Two holograph drafts, written as from the Goldsmiths' Company and bullion suppliers, complaining of the excessive fineness of the 1707 trial plate

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/1/278, 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
  - 26 January 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<278r>

To the most Honourable the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain

The Petition of several Merchants & Goldsmiths underwritten in behalf {of} themselves & other importers of Bullion into her Majestys Mint, most humbly sheweth

May it please your Lordship

The trial piece of Gold made in the year 1707 being at the last trial of the Pix found too fine by the Assay, We whose names are underwritten being apprehensive that the moneys of Gold in conformity to the said Trial piece may be coined too fine to the detriment of the Merchant most humbly pray your Lordship that if at the present trial of the Pix the trial piece of either Gold or Silver by which the money shall be now tried doth not answer to the assay, the difference may be allowed in coining & trying the moneys by the same trial piece for the future, or else that a new Trial piece may be made agreeable to the assay to the end that the coinage may agree as well with the assay as with the Trial piece

To the most Honourable the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord High Treasurer of great Britain

The Petition of the Merchants & Goldsmiths underwritten in behalf of themselves & other Importers of Bullion into her Majestys Mint, most humbly sheweth.

That The Trial-piece of Gold made in the year 1707 being at the last trial of the Pix found too fine by the Assay, & that your Petitioners being apprehensive that the moneys of Gold in conformity to the said Trial piece may have been coined too fine to the detriment of the Merchant, Your Petitioners most humbly pray your Lordship that if at the present trial of the Pix the trial piece of Gold by which the Gold moneys shall be now tried doth not answer to the assay, the difference may be stated & allowed for in coining the moneys by the same Trial piece for the future: or else that a new Trial piece may be made agreeable to the assay, to the end that the coinage of Gold may agree as well with the assay as with the Trial piece, the Assay being the rule by which gold & silver is valued amongst Merchants & Importers of Bullion.

And your Petitioners shall ever pray &c.

Thence also it might happen that at the making of the two last setts of Trial-pieces the Assayer might not report the fine gold so fine as it really was.

At the East Trial of the Pix the gold money was standard full by the Assay & the Trial piece a quarter of a grain better then the moneys & yet the Iury in their Veredict represented the money a quarter of a grain worse the standard & the Trial piece standard This Trial piece was made without the Queens order A.C. 1707, & by my assays very carefully made it is five twelfts of a grain better then standard, that of 1688 is a sixt part of a grain better then standard & that of 1660 is standard.

<278v>

T. Buckingham. Chester. Lestwithiel. Bossiney. Beralstone. Gloucestershire. London. Great Yarmouth. Higham Ferrars & Banbury. Dunwich. Orford. Eye. Horsham. Lewis. Heytesbury. Ludgershall. Malton. Alborough. Rye. Winchelsea.

Alborough. Beralstone. Bossiney. Buckingham. Banbury. Chester. Dunwich. Eye. Glocestersh. High Ferrars Heytesbury. Horsham. London. Ludgeshal. Lestwithiel. Lewis. Malton. Orford. Rye. Winchelsea. Great Yarmouth.