SOLUTION TO PRIZE CROSSWORD No 15,884:

ACROSS: 1 Hard currency. 8 Arsenal. 9 Perturb. 11 Freemasons. 12 Pill. 14 Amnesiac. 16 Pennon. 17 Pod. 19 Copper. 21 Graphite. 24 Slab. 25 Sesame seed. 27 Open-air. 28 Frigate. 29 Guiding light. DOWN: 1 Has-been. 2 Ringmaster. 3 Cold snap. 4 Repent. 5 Euro. 6 Caution. 7 San Francisco. 10 Balanced diet. 13 Perplexing. 15 Cog. 18 Dreadful. 20 Plateau. 22 Inexact. 23 Neuron. 26 Bard.