275)

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/1/276, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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  - 1 January 2001
    - Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young
  - 29 September 2011
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  - 25 January 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<276r>

May it please yo^r Lord^ps

Meeting with\Finding/ reason to suspect that the \present indented/ trial piece of Gold made last summer was three years, {by} is|ar||e| too fine I have {illeg} nicely examined the|m| matter\that in my {keep}/ & find by many assays that |t|it|it||y| is\are/ finer then the former trial pieces made in y^e reign of king year 1688 by about a quarter of a grain \tho that the last trial piece be \also/ something too fine by the assay/. Which \differences/ being a difference of great consequence, I have further endeavoured to find out the reason thereof for preventing\that/ the like accidents for the fu{illeg} future in making new trial pieces when e{illeg}|v|er it shall be thought fit to have new ones made. And |I| find\in making new trial pieces hereafter may be {prevented} avoided. And I have by the assay I am satisfied/ that there are different {illeg}\various degrees/ of fine gold, {illeg}|so|me \fine gold/ being 24 carats fine by the assay, some a quarter of a grain fi coarser or finer or above, & that gold may be refined so high at|s| to be almost half a grain finer then 24 carats by the assay. And accordingly as \the fine/ gold is refined more or less of w^ch the standard {illeg} \pieces are/ made is finer or coarser the standard pieces will be finer or c{illeg}|o|arsed|r| in proportion. {a}|A|nd from {all} this matter of fact\|[|And thence/ arise these considerations. Whether there should not be {illeg}|o|ne commo{illeg}|n| standard for all the market the money the markets pla{illeg}|t|e & the market\Merchants gold/ in all great b|B|ritain, & whether this standard should not be setled by the assay & preserved in the Exchequer for a rule to Iuries in making trial pieces for the future? And whether new trial pieces should not be made {illeg}|a|ccording to this rule? And the like for silver?

All w^ch &c

By which means the standard of gold is rendred very uncertain notwithstanding the fidelity of a jury Iuries. |And what I have said of gold may be applied to silver.|

I humbly off{illeg}|er| therefore to your Lordships consideration that\whether/ there should not be one common standard & of gold & one of silver for the money place & \merchantable/ Ingots of Merchants in all great Britain, setled by the as{illeg}|a|ay.|;| & whether the standard once setled should not be preserved in the Exchequer for a rule to Iuries in making trial pieces for the future. And whether new Trial pe|i|eces should not be \now/ made this year according to this standard without varying.