereas it is expedient that the Period limited in the said Act for the Circulation of Pieces of Gold or Silver and mixed Metals, in the said Act specified and denominated Tokens should be further extended; and that the said Act should be amended: May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That so much of the said recited Act as prohibits the Circulation of any such Tokens as are in the said recited Act described, after the Fifth Day of July One thousand eight hundred and thirteen,

[repealed.]

shall be and the same is hereby repealed.

[Tokens not to be circulated after a certain time.]

II. And be it further enacted, That, from and after Six Weeks from the Commencement of the next Session of Parliament, no Piece of Gold or Silver, or of any mixed Metal composed partly of Gold or Silver, of whatever Name the same may be, shall pass or circulate as a Token for Money, or as purporting that the Bearer or Holder thereof it entitled to demand any Value denoted thereon, either by Letters, Words, Figures, Mark or otherwise, whether such Value is to be paid or given in Money or Goods, or other Value, or in any manner whatsoever; and every Person who shall, after Six Weeks from the Commencement of the next Session of Parliament circulate or pass as for any nominal Value in Money or Goods any such Token, shall for every such Token so circulated or passed, whether such Person shall be or have been concerned in the original issuing or Circulation of any such Token, or only the Bearer or Holder thereof for the time being,

[Penalty.]

forfeit any Sum not less than Five Pounds nor more than Ten Pounds, at the Discretion of such Justice or Justices of the Peace who shall hear and determine such Offence; Provided that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to prevent any Person from presenting any such Token for Payment to the original Issuer thereof,

[Original Issuer.]

or to discharge or excuse any such original Issuer from his Liability to pay the same.

III. And whereas Doubts are entertained as to whether the Bearer or Holder of any such Token can recover by the Law from the Person or Persons who shall have issued the same, their Executors or Administrators, the Value denoted thereon; and it is expedient that such Doubts should be removed; Be it therefore enacted,

[Issuers of Local Tokens liable to pay same by Law.]

That all Persons who shall have originally issued or have been concerned in the original issuing or Circulation of any such Tokens, and their respective Executors and Administrators, shall be and they are hereby declared to be liable in Law, upon Demand made of the Value denoted upon the Tokens issued by such Persons respectively to pay the same; and the Amount of Money or Value denoted upon any such Tokens, either by Letters, Words, Figures, Marks or otherwise, may be recovered by the Bearer or Holder thereof, in any Action or Suit against the Person or Persons who shall have originally issued or been concerned in the original issuing or Circulation of such Token, in like manner as the Amount or Value of any Promissory Notes payable to Bearer, and issuable by Law, may now be recovered, to pay off or discharge the same.

[Act not to authorise issue of Promissory Notes under 20s.]

IV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to authorize or make legal the issuing of any Promissory Note, not being a Token composed of Gold or Silver, or of mixed Metal composed partly of Gold or Silver, which cannot now be issued by Law.

[Act not to extend to Tokens of Bank of England or Ireland.]

V. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to any Tokens issued or circulated by or under the Authority of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or by or under the Authority of the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland respectively; or in any manner to affect any such Tokens, or the Circulation thereof; or to subject any Company or Companies, or Person or Persons, to any Penalty for issuing or circulating any such Tokens.

[Penalties how recovered.]

VI. And be it further enacted, That all Penalties and Forfeitures imposed by this Act shall and may be recoverable and recovered and levied and applied, in like manner and by such means as the like Penalties and Forfeitures are made recoverable by the said recited Act; and all the Powers, Authorities, Clauses, Matters and Provisions, in the recited Act contained, shall be and remain and continue in full Force, and be applied and executed for the enforcing: the Provisions of this Act, and for the recovering and applying of any Penalties and Forfeitures under this Act, as fully and effectually as if all such Powers, Authorities, Clauses and Provisions, were severally and separately re-enacted in and made Part of this Act.

[Act repealed, &c.]

VII. And be it further enacted, That this Act may be altered, amended or repealed, by any Act or Acts to be passed in the present Session of Parliament.

Source: Butterworths Statutes at Large, 1813.