Notes on denominations, fineness and weight of various foreign coins

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/2/32, 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
  - 12 June 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<32r>

|☉ 22 car fine, five pound pieces, {illeg}|d|ouble Guineas, | $\frac{1}{2}$ | Guineas. 44 $\frac{1}{2}$ Guineas = a lwt Troy.|

English ☽ 11 $\frac{1}{10}$ ^oz fine crowns, $\frac{1}{2}$ crowns, shillings, 6 pences, Groats, threepences, two pences, pence. 5^s 2^d = ℥

French |☽| sta: de jure. {illeg} worse ob^wt de facto. Crowns, \half crowns, quarter crowns or Cardecus & $\frac{1}{3}$ of y^e Carcedu. {sic}/ Cardecus, Livers or Franks, Soulz, Deniers. 1 Crown = 3 Livers\2 half crowns equals {sic}/ = 4 Cardecues = {sic} {illeg}|6|0 soulz = 720 Denie{illeg}|r|s, weighs 17 $\frac{1}{2}$ ^{dw^t} {illeg}|Tr|oy {illeg}|=| $\frac{1 Mark French}{8 \frac{1}{2}}$ .

French ☉ sta de jure, worse $\frac{1}{4}$ Legr. de facto. Pistol or Lewis d'Or weight $\frac{1}{4}$ of a Crown or 4^dw{illeg}|t| 9^gr de jure or 4^dwt 8^gr de facto. French crown Double Pistol. $\frac{1}{2}$ Pistol. French crown.

Spanish ☽ sta: \de jure. $\frac{1}{2}$ legr|dwt|. wors de facto./ Royals, Quartiles, Pieces of 8 \or Dollars, {sic}/, Ryalls, Ducats, Marveids, Carna{illeg}|{illeg}|. 1 Royal = 4 Quartiles. 1 Piece of 8 = 8 Ryalls. 1 Duca{illeg}|t| = 11 Ryals \+ 1 Marveid{illeg}/+ Marveid. {sic}\/. 1 Ryal = 5|3|4 Marveids. 1 Marveid = 6 Carnado{illeg}|e|s. {illeg} Exchanges are made upon the Imaginary Ducat of 375 Merv{illeg}|e|des = 11 Ryals + 1 Marveid = The D{illeg}|o|blon of Castile|.| is y^e Ducat of 375 Mer The Castiliano is worth 4{illeg}|8|5 Merveids & the Florin of Castile is worth 26{illeg}|5| Merveids.

Spanish ☉ sta by law, but $\frac{1}{4}$ legr. worse in fact. Pistols of y^e same weight & value w^th y^e Franch. Ducat single & double of Spain. K. Philips crown of Spain. Ducat of Arragon Philip real of Spain. Double Doubloon or 4 Pistoll piece |.|w|eighting 17^dwt 12^gr esteemed| /worth 16 pieces of 8, but in payments pieces of 8 are dearer by six per cent.\

In Ireland there are current these Spanish pieces of money. Cobbs. $\frac{1}{2}$ Cobs. $\frac{1}{4}$ Cobs Ducatooons & $\frac{1}{2}$ Ducaton|n|s. The Cob is the a Piece of 8 & weight 17^{dw^t} The Ducaton weighs 20^{dw^t} 16^gr.

In Portugal the silver monies are Milts or Mil-res, \single & double/ Ducats, Testoons, Tyals \Vintins/ & Res. 1 Milt = 2 $\frac{1}{2}$ Ducats = 10 Testoons = 25 Ryals = 1000 Res 50 Vintins = 1000 Res. 400 Res is an old Crusado or Crown. 500 Res is a new Crusado or Crown. 600 Res is a piece of 8.

The Flemish silver coyns are \three Guilder pieces/ Gilders, Skillings, stivers single & Double Ducatoons, Patatoons, Grosses or Groats & Pence {illeg}|or| Doits, & Dollars
4 Pence or Deniers \or Doits/ = 1 Gross. 2 Grosses = |1| stiver. 2 Stivers = 1 Double stivers. 6 Stivers {illeg} 1 Livre = 20 souls or skillings = 12 × 20 gros 6 × 20 stivers = 12 × 20 {illeg}|G|rosses. 1 Guilder or Floren = 20 Skillings stivers or sous|l||ds| Turnois. They reccon in the low countries by Florens stivers & Deniers in y^e proportion of 1, 20 & 16 × 20 ({Scooten}) or by livers sous & grosses

Their Gold coins are The Flemish Angel, Flemish or Flanders crown, Flemish Noble Flemish Real called the Key. Flanders Albertus. Double Soveraign of Flanders Holland Rider.

The French Gold coyns are the Double Pistol, Pistol & half Pistol \& some q^ter Pistolls all 22^dwt |car.| fine & 2 ca{illeg}|r|. allay/. Their silver coyns the Crown{illeg}, half crowns ,|&| quarter crown or Cardecue & the third part of y^e Cardecue or $\frac{1}{12}$ th of y^e crown \all 11^d|o|z 2^dwt fine & 18^{dw^t} allay. {sic}/. A They keep their recconings in Livers souls & Deniers & coyn a crown for 3 Livers; but by their late Edicts a crown goes for 66, 68 or 70 souls. And whatever a crown goes for a Pistol goes is valued at 3 $\frac{2}{3}$ crown{illeg}|s| \or 14 $\frac{2}{3}$ Cardecues/, times {illeg} its weight of standard Silver \or at 16^s. 3^d $\frac{49}{60}$ /. For a Pistoll is of the same weight with a Cardecu, namely 4^{dw^t} 9^gr. {illeg} standard These are their standard recconings. For usually their gold is $\frac{1}{4}$ legr \worse/ & their silver ob^{w^t} worse {illeg}|&| both {illeg} too light by a grain \or two/ in a p{illeg} piece Abate an halfpenny for y^e coursness & y^e Pistol w^ch here goes for 17^s & 6^d |will| {sic} |is| worth \(according to y^e pro{illeg}|p|o{illeg}|rtion|{illeg} of ☉ to ☽ in Fr.)/ but 16^s. 3 $\frac{1}{3}$ ^d \of o^r money/, so that we give {illeg}|14^d $\frac{2}{3}$ | too much for each Pistoll. And a Guinea will {illeg}|be| {illeg}|worth| {illeg}|20|^s. 5^d $\frac{213}{1000}$ .

<32v>

The Gold at Cadiz (p|&| perhaps in all Spain) is heavier then in Italy, the Pistol is heavier by two grains, the Dobleon or two-pistol-piece by 4 grains & the double Dobleon (or four Pistol piece) {illeg}|b|y 6 (or perhaps 8) grains. The {illeg} Spanish double Dobleon weigh is of the same weight with a piece of eight viz^t 17^{dw^t} 12^gr & in Spain is accounted\accounted/ worth 16 Pistols by {w}{illeg} but by reason of the great scarcity of silver monies in Spain the Spaniards make all their payments in gold & will not part with their silver without an advance of 6 per cent: so that standard Gold in Spain is \really/ worth $\frac{16 × 100}{106}$ \= 15 $\frac{5}{53}$ / times i{illeg}|t|s weight of standard silver. By w^ch proportion a Guinea is worth 21^s. 0^d_∟36379, & a Pistol is worth 17^s. 0^d,717. supposing it in weight 4^dwt 9^gr. Abate $\frac{1}{2}$ ^d for y^e courseness of Pistolls & 4^d & 6 or 7^gr) & a Pistol will be worth {illeg}|16|^s. 8^d $\frac{1}{5}$ .