Act of 1870, and is still in principle and fact the law of the land and the basis of our monometallic system. Page 244
From the date of its enactment England has been withdrawn from that action of bimetallic law which had been her bane for centuries. The flow of gold in or out became automatic, representing the natural flow of world-balances, and therefore proving the greatest trade help and indicator; and such commercial crises as have come upon her have arisen from the peculiarly sensitive organisation of credit which distinguishes the modern system, and are to be classed with banking rather than metallic currency phenomena.
The total coinage in England from 1816 to 1875 inclusive was £234,139,886 gold and £24,663,309 silver.
| Year. | Coinage of Gold. | Imports of Gold Bullion and Specie. | Exports of Gold Bullion and Specie. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 | 9,008,663 | ? | 11,847,000 |
| 1856 | 6,002,114 | ? | 12,038,000 |
| 1857 | 485,980 | ? | 15,062,000 |
| 1858 | 1,231,023 | 22,793,000 | 12,567,000 |
| 1859 | 2,649,509 | 22,298,000 | 18,081,000 |
| 1860 | 3,121,709 | 12,585,000 | 15,642,000 |
| 1861 | 8,190,170 | 12,164,000 | 11,238,000 |
| 1862 | 7,836,413 | 19,904,000 | 16,012,000 |
| 1863 | 6,607,456 | 19,143,000 | 15,303,000 |
| 1864 | 9,535,597 | 16,901,000 | 13,280,000 |