Holograph notes on French coinage

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/2/151, 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
  - 10 May 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<151r>

1 Marc = 8 ounces = 64 Gros = 192 Deniers = 160 Esterlings = 320 Mailles = 640 Felins Grains = 7 $\frac{7}{8}$ ounces Troy – 2^gr.

1 Ounce = 8 Gross = 24 Deniers = 20 Esterlings = 40 Mailles = 80 Felins = 576 Grains. 1 Denier = 24 grains.

A Double Lewidors new out the Mint one with about weigh 8^dwt 16^gr, & by the assay the french Gold money is found sometimes $\frac{3}{4}$ ^legr oftener $\frac{1}{4}$ ^legr most commonly $\frac{1}{2}$ ^legr worse never standard. It may be recconed $\frac{7}{16}$ ^legr or in a round number $\frac{1}{2}$ legr worse then standard Before the coynage of Pistoles which began in Feb 170 $\frac{0}{1}$ those current in our markets weighed one with another 4^{dw^t} 7 $\frac{1}{8}$ ^gr: but the heavy ones being melted down they do not now weigh one with another above 7^{dw^t} 6^gr or 7^dwt 6 $\frac{1}{2}$ ^gr. They are equally assaid & sized & the double Pistoles are generally heavier in proportion then the single ones being less worn.

Silver Lewises new out of the Mint weigh one with another 17^{dw^t} 13^gr or 13 $\frac{1}{4}$ ^gr but in every six or seven years wearing lose a grain, more or less. They are less equally allayed & sized then the gold. The assays of ten pieces were as follows. 1^st Coyned 1651 wors 4^{w^t} ob. 2^d coynd 1679 better 1^{w^t} ob. 3^d coynd 1680 standard. 4^th coynd 1682 better 4^{w^t}. 5^t coynd 1687 standard. 6 coynd 1690 restamp 1694 wors 1^{w^t}. 7^th 8^th 9^th & 10^th standard better 1^{dw^t}. worse viij^{dw^t}. One with another worse $\frac{7}{10}$ ^dwt. These & two others weighed one with another 17^dwt 6^g, the eight heaviest of them 17^dwt 12 the two heaviest 17^dwt 13 $\frac{1}{4}$ ^gr, the two lighted 17^dwt 3 $\frac{1}{2}$ ^gr being lightned by wearing

The French standard is 11 ounces fine & one ounce of allay both for gold & silver They cut a Mark into 36 $\frac{1}{4}$ Pistoles & 8 $\frac{11}{12}$ silver Lewisesallowing for the remedy. The whole remedy for gold is two Felins (or about 11 $\frac{4}{5}$ grains English) per Marc & for silver three times as much. And of this they abate about 7^gr per Marc of gold & 21^gr per Mark of silver in the weight of the money so that the French Marc is (36 $\frac{1}{4}$ Pistoles + 7^gr = 8 $\frac{11}{12}$ white Lewises + 21^gr =) 7 ounces 17^dwt 9^gr Troy quam proxime. And therefore the ounce French is to the ounce Troy of the Exchequer & Tower as 60 to 61.

The remedy of Allay is