Mint - Causeway Bay [1866-1868]

Submitted by annelisec on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 10:41
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
Date closed / demolished

“The Mint and its Garden, Hong Kong,” 1860's, unknown artist

Hong Kong Museum of Art [cwHK_1860s_AH8813]

http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/rise_fall_canton_03/cw_essay04.h…

The building is facing toward the harbour with Causeway Bay in the center of the picture.

When the Mint lost money and was closed, the equipment was sold to the Japanese Government..

Later place(s) at this location
Smith, Wahee & Co. sugar refinery / China Sugar Refinery [1870-1928]

Photos that show this Place

East Point c.1860
1860s
Hong Kong Mint, Front Elevation
1860s
Hong Kong Mint Ground Floor Plan
1860s
See more photos of this place

Comments

Hi there,

I googled around using "The Mint & Gardens +Jardine" and I was able to find something.

You might like to take a look at page 4 of this document.  If that was the case it would be somewhere around present day Sugar Street/Paterson Street.

Best Regards,

T

Hi there,

While browsing through Eternal1966's collection at Flickr I found this photo, which appeared to be either the Mint itself, or the Sugar refinery, with Kellett Island at end of the photo.

Best Regards,

T

From the nice people at the Water Supplies Department:

We don't have an official address for the two pre-war waterworks constructions - Mint Dam and Blue Pool Dam - that could have existed in 1874. Based on our record, Mint Dam used to be located at Tai Hang right inside the current school campus of True Light Middle School of Hong Kong (50 Tai Hang Road,  Hong Kong). Blue Pool Dam is believed to be located at Wong Nai Chung reservoir but this tentative location is yet to be verified.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Best Regards,
Spring YAU
Public Relations Officer
Water Supplies Department

Drawings of the Mint building from the UK National Archive

Hong Kong Mint, Front Elevation
Hong Kong Mint, Front Elevation, by UK National Archive
Hong Kong Mint Ground Floor Plan
Hong Kong Mint Ground Floor Plan, by UK National Archive

 

For reference. Whilst reviewing dates of notable events in Hong Kong's history,  the Hong Kong Daily Press gives the opening of the Mint as 7 April 1866. The date is confirmed upon checking with Eitel's "Europe in China".

Thanks for that and the confirmatory evidence. 

Update - Looked into the error in the Chronicle and Directory for China etc. which is published by the Hong Kong Daily Press. The 1876 copy gives the correct date in May whilst the 1885 version and those thereafter provided the incorrect April date. Eitel's "Europe in China" was first published in 1895.