Two holograph drafts, written as from the Goldsmiths' Company and bullion suppliers, complaining of the excessive fineness of the 1707 trial plate

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/1/278, 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
  - 26 January 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<278r>

To the R^t \most/ Hon^ble the Earl of Oxford & E. Mortimer L^d H. Trearer of G.B.

The humb Peti{illeg}|ti|on of several Merchants & Goldsmiths \underwritten/ in behalf {|o|t|f|he} themselves & other importers of Bullion into her Maj^ts Mint, most humbly sheweth

May it please yo^r Lord^p

The trial piece of Gold b made in the year 161707 being at y^e last trial of the Pix found too fine by the Assay, We whose names are underwritten \being apprehensive that the moneys of Gold in conformity to the said Trial piece may be coined too/ /fine to the detriment of the Merchant most\ humbly pray yo^r Lord^p that if at the present trial of the Pix any difference shall be found between the trial piece & the assay & the \fineness of the/ trial piece by w^ch the money is tried, the trial piece \of either G. or S./ by w^ch the money shall be \n{illeg}|o|w/ tried do|th| not answer to y^e assay, either the difference may be {illeg} allowed in coining \& trying/ the moneys of gold & silver by y^e same trial piece for the future, or \else/ that a new Trial piece may be made to the end that the moneys may be standards as well by the assay as by the trial piece as to y^e trial\agreeable to stand the assay to the end that the coinage may agree {as} {illeg} the Assay\as with// as well w^th the assay as w^th the Trial piece

To the most Hon^ble the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord H. Tr. of great Britain

May it please yo^r Lord^p

The Petition of the Merchants & Goldsmiths underwritten in behalf of themselves & other Importers of Bullion into her Ma^tys Mint, most humbly sheweth.

|That| The Trial-piece of Gold made in the ye{illeg}|a|r 1707 being at the last trial of the Pix found too fine by the Assay, {illeg}|{w}|it{illeg}|h| whose names |[|are underwritten being Merchants & {illeg}|G|oldsmiths \who/ importing Bullion into her Ma^ts Mint, &|]|\& that yo^r Petitioners/ being apprehensive that the moneys of Gold in conformity to y^e said Trial piece may have been coined too fine to the detriment of the Merchant, \Yo^r Petitioners/ most humbly pray yo^r Lord^p |[|in behalf of o^r selves & other Importers,|]| that if at the present trial of the Pix the trial piece of either Gold by w^ch the Gold moneys shall be |now| tried doth not answer to y^e assay, the difference may be \stated &/ allowed \for/ in coining the moneys by the same Trial piece for the future: or else that a new Trial piece may be made agreeable to y^e assay, to the end that the coinage of Gold may agree as well with the assay as with the Trial piece, the Assay being the rule by w^ch gold & silver is valued amongst Merchants & Importers of Bullion.

And yo^r Petitioners shall ever pray &c.

Thence also it might happen that at the making of the two last setts of Trial-pieces the Assayer might not report the fine gold so fine as it really was.

At the East Trial of the Pix the gold moneys were|as| standard \full by the Assay/ & the Trial piece a quarter of a grain better then standard & \the moneys & yet/ the Iury in their Veredict represented the Trial piece standard & the gold a quarter of a grain worse then standard \the money a quarter of a grain worse the standard & {money} the Trial piece standard/ By \This Trial piece was made 1702 without the Queens order{illeg} A.C. 16|7|07, & by/ my assays {this tr} very carefully made this trial piece |it| is five twelfts of a grain better then standard, that of 1688 is a sixt part of a grain better then standard & that of 1660 is standard.

<278v>

T. Buckingham. Chester. Lestwithiel. Bossiney. Beralstone. Gloucestershire. London. Monmothshire Great Yarmouth. Higham Ferrars & Banbury. {illeg}|Du|nwich. Orford. Eye. Horsham. Lewis. Heytesbury. Ludgershall. Malton. Alborough. Rye. Winchelsea.

Alborough. Beralstone. Bossiney. Buckingham. Banbury. Chester. Dunwich. Eye. Glocestersh. High Ferrars Heytesbury. Horsham. London. Ludgeshal. Lestwithiel. Lewis. Malton. Monmothsh. Orford. Rye. Winchelsea. Great Yarmouth.