Further Market Purchases

Johnson,Matthey PLC
21 June 2001



Not for release, distribution or publication in whole or in part 
in or into the USA, Canada, Australia or Japan
                               
For immediate release                             21 June 2001


                 Johnson Matthey plc ('Johnson Matthey')
             Recommended cash offer for Meconic plc ('Meconic')               
                

                          Further market purchases

Further  to the announcements earlier today of the recommended
cash  offer  for Meconic (the 'Offer') and the level of market
purchases,  Johnson Matthey  has now  acquired   in  aggregate
13,846,682  Meconic  ordinary shares, representing  38.1%   of
Meconic's current issued share capital, at 405 pence per share
in the market.

Accordingly,  the Offer will be amended so as to  comply  with
the  provisions  of Rule 9 of The City Code on  Takeovers  and
Mergers.

The   Offer   will   now  only  be  conditional  upon  Johnson
Matthey   receiving   acceptances   which,    together    with
Meconic   shares acquired  or agreed to be acquired before  or
during  the  Offer period, will result in Johnson Matthey  and
any  person acting in concert with it holding shares  carrying
more than 50 per  cent. of the voting rights of Meconic.

Schroder  Salomon  Smith  Barney  is  satisfied  that  Johnson
Matthey    has  sufficient  cash  resources  to  satisfy  full
acceptance of the Offer.

Enquiries

Johnson Matthey plc
John Sheldrick                                        020 7269 8403
David Morgan                                          020 7269 8454


Schroder Salomon Smith                                020 7986 4000
(financial adviser to Johnson Matthey)
James Steel
Jan Skarbek

Credit Suisse First Boston de Zoete & Bevan Limited   020 7888 8888
(brokers to Johnson Matthey)
Chris Chambers
Chris Sim

Salomon   Brothers International Limited (trading as 'Schroder
Salomon  Smith  Barney')  and  Credit Suisse First  Boston  de
Zoete & Bevan Limited  ('CSFB'),which  are  regulated  in  the
United  Kingdom  by  The  Securities  and   Futures  Authority
Limited, are acting exclusively for Johnson Matthey and no one
else  in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible
to  anyone  other  than  Johnson  Matthey  for  providing  the
protections  afforded  to  its  customers   norfor   providing
advice  in relation to the Offer.  Salomon Smith Barney  is  a
service  mark  of  Salomon  Smith Barney Inc.  Schroder  is  a
trademark  of  Schroders  Holdings  plc  and  is   used  under
licence  by Salomon  Brothers International Limited.

Salomon    Brothers   International   Limited   (trading    as
Schroder  Salomon  Smith Barney) is regulated  in  the  United
Kingdom   by   the  Securities and Futures Authority  Limited.
Salomon  Smith  Barney is a  service  mark  of  Salomon  Smith
Barney  Inc.   Schroders is a trademark of Schroders  Holdings
PLC and is used under licence.