The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-29 00:00:00

COURT-PASTIZONABLE.

The Earl and Countess of Jersey had a dinner party on Mon-
day at their residence in Berkeley-square.
Lady Louisa Cator's ball in Br)anstone-square on Tuesday
last was numerously and fashionably attended.
The lion. Mrs. Charles Fox is seriously ill at her villa, St.
Anne's MI, near Chertsey, and owing to her advanced age
(she is nearly ninety years old) her medical attendants do not
expect her to rally.
Earl de Grey has deferred his departure from Dublin to
Baden-Baden until the 16th of next month.

Lady Shelley's morning party at Fulham, on Saturday last,
was attended by upwards of 300 fashionable:.

:YLISC-111.LAN 0t:

Cheltenham is spoken of as likely to be visited by her Ma-
jesty in the course of the summer.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.

TIMES.—The subject of the calling in of the light sovereigns
continues to excite considerable interest; and much difference
of opinion still exists respecting the proper allowance which
ought to be made for any given deficiency in weight. This
matter is of great importance ; and the following observations
may perhaps serve to throw some light on the discussion :
The principal source of the error into which many persons
have fallen when calculating the allowance to be made on light
sovereigns, appears to have been tke taking the weight of 5 dwt.
2th grains, under which they are not allowed by the proclama-
tion to pass current, as being the full weight of the coin ; and
then supposing that if a sovereign weighs fully 5 dwt. 2 grains,
that there is only a loss of half a grain, the value of which is
td., and so on in proportion for other deficiences, a very short
explanation will suffice for pointing out this error.
By the English Mint regulations, one ounce Troy of stand•
and gold (that is, of 22 carats pure gold and 2 carats of all,y) is
to be coined so as to represent a value in money of 3/. 17s. lOid.
sterling ; and agreeably to this principle, the Coinage Act of
1817 enacts that 46 29.40 sovereigns are to be coined out of
1 hound Troy. This, when reduced to integral numbers, is
the same as saying that 1,869 sovereigns are to to be coined
from 40 pounds Troy. The calculated Mint weight of one sove-
reign should, therefore, be 5 dwt. 3.2745 grains, or rather more
than 1231 grains. The half-sovereign, in proportion, should
weigh 2 dwt. 13A grains. The value cf 1 grain of standard
gold is therefore equal to 1.94688 pence, which, for practical
purposes, must be called 2 pence sterling, when used for buying
and selling small quantities of gold.
But as slight errors in the coinage are unavoidable, the Mas-
ter of the Mint is allowed a variation in the weight of 12 grains
in each pound Troy ; that is, if the 46 29-40 sovereigns weigh
within 12 grains of the pound Troy, the coin is suffered to pass
into circulation as full weight.
This allowance is equal to 0.2568 grains on each sovereign,
being rather snore than a quarter of a grain, the value of
which is 0.49996 d., or as neitrly as posiible one halfpenny
sterling.
The full weight of a sovereign being as before Grains.
stated
Deduct Mint allowance..... .2568