# Coinage Act 1971, Section 6: Standard trial plates.

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) The Secretary of State shall, from time to time when necessary, cause to be made and verified standard trial plates to be used for determining the justness of gold, silver and cupro-nickel coins issued from the Mint, or of coins so issued of any other metal or mixture of metals specified in a proclamation made by virtue of this Act.
(2) The plates to be so used for coins of any description specified in the first column of the following Table shall have the composition specified in relation thereto in the second column of that Table.
Table
Description of coins
Composition of plates
Gold coins of a denomination mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act
Eleven-twelfths fine gold and one-twelfth alloy.
Other gold coins
Gold of the standard fineness specified in the proclamation under which the coins are made.
Silver coins
Pure silver.
Cupro-nickel coins
Pure copper and pure nickel.
Coins of any other metal or mixture of metals.
Such composition as may be prescribed by the proclamation under which the coins are made.
(3) The plates, and all books, documents and other things used in connection with the determination of the justness of coins issued from the Mint or in relation thereto, shall be in the custody of the Secretary of State, and shall be kept in such places and in such manner as the Secretary of State may from time to time direct; and the performance of all duties in relation to the plates shall be part of the business of the Department for Business and Trade.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/24/section/6 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/coinage-act-1971/section-6
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.