Holograph memorandum on coining from copper bars

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/2/351, 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
  - 13 March 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<351r>

That Copper money be made of {illeg}|s|uch fine copper as will hammer w^thout cracking when red hot & is worth about 11 $\frac{1}{2}$ p^r lw^t.

That such Copper be reduced into barrs at the battering Mills or drawing mills. And that the barrs being of a convenient\due/ length breadth & thickness be received by the Master & Worker of the Mint by weight & assay upon his note \& a po{illeg}|u|nd weight be cut into pence. {sic}/. And that the Mast^r upon delivering back to y^e Importer the same quantity\weight/ of Copper by weight & assay in the form of Scissel or Money \the money being firest ass{illeg}|a|yed/ & taking back his Note, be discharged o{illeg}|f| his receipt without {illeg}|f|urther accounting for the same, as in the coinage of Gold & Silver.

That {illeg}|a|ll the {b}|m|oney before delivery be assayed by in the following mann{illeg}|e|r. Let a Tunn be thrown upon a floor & mixed well together with a shove{illeg}|l|, {illeg}|&| from the four sides thereof let so much copper money be counted \by the Assay master/ as should make a pound weight averdup{illeg}|oi|s, & if the same in all the four assays makes a pound weight without erring above two {dragms} in any one of the four assays, then the mone & one piece taken \by chance/ out of each assay endures the triall by the hammer, then the money to be deliverable otherwise not. And let the weight of the four assays be entred in a book, & the tale of the mass \whole Tunn/ be recconed equal to the tale of y^e summ of y^e four assays in proportion to the weight. And if it be thought fit, a piece \or two/ may be taken out of every Tunn & put into a Bo{illeg}|x| to be tried by the Assay{illeg}|m|^r before such persons as shall be appointed to see the Triall. |And where any error occurrs in the weight Tale| /the Moneyers may endeavour to correct it in coyning the next parcel.\

That the Importer upon receiving copper money from the M^r do pay to the Master a seigniorage of per lw^t for bearing all the charges of coynage & coyning tools & incidents. And that the Master & W^r account annually for the same.

The Copper Workers at the Copp for \their/ Copper |&| workmanship at the battering Mills, & \for/ putting off the Copper money demand 17^d per lw^t,|.| The coynage will cost 3 $\frac{1}{2}$ ^d per lw^t. And \if/ an half penny more be allowed for repairing the buildings & {illeg} other charges a pound weight will be cut into one & twenty pence \& the seigniorage will be 4^d per lw^t/. But if the barrs be made by Rolling mills the|y| whole will be done a penny per lw^t cheaper the c{illeg} b{illeg}|a|rrs will be made a penny \p^r lw^t/ cheaper & a pound weight may be cut into 20^d.