asked the Minister for Finance if he will state when the Currency Commission will have arrangements completed to replace defaced or disfigured coins, and if he is aware that banks are refusing to accept defaced or disfigured coins because of the non-existence of replacement arrangements.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disfigured Coins.
The deliberate defacement or disfiguring of token coin is a punishable offence and I am unable to authorise any arrangement which would tend to relieve the responsible parties of the consequence of their acts. No person is under any obligation to accept coin which has been illegally mutilated.
Coins which have become worn in circulation, or of which the appearance establishes the presumption that they were accidentally defaced or disfigured, are replaced at face value provided they have not lost weight to an amount greater than the margins of error permitted by the Coinage Acts. British token coins which have been accidentally mutilated or worn to a greater extent than the statutory allowances are accepted by the Currency Commission from the banks on a weight for weight basis, i.e., subject to a deduction in respect of loss of weight. In view of the short space of time that our subsidiary coinage has been in circulation, the coins have not had time to get worn, and few (if any) cases of the accidental disfiguring can have occurred. No representations have been made to me that arrangements should be made for the exchange of such coins.
If the Minister is prepared to consider it I have a case where a coin accidentally fell into the fire and became disfigured and defaced in that way. No arrangements appear to exist but the banks refuse to accept such coins. Will the Minister say if any arrangements do exist?
I think there are certain difficulties. It is really a question of whether it was accidentally or deliberately disfigured. The Deputy will have to send particulars of the case to me.
I will send the Minister the coin itself.
Oh, no. I do not think it would be of any use.