I notice the following from your web page concerning test coins manufactured by Watt & Co. for the Hong Kong Mint at www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n03a23.html

During my research for a book I am writing, I came across the following information from:P Kevin MacKeown, 'The Hong Kong Mint, 1864-1868: Source of an Early Engineering Experiment', in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch, vol 47, 2007, pp. 41-79. (By the way, Thomas Kinder was Master of the Hong Kong Mint for its short duration.)

Incidentally, the Hong Kong Mint did not commence operations until around 1866, and closed shortly afterwards.

In any case, it would appear that the statement that Watt's press 'was later used to strike the Hong Kong silver dollars' may be incorrect.

By the way, while everyone waited for the HK Mint to be built, and machinery ordered, MacKeown says:

I don't know where this all left Watt & Co!

My book is entitled An Irish Engineer: the Extraordinary Achievements of Thomas J Waters and Family in Early Meiji Japan and Beyond, and is being published by CopyRight Publishers, Brisbane (2012). It is in the process of being published, and I hope to have copies to sell in about March. I would be able to supply copies to anyone who is interested.

One of T J Waters' main achievements (and there were many while he was in Japan) was designing and building the Osaka Mint for the new Meiji Government. For this, he utilised much of the old HK Mint infrastructure and machinery. Thomas Kinder was then employed as Master of the Osaka Mint.

My book contains a chapter about the building of the Osaka Mint. However, I have not explored details about the coins at either Mint, apart from what I have already told you about my findings re the dollar.

Your readers might be interested to know that T J Waters and his brothers Ernest and Bertie went on to become mining engineers in Colorado in the 1880s and 90s. Ernest was the most well-known.

I would be most grateful for any comments that come in as a result, as there is still time to make small changes in the book. Below are some paragraphs from my Osaka Mint chapter in case you are interested.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:AN 1864 WATT AND COMPANY HONG KONG TRIAL PIECE(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n03a23.html)