The Coinage Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 10) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It stated the metric weights of British coins. For example, it defined the weight of the sovereign as 7.98805 grams (about 123.27747 grains).
The act also vested the titles of Master of the Mint and 'Governor of the Mint of Scotland', which had ceased minting coins in 1707, in the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The act also gave the British government the authority to establish overseas branches of the Mint in British possessions. In 1907, the government used that power to establish a branch of the Mint in Ottawa, at the request of the Canadian government. It repealed the authorization in 1931, when the Mint in Ottawa came under full Canadian control.
A contemporary history suggests that the act was influenced by the criticisms of George Frederick Ansell.
Leave to bring in the Coinage Bill to the House of Commons was granted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Robert Lowe and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, James Stansfeld on 10 February 1870. The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February, presented by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, George Glyn . The bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on 25 February 1870 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 1 March 1870, with amendments. The amended bill was re-committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 10 March 1870, with amendments. The amended bill was considered on 12 March 1870 and had its third reading in the House of Commons on 14 March 1870 and passed, without amendments.
The bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 15 March 1870. The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 18 March 1870 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met on 22 March 1870 and reported on 24 March 1870, with amendments. The amended bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on 25 March 1870 and passed, without amendments.
The amended bill was considered and agreed to by the House of Commons on 1 April 1870.
The bill was granted royal assent on 4 April 1870.
Section 20 of the act repealed 24 enactments, wholly for those listed in the first part of the second schedule to the act, and in part for those listed in the second part of second schedule to the act.
The whole act was repealed on 1 September 1971 by section 13 of, and schedule 2 to, the Coinage Act 1971. The act is retained for the Republic of Ireland by section 2 of, and part 4 of schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 2007.