ABSTRACT
Sources: PRO London, CO 172: Blue Books of the Colony of Mauritius (1825-1846, 1853-1864); Mauritius Price Current and Shipping List (1847-1853); The Economist, London (1853-1864); The Commercial Gazette, Port Louis (1864-1869, 1893-1897); Overland Commercial Gazette, Port Louis (1864-1878); Mercantile Record Overland Edition, Port Louis (1877-1887); Bulletin Commercial du Carnéen, Port Louis (1888-1892); The Merchants and Planters Gazette (Overland Mail Edition), Port Louis (1897-1914). Concordance: WdW IV, pp. 275-312
Currency: Originally Mauritius had been part of the Indian currency area, but British authorities were trying to introduce the pound sterling as the standard currency unit on Mauritius for large parts of the 19th century. Nevertheless, ‘local’ silver money, above all Spanish dollars and rupees, continued to be dominant in internal payment transactions, similar to the French colonial era (up to 1810). Because silver was also used for paying bills, the fall in silver prices from the 1860s found its explicit expression in the quotations on those countries, which had the gold standard as well. The former French colonial currency of account piastre coloniale or courante (of 10 livres colonials; approximately equal to 1 Spanish dollar), i.e. in English: ‘current dollar’ or ‘colonial dollar’ (of 100 cents), was used for the quotations as well. After the British conquest of Mauritius in 1810, the Spanish or current dollar was valued at 2 (Sicca) rupees on December 6th 1810, which became the basis of the ratio common in trade during the following decades. The Sicca rupee of 1818 was traded at 2 shillings (officially fixed with 1 shilling 10 pence sterling) and the current dollar at 4 shillings since the introduction of sterling as the only means of payment for public spending by Governor Ordinance of November 25th 1825, effective from January 1st 1826. Apart from the quoting in current dollars, the exchange rate quotations at Mauritius were carried out – with premium and discount – in different currencies depending on the quoted countries:
– on Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand in pounds sterling of 20 shillings at 12 pence (according to Governor-Ordinance of November 25th 1825) (see pp. 3-5);
– on France and Bourbon/Réunion in francs (see p. 280); – on India, Ceylon and Aden in the different rupees (see pp. 481f.).
