Holograph memorandum on French currency changes [of May 1709]

<149r>

The French money new species is of the same allay with the French money old species both gold & silver, there being 11 ounces fine in both & one ounce of allay.

The Mark of standard gold cut into 36$\frac{1}{4}$ Lewidors old species & is cut into 30 Lewidors new species.

The mark of Standard silver was cut into 8$\frac{11}{12}$ silver Lewises or Crowns & is not cut into eight.

Thirty French Crowns new sepcies fresh out of the Mint weigh 14120 grains Troy which is 470$\frac{2}{3}$ grains to a piece, which if standard is worth 5^s 0^d$\frac{3}{4}$. Deduct the trebuchant amounting to about 5^gr in the piece & there remains the French ounce 466^gr.

Four new Lewidors new species fresh out of the Mint weigh 502$\frac{1}{2}$ grains, & therefore a new Lewidor new species weighs 125$\frac{5}{8}$^gr. Anonother double Lewidor weighed 252^gr but was too heavy others single Lewidors weighed about 125^gr. At a medium they weigh 125$\frac{5}{8}$. For as 30 to 36$\frac{1}{4}$ so its the old Lewid'or 4^dwt 8^gr to 125$\frac{2}{3}$ grains. Thirty of these pieces amount to 3770. Deduct the trebuchant 42^gr & the eighth part of the remainder 466^gr is the French ounce. By a French Mark weight an Ounce should weigh 472 grains

In the fabrique of the new species fine gold is to fine silver & standard gold to standard silver of equal weight as 15 to 1. For 8 crown piece is 40 livres & in weight make a Mark &m 30 Lewis d'ors is 600 livres & in weight make a Mark. A Mark is 3728^gr besides the trebuchant.

The Mark of gold is divided into 24 karats the Carat into 8 deniers the deniers into 24 grains. The Mark of Silver is divided into 12 deniers the denier into 24 grains the grain into 24 primes. These two sorts of weights serve only to determin the fineness or quality of the gold or silver.

The Mark in respect to its real weight is divided into eight Ounces, the ounce into eight gross, the gross into three deniers the denier into 24 grains the grain into 24 primes. So the Mark is equal to 8 ounces = 64 gross = 4608 grains = 110592 primes.

La Loy, ou la title de bonte is the fineness of the gold or silver

Les deniers de taille is the number of pieces they coin in a Marck.

La Misse is the current price or extrinsic value from which the King has the greatest profit.

Le droit de seigniorage is the kings duty for coinage.

Le droit de Brassage is an allowance given by the king to the Masters of the Mints

Le remede de Loy is the Masters Remedy in fineness

Le remede de Poids is the Masters Remedy in Weight.

Le Tebutian is the over-weight allowed by the king to make the pieces continue of full weight after some wearing

£100 gross Argent de Change one Antwerp can be negotiated so as to produce at Antwerp £1010 Livers of French current money to £1020 And the Bills have produced 10 or 20 Livres more in one hundred pound gross then the specie would have done had it been of any kind but old Lewis D'ors which are not to be got in such quantities

The remedy in weight of the new species of Gold is 12 grains per Mark & in fineness $\frac{10}{32}$ of a carat instead of $\frac{1}{4}$ of a Karat. And the remedy of the new species of silver <149v> is 36 grains in weight & three grains in fineness instead of two grains.

In Alsace the Lewidor new species passes for 21 livres 10 sols & the silver Ecu for five livres eight sols.

The Mark of fine gold (or Gold 24 carats fine) is received into the Mints of France at 494 livres 6 sols 4 deniers 4 onziemes, & the Mark of fine silver at 32 livres 11 sols 8 deniers 8 onziemes. The gold by coinage produces 654^liv. 19^sol 1$\frac{1}{12}$ deniers & the silver 43^livres 12^sous 8^deniers 8^onziemes