Lachlan Macquarie, governor, authorises "holey dollars", Sydney, Australia, 1 July 1813

Proclamation,
By His Excellency LACHLAN MACQUARIE, Esquire, Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief, in and over His Majesty's Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, &c. &c. &c.
WHEREAS it has been deemed expedient to send a Quantity of Dollars to this Colony, for the purpose of assisting and improving the Circulating Medium thereof, to be issued in such Manner, for such Value, and under such Regulations as in the Discretion of HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR will be best calculated to effect the above-mentioned Purposes:
And whereas HIS EXCELLENCY the Governor hath therefore thought proper to direct that a small circular Piece of Silver shall be struck out of the Centre of every such Dollar, which, together with the remaining Part of every such Dollar, is intended to be issued and circulated at the Value and under the Regulations hereinafter described; - And whereas such Directions are now carrying into effect, and such Silver Money will shortly be ready for Issue: It is therefore hereby ordered and directed, that each and every such small circular Piece of Silver, on one Side of which is impressed the Figure of a Crown, with the Words "New South Wales," above such Impression, and the Figures "1813" beneath the same, and on the other or reverse Side thereof are impressed the Words "Fifteen Pence," and having the Edges thereof grained, shall be Current within this Territory for the Sum of Fifteen Pence of lawful Money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of English Value and Currency.
And it is hereby, and by the Authority aforesaid, further ordered and directed, that every such larger Piece of Silver, being the remaining Part of every such Dollar, on the upper Part of one Side of which are impressed at its inner Rim the Words "Five Shillings," and at the lower Part of the said Rim, on the same Side, is also impressed the Figure of a Branch of Laurel, and on the reverse Side of which, at the upper Part of the said inner Rim, are im- pressed the Words "New South Wales," and at the lower Part of the same Rim, the Figures "1813," the Edges of the said inner Rim being grained on both Sides, shall be current within this Territory, and every Part thereof, for the Sum of Five Shillings of lawful Money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of English Value and Currency.
And it is hereby, and by the Authority aforesaid further ordered, declared, and publicly made known, that from and after the Thirtieth Day of September next ensuing the Date hereof, all Animal Food and Grain of every Description, and all other Articles of Trade or Merchandize whatsoever, received into His Majesty's Stores in any Part of this Territory, or otherwise supplied for the Use of His Majesty's Government, will be paid for in the above- described Silver Money, at the Value above mentioned; and that such Silver Money, or such Portions or Quantities thereof as may be tendered at the Office of the Principal Officer of the Commissariat Department will be consolidated at the Value above-mentioned by Bills upon the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury once in every successive Period of Two Years; and that public and timely Notice will be duly given in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertizer, of the precise Periods of such intended Consolidation.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that from and after the Thirtieth Day of September now next ensuing, all Bargains, Contracts, Agreements, Purchases, and Sales for Money, made or contracted within this Territory, or that Part thereof where the said Silver Coin is intended to be, or may be circulated, shall be considered and deemed to be made, of, for, and concerning the Silver Money above described, except in Cases where some other Mode of Payment is distinctly specified and agreed upon between the Parties to such Agreements or Contracts.
And it is hereby and by the Authority aforesaid, further ordered and declared, that the said Silver Money shall be a legal Tender, at the Value above mentioned, in Payment for all Debts whatsoever contracted within this Territory from and after the said Thirtieth Day of September, except where such Debts have arisen from Bargains or Contracts in which some other Mode of Payment hath been distinctly specified and agreed upon by and between the Parties to said Bargains or Contracts.
And it is hereby and by the Authority aforesaid further ordered and declared, that such Silver Money shall be a legal Tender at the Value aforesaid, in Payment of all Debts contracted within this Territory, which now are or hereafter may be due to His Majesty; and that from and after the said Thirtieth Day of September the same shall also be a legal Tender, at the Value aforesaid, in Payment of all Fees thenceforth due and of right payable at any of the Public Offices within this Territory.
And it is hereby, and by the Authority aforesaid, further ordered and declared, that if any Person shall, by any Arts, Ways, or Means, or Upon any Pretence whatsoever, make, coin, or counterfeit any base Coin, to the Similitude or Resemblance of, or intended to resemble, the said Silver Money hereby allowed to be current within this Territory, such Offender, his Counsellors, Aiders, Abettors, and Procurers, shall, being first duly convicted, be sent to Newcastle, in this Territory, and there kept to hard Labour for the Space of Seven Years.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Person shall, after the said Thirtieth Day of September, 1813, utter or tender in Payment any false or counterfeit Coin, made to the Similitude or Resemblance of, or intended to resemble any of the Silver Money hereby allowed to be current in this Territory, (knowing the same to be false or counterfeit), to any Person or Persons, and shall be thereof convicted, he, she, or they shall be imprisoned in any of His Majesty's Gaols in this Territory, and there kept to hard Labour for the Space of Two Years, and at the Expiration thereof shall find Sureties for his, her, or their good Behavior for Two Years more; and on Conviction for a second Offence, he, she, or they shall be sent to Newcastle, in this Territory, and there kept to hard Labour for the Space of Seven Years.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Person or Persons shall, after the said Thirtieth Day of September, utter or tender in Payment any false or counterfeit Coin, made to the Similitude or Resemblance of, or intended to resemble any of the Silver Money hereby allowed to be current in this Territory (knowing the same to be false and counterfeit), to any Person or Persons, and shall either the same Day, or within Ten Days then next, offer or tender in Payment any more or other such false or counterfeit Coin (knowing the same to be so) to the same or any other Person or Persons, or shall at the Time of such Uttering or Tendering in Payment have about him, her, or them, in his, her or their Custody, one or more pieces of such counterfeit Coin, besides what was so uttered or tendered, he, she, or they shall be deemed and taken to be common Utterers of false Money, and being thereof convicted, shall be sent to Newcastle aforesaid, and there kept to hard Labour for the Space of Seven Years.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Person or Persons shall, by any Art, Ways, or Means whatsoever, melt down, impair, diminish, scale, or lighten any of the Silver Money hereby allowed to be current in this Territory, such Offenders, their Counsellors, Procurers, Aiders, and Abettors, being lawfully convicted thereof, shall be sent to Newcastle aforesaid, and there kept to hard Labour for the Space of Seven Years.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that from and after the said Thirtieth Day of September, no Person shall practice or exercise within this Territory the Art, Trade, or Mystery of a working Jeweller or Goldsmith, unless he shall first bind himself to the Superintendant of Police, in the Town of Sydney, in the penal Sum of One Hundred Pounds, and two sufficient Sureties in the Sum of Fifty Pounds each, not to forge, make, falsify, counterfeit, melt down, impair, diminish, scale, or lighten any of the Silver Money hereby allowed to be current in this Territory, in Default whereof the Person or Persons so exercising the said Art, Trade, or Mystery of a working Jeweller in this Territory, shall, being first convicted thereof before any two or more Justices of the Peace, forfeit or pay the Sum of Twenty Pounds, one Moiety of which shall be paid to the Informant, and the other Moiety shall be applied to the Use of the Police Fund and be further imprisoned in any of His Majesty's Gaols in this Territory for the Space of Twelve Month's; and the said Superintendant of Police for the Time-being is hereby required to take the said Bond, and give a Certificate thereof in Writing, signed with his Name, to the Person or Persons so entering into the same.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that if any of the Silver Money hereby allowed to be current within this Territory, shall, under any Pretence, Name, or Description whatsoever be exported, or shipped, or laden, or put on board any Ship, Vessel, or Boat, for the purpose of being exported from this Territory to any Parts beyond the Seas, or to any other Part of this Territory, or any of its Dependencies, the same, together with such Ship, Vessel, or Boat, on board of which the same shall be shipped, laden, or put on board, with the Tackle, Apparel, and Furniture thereof, shall be forfeited and condemned, and the same shall and may be seized, sued for, prosecuted, and recovered in the Court of Vice Admiralty in this Territory, by such and the like Ways, Means, and Methods, and under such Regulations and Provisoes, and the Produce thereof disposed of and applied in such and the like Manner, and to such and the like Uses and Purposes, as any Forfeiture incurred by any Law respecting the Revenue of the Customs, may now be seized, sued for, prosecuted, or recovered, disposed of, and applied in any of His Majesty's Islands in the West Indies.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that every Person who shall so export, or shall so ship, lay, or put on board any Ship, Vessel, or Boat, in order to be exported, or shall cause, assist in, or procure to be so exported, shipped, or any put on board any Ship, Vessel, or Boat, or shall have in his or her Custody in order to be so exported, any Silver Money hereby allowed to be current within this Territory, shall, for every such Offence, forfeit the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds, and double the Value of such Silver Money, to be recovered by Action or Information in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record in this Territory.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid that upon Arrival of any Ship or Vessel in the Harbour of Port Jackson, the Master or other Person having Charge of such Ship, or Vessel, before he be allowed to break Bulk, or at the Time of entering his said Ship or Vessel at the Office of the Naval Officer, or other principal Officer of the Custom in this Territory, shall enter into a bond with the Naval Officer, or such principal Officer as aforesaid, for the Time-being, in the penal Sum of Two Hundred Pounds, not to export, ship, lay, or put on board a Ship, Vessel, or Boat for the Purpose of being exported, nor to cause or procure to be exported, shipped, or put on board any Ship, Vessel, or Boat, for the Purpose of being exported, any such Silver Money as aforesaid, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Proclamation; and further, that the Master of every Ship or Vessel, before he is allowed to clear out the Ship or Vessel under his Charge for any Voyage or Trip whatsoever, shall make Affidavit before the Naval Officer, or other principal Officer for collecting His Majesty's Customs at the Port of Sydney, that to the best of his Knowledge and Belief, no such Silver Money as above described hath been shipped, or put on board, or now is on board the Ship or Vessel under his Command; and such Naval Officer, or principal Officer of His Majesty's Customs, is hereby required and authorised to take the said Bond, and administer the said Affidavit, and also to furnish a Copy of this Proclamation to the Master of every Ship or Vessel arriving in the Harbour of Port Jackson, before or at the Time of entering the said Ship or Vessel.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that it shall and may be lawful to, and for the Naval Officer, or other principal Officer of the Customs in this Territory for the Time-being, by his Order in Writing, to direct any one or more subordinate Officers of the Customs, or other fit and proper Persons, to search any Ship, Vessel, or Boat, within the Harbour of Port Jackson, on board of which, he may suspect or have been informed that there is any such Silver Money hereby made Current in this Territory, concealed for the Purpose of being exported, or to search any Person or Persons on board any Ships, Vessels, or Boats, suspected of having in his, her, or their Custody, any such Silver Money as aforesaid, for the like unlawful Purpose; and in Case such Person or Persons, so directed to make Search as aforesaid, shall find any such Silver Coin as aforesaid, on board such Ship, Vessel, or Boat, or in the Custody of any Person on board the same as aforesaid, then it shall be lawful for such Person or Persons, and they are hereby required to seize such Silver Money so found by them as aforesaid, and deliver the same to the said Naval Officer, or other principal Officer of the Customs, who is hereby authorised to adopt such Measures for the Condemnation of the same, and the Punishment of the Offenders therein, as are herein before directed; and in Case any Person or Persons shall wilfully obstruct, hinder, or delay any such subordinate Officers or other Persons so ordered to make Search as aforesaid, in the due Execution of their Duty in this Behalf, such Offender; or Offenders (being thereof first duly convicted) shall be imprisoned in any of His Majesty's Gaols in this Territory, for the Space of Twelve Calendar months.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared by the Authority aforesaid, that from and after the Thirty first Day of December now next ensuing, it shall not be lawful for any Person or Persons to issue or negotiate within this Territory any Promissory Notes whatsoever for any Sum of Money under the Sum of Two Shillings and Sixpence; and if any Person or Persons whatsoever, from and after the said Thirty-first Day of December, shall nevertheless issue, negociate, or take in Payment within this Territory any Promissory Note for any Sum under the Sum of Two Shillings and Sixpence, the Offender or Offenders, being convicted thereof on the Oath of one credible Witness before any two or more of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace within this Territory, shall forfeit treble the Amount of the Note or Notes so issued, negociated, and taken in Payment, to be paid to the Informer, and to be levied by Distress and Sale of the Offender's Goods, and shall further be imprisoned in any of his Majesty's Gaols in this Territory for the Space of Three Calendar Months, and till the said Forfeiture be paid.
And it is hereby further ordered and declared, that from and after the Thirtieth Day of September next ensuing, the Copper Monies now current in this Territory shall not be a legal Tender in Payment of any Sum of Money exceeding the Sum of Fifteen Pence.
Given under my Hand at Government House,
Sydney, the First Day of July, in the Year of Our Lord 1813.
"LACHLAN MACQUARIE."
GOD SAVE THE KING.
By Command of His Excellency,
J. T. Campbell, Secretary.