274)

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/1/242, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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- Revision History
  - 1 January 2001
    - Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young
  - 29 September 2011
    - Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins
  - 23 January 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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Related Texts
- This document is a version of:
  Holograph queries about standards of trial plates [MINT 19/1/274]

<242r>

The fineness of gold & silver is generally estimated by the assay \& bought & sold by this estimate/, & gold \Gold &/ silver is bought & sold in silver 24 carats \fine/ & silver {illeg}|12| ounces fine is reputed fine gold \by Assaymasters/ fully fine. And Trial pieces by law are to be {illeg}|2|2 car{illeg}|a|ts fine |Gold| & {illeg}|two| carats ally of ally|a|y & 11 ounces 2^dwt {illeg}|of fine silver,| & 18^dwt |of| allay

|Quære {illeg}|2|| Whether may {illeg}\for this end/ her Ma^ty \may/ appoint \appoint/these \and {send}/ trial pieces of fine to be made of {illeg}|such| fine gold & fine silver as proves just 24 carats or 12 ounces\fine/ fine upon the assay, & such fine silver as proves just {illeg}|12| ounc{illeg}|s| fine upon the assay, notwithstanding that gold & silver may be refined {to} by any art by any late\new/ art be refined to an higher degree? Or what is the standard of fine gold & fine silver according to law?

|Quære 3|4|| Whether may \for keeping constantly to a standard/ her Ma^ty \may/ direct that a parcel\{illeg} piece/ of |so| the fine gold & a piece of {illeg} the fine silver be kept of w^ch the \next/ trial pieces are\shall be/ made be kept in the Exchequer for determining \w^th more exactness/ the fineness of the fine gold & fine silver of w^ch the |all| trial pieces shall hereafter be made ? from time to time for for the future.

|Qaære 1.| Whether there should be one common standard \of fine gold & one of fine silver/ in all great Britain for setting a value upon all gold & silver in by|u|ying & selling in coines|in||g| of money & in making of plate & other gold or|&| silver wares.

|Quære 3| Whether a Iury appointed to make Indented standard trial pieces is {bou}\not/ bound to make them of such fine gold & such fine silver as is fine gold & fine silver according to law even without her Maj^ts \special/ directi{illeg}|o|n & notwithstanding that gold {illeg}|o|r silver may be refined by any new art be refined to an higher degree?