Holograph memorandum on French currency changes [of May 1709]

<149r>

The French money new species is of the same allay with the French money old species both gold & silver, there being 11 ounces fine in both & one ounce of allay.

The Mark of standard gold old species was cut into 36$\frac{1}{4}$ Lewid{illeg}|o|rs old species & is cut into 30 Lewidors new species|.| was cut in{illeg}

The mark of Standard silver was cut into 8$\frac{11}{12}$ silver Lewises \or Crowns/ & is not cut into eight.

Thirty French Crowns\Lew Crowns/ new sepcies weigh fresh out of the Mint weigh 14120 grains Troy which is 470$\frac{2}{3}$ grains to a piece, w^ch if standard is 5^s|wo|rth 5^s 0^d$\frac{3}{4}$. Deduct the trebuchant amounting to about {illeg}|5|^gr in the piece {illeg}|&| there remains the French ounce 466^gr.

Four new Lewdors {sic} new species {illeg}|fr|esh out of the Mint weigh 50{illeg}|2$\frac{1}{2}$| gr, & therefore a new Lewidor {illeg}|n|ew species weighs 125$\frac{5}{8}$^gr. Anonother double Lewidor weighed 18{illeg} 252^gr w|b|ut was t{illeg}|o|o heavy others weighed si{illeg}|n|gle Lewidors weighed about 125^gr. At a medium they weigh 125$\frac{5}{8}$. For as the old Lewid 30 to 36$\frac{1}{4}$ so its the old Lewid'or 4^dwt 8^gr to 125$\frac{2}{3}$ gr. Thirty of these pieces amount to 4|3|73|7|0. Deduct the trebuchant 42^gr & the eighth part of the remainded|r| {illeg}|4|66^gr is the French ounce. |By a French Mark weight an Ounce should weigh 472 gr|

In the fabri of the new species fine gold is to fine silver & standard gold to standard silver of equal weight as 15 to one 1. For 8 c{illeg}|ro|wn piece is 40 livres & in weight make a Mark &m 30 Lewis d'ors is {illeg}|6|00 livres & in weight make a Mark|.| that \A Mark/ is 3728^gr besides the trebuchant.

The Mark of gold is divided into 24 karats the Carat into 8 deniers {illeg}|t|he deniers into 24 grains. The Mark of Silver is divided into 12 deniers the denier into 24 grains the grain into 24 primes. These two sorts of weights serve to only to determin the fineness or quality of the gold or silver.

The Mark in respect to its real weight is divided into eight grains Ounces, the ounce into eight gross, the gross into three deniers the denier into 24 grains the grain into 24 primes. So the Mark is equal to 8^{o} ounces = 64 gross = 4608 grains = 110592 primes.

La Loy, ou la title de bonte is the fineness of y^e gold or silver

Les deniers de taille is y^e number of pieces they coin in a Marck.

La Misse is the current price or extrinsic value from w^ch y^e K. has y^e greatest profit.

Le d{illeg}{illeg} droit de seignio{illeg}|r|age is the kings duty for coinage.

Le droit de Brassage is an allowance given by the king to y^e Masters of y^e Mints

Le remede de Loy is the Masters Remedy in fineness

Le remede de Poids is y^e Masters Remedy in Weight.

Le Tebutian{illeg} is the over-weight allowed by the king to make the pieces continue of full weight after some wearing

£{illeg}|1|00 gross Argent de Change one Antwerp can be negotiated so as to produce at Antwerp £1010 Livers of French current money to £1020 And the Bills have produced 10 o{illeg}|r| 20 Livres more in one hundred pound gross then the specie would have done had it been of any kind but old Lewis D'ors w^ch are not to be got in such quantities

The remedy in weight of y^e new species \of Gold/ is 12 grains per Mark{.} |& in fineness $\frac{10}{\mathrm{}}$ $\frac{10}{32}$ of a grain carat instead of $\frac{1}{4}$ of a Karat. And the remedy {illeg}|o|f {illeg}|t|he new species of silver| <149v> |is 36 grains in weight & three grains in fineness instead of two grains.|

In Alsas|c|e the Lewidor new species passes for 21 livres 10 sols & the silver E{illeg}|c|u for five livres eight sols.

The Mark of fine gold (or Gold 24 carats fin{illeg}|e|) is received into the Mints of France at 494 livres 6 sols 4 deniers 4 onziesmes {sic}, & the Mark of fine silver at 32 livres 11 sols 8 deniers 8 onziemes. The gold by coinage produces 654^liv. 19^sol 1$\frac{1}{12}$ deniers & y^e silver 43^livres 12^sous 8^deniers 8^{unzies{mes} {sic}}