Holograph draft memorandum giving a detailed list of measures to be taken to supervise the reminting in Spain, assess the quality of the resulting coin and organise finances

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/2/190, 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
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  - 24 August 2016
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  - 23 September 2016
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Related Texts
- This document is a reply to:
  Copy of letter concerning adjustments to two Ryall pieces [T 27/20.22]

<190r>

If the Paymaster of her Maj^ts forces in Spain have received several summs of Peru Mexico & Peru Dollars for paying those forces & have carried them to the Mints of K. Charles to be coined into two-ryal pieces: the Commissioners are to enquire what number of Dollars every Paymaster received, what was the weight of them before melting, what was the weight of the Ingots produced by melting, then what silver was got out of the sweep, whether the weight of this silver & the Ingots equalled the weight of the Dollars wanting only the 300^th part of the whole weight, what number \& weight/ of two ryal pieces were|as| coined out of this weight of Ingots & silver extracted f|including the seigniorage| whether the|i||s| weight of the two ryal pieces equal\exceed/ the weight of the Ingots & silver got out of the sweep by the weight of the allay put to the Ingots, {th} & silver that is by about the hundredth part of the \whole/ weight, what number of two ryal pieces were deteined fo whether the number of \the said/ two ryal pieces {g}{illeg}be to the number of Dollars or such proportion as\such as ought to be coined out of that weight, that is/ the number of two ryal pieces in 20 spanish ounces|about 109 pieces out of every twenty ounces, or about 109 $\frac{3}{4}$ pieces out| of every 21 Dollars. Also how many pieces have been deteined for seigniorage & {illeg} & for melting the silverDollars into Ingots & how many the Paymaster has received out of the Mint for the Queens service & whether the number received out {illeg} be in such proportion to the number of ounces coined, or to the number of Dollars melted down, {illeg} to be coined, as by the rules above described it ought to be. And [ {sic}whether the number of \Dollars &/ two ryal pieces w^ch the Paymasters have charged themselves w^th in their Accounts be the same w^th the number number of Dollars received by the Melter for the melting pot & \of two ryal pieces/ delivered from the Mint according to the Melter & the Mint. Or what proof\evidence/ have the Paymasters \by Receipt or otherwise/\‡ < insertion from the bottom right > ‡by the books of Melter & of the Mint by Receips or Certificates or living witnesses < text from f 190r resumes > / that they have <190v> caused {all}\the full number of//all\ the Dollars received by them from the merchan{t} to be melted & coined & that they have charged themselves \in their acco{un}ts/ with all the two ryall pieces w^ch they \have/ received from the Mint.

If any dispute should arise in Spain about the coarseness of the two Ryall pieces\ w^ch cannot be decided without {illeg}an assay/, the best way to {illeg}{o} decide the Question by y^e assay is this. Let a pound weight of or half a pound weight of y^e two Ryall pieces be melte{d} into {an} a lump, & let the same weight of Mexico Dollars with a {fur} & pil{lar} Dollars be also melted in a lump. Let assays be cut off from these two lumps by a skilful Assayer & weighed for the fire by the assay weights for the fir{e} Let them also be weighed against one another in y^e assay-scales to see th{at} they be exactly of a\the same/ weight before they be wrapt up in lead. Then And when y^e lead is blown off {illeg}\from/ the last let the fire abate gently of it self ti{ll} the silver is ready to congeal\least the silver by cooling too suddenly spring into the fire./. Then like {the} And when the assay drops are taken out of the fire let them be weighed in the Assay scales against one another &{c} exactly to find the difference of their weight|And let one or two of the Comm^rs (or persons appointed by them) see all this done.|. Then say, As the weight of the assay drop of the two Ryal pieces is to the difference so is the {sic}weight of the Ingots coined to the weight of the all other assay drop so is the weight of the silver fine silver in a pound weight of Dollars\two Ryal pieces/ to the weig{ht} of the fine silver in a pound weight of y^e Dollars & so is the {illeg} pound weight of the weight of all the silver Ingots of silver coined\unto two Ryall {pieces}/, to the weight of all the tw{o} Ryal pieces w^ch ought to be coined\produced/ out of those Ingots by coinage. And wh{en} they have the whole weight & the number of two Ryal pieces in 20 pound weig{ht} they will thence know the number of two Ryal pieces in the whole weight by the Rule of three. And when they have learnt at the Mint what propo{rtion} is {deteined}\to be/ taken for seigniorage, or what the Imp they will know what number {t}{he} Paymaster ought to receive out of the Mint.