Draft of MINT00662 (Mint 19/2/448)

<446r>

To the R^t Hon^ble the Lords Comm^rs of his Ma^ties Treasury.

May it please yo^r Lord^ps

In obedience to yo^r Lord^ps Order of Reference of \of 15 Apr. 1719/ upon the Memorial of M^r Appleby & M^r Hines, I have considered the same & humbly represent that fine copper will not run close into Barrs like gold silver & coarse copper, but requires to be either battered or rolled thin by a Mill; & the cheapest way is to roll it. But a horse-mill being too weak & too chargeable for this purpose, I advised the said M^r Appleby & M^r Hines to procure a water mill{,}|.| {illeg}|A|nd to encourage them to do it, I proposed promised them to give them no disturbance my self so long as they kept to their covenants in the copper which they brought to me. But at the same time I told them that I could engage nothing for my superiors. Hereupon they took a water Mill neare Maidenhead \bridge/ three or four miles above Windsor at the rent of 5{illeg}|2|^li per an for three\two/ years \& an half (of w^ch one years certain)/ from midsummer last, besides a fine of 20 Guineas & 7|6|5^li paid for tools left there by M^r Eyres \as I understand by the writings/. They took also another little place neare it for a warehouse & lodging room & for building a refining furnace at 12^li per an: & the furnace cost them almost 40^li as they inform me, besides the charge of beds & furniture for servants & of new Rolls & iron moulds & boxes for the copper & other utensils amounting to above 70^li \& besides brillets & charcoal to y^e value of about 50^li upon their {lands} an hundred load of wood & four load of charcoal bought for this service./ And during the intermission of the coinage they pay 39^s per week retaining wages to a Clerk {illeg}|&| Refiner & two other servants.

When a stop was put to the coinage I informed your Lord^ps that 25^li Tons of copper money were then coined & delivered, {illeg}|b|esides what was then ready to be delivered of w^ch I did n{illeg}|o|t then know the quantity: but it \was just delivered &/ amounted unto 26 C weight. And as much copper was brought into the Mint that day as made 26 C more: {illeg}so that there hath been coined 27 Tunns & 12 C weight. There was also at that time 25 C more brought down the River ready to be imported\delivered/, & 45 C more \was/ at the Mill in pickle, & 35 C rolled but not cleaned, & 43$\frac{3}{4}$ C more rolled hot but not cold. And in Scissel Brocage & Cakes 128 C, 2^{s}|Q|. Besides 30 T{illeg}|o|ns contracted for under hand & seale. \By the Bills of parcels several of w^ch I have seen &c/ The Rolls \at first/ were hitherto rought & made the copper rough, w^ch occasioned grerat complaints in the Mint \till within a fortnight before the coinage was stopt, but the Rolls are now smoth {sic}/: but the Importers now assure me that they have procured smooth rolls. |& the last parcel of copper {illeg}|im|ported was well clea{illeg}|n|ed.|

|By the Bills of parcells &c|

Vpon the whole, it seems to me that considering the charges that the Importers have been at, \&/ the \quantity of/ copper upon their hands some of w^ch is prepared, & the demand of copper money by the people: it seems to me that the coinage be no longer discontinued; \&/ that the 25 C of copper Bars be forthwith imported brought down the river to be imported when the coinage was stopt & the 45 C then in pickle {illeg}|&| now pickled be forthwith imported, pr{illeg}|o|vided the copper beare the assays prescribed; & that the 35 C rolled but not yet cleaned be \rolled once more with smooth rollers & then/ cleaned & also imported. And in the|n| men {illeg} M^r Richardson & M^r Briggs may\if any other Proposall shall/ \be/ de{illeg}|l|ive{illeg}|r|d in to yo^r Lord^ps their Proposals for ocinign copper money by such an essay {sic} as they|\Proposers/| will a{illeg}|b|ide d|b|y And \{their}/ their Proposals may be compared {illeg} with what M^r Hines|Appl|eby & M^r Hines will undertake for the future.