"Report of the Officers of the Mint upon the Inventory of Tools for the Mint in Scotland"

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: T 1/101.91, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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Related Texts
- This document is a reply to:
  Letter from Joseph Taylour to Mint, dated 3 April 1707 [Mint 1/8/137]
  Follow ups to this document:
  The articles ordered for the Edinburgh Mint have been embarked, all except the weights and seals, as authorisation to mark the weights has not yet been given: request for such authorisation [MINT 19/3/97]

<343r>

To the Right Honourable the Lord High Treasurer of England.

May it please your Lordship

In obedience to your Lordship Order of the 3^d instant we have considered the annexed Inventory therewith sent us of Tools & other necessaries proposed to be provided in London for the use of her Majesties Mint in Scotland, & have here set down the prizes of such of them as seem to us proper & necessary to be furnished for the said Mint, supposing they are not already in that Mint & cannot be had cheaper from other places then from London.

For the Office of Receipt.		li	s
One Pyle of standard weights		2.	10	}
One set of Bell-weights for gold		2.	99
One set of Bell-weights for silver		4.	10
Two sets of penny weights, coyn-weights & grains		0.	09		li	s	d
One paid of gold-scales for weighing 15^{lw^t} of gold which we call a journey of gold	}	4.	00		35.	09.	00
If a pair of scales be wanting for weighing 60^lwt of silver, which we call a journey of silver, they will cost	}	10.	00
Two books of Vellum, suppose of 80 leaves each, at 18^d a skin or leaf will cost 12^li. They are not absolutely necessary. We use books of thick derny paper	}	12.	00

For the Assay Office
A pair of Assay-ballances with a Lanthorn		5.	00.	00	}
Assay-weights		2.	00.	00
Two Copell molds			10.	00
Two pair of iron molds or Calms to cast two sorts of Assay bullets	}		10.	00		16.	08.	08
Five dozen Mufflers at 18^d a Muffler		4.	10.	00
Fine bone ashes one bushel			12.	00
Charcoal an hunddred bushels at 8^d a bushel	3.	06.	08

For the Melter.
Brass patterns for making molds to cast the barrs of gold & silver at 18^d per pound weight, viz^t 6 Guinea barrs, 3 half Guinea barrs, 2 Crown barrs, 4 half crown barrs, 9 shilling bars & 2 sixpenny barrs	}	2.	06	}
A sweep mill		2.	00
Fifty pounds of Quicksilver at 5^s a pound		12.	10		26.	19.	00
Thirty bushels of bone-ashes for tests at 4^s a bushel		6.	00
Half a dozen of frail brushes for cleaning the barrs of gold & silver.		0.	03

For the Moneyers.
Two dozen of sizing scales with stands & counterpoizes, at 11^s a piece		13.	04	}
Twenty four dozen of sizing flots (if by this name they mean Rasps for sizing the blanks) at 1^s per pound weight	}	40.	00
Five hundred weight of Alume at 18 or 20^s per hundred		05.	00		62.	06.	00
<343v>
					62.	06.	00
Two hundred weight of red wine-stone or Tartar		3.	00
One dozen of soft brushes		0.	06
One dozen of small scratch brushes for cleaning the Dyes, ten for the Moneyers & two for the Graver		}	0.		16

For the Graver Engineer & Smith.
Blistered steel 50^{lw^t} at 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ ^d per pound weight		10.	10	}
A table Vice & Files of several sorts, viz^t Rubbers at 1^s a pound weight, smooth Files & bastard smooth files at 3^s a file & other files at 18^d a file	}	16.	00		28.	10.	00.
Two Oyle-stones 20^s. Two Grind-stones 20^s		2.	00
		Total		169.	12.	08

Cast Rollers are not to be bought. The man who makes them keeps the secret to himself & only lends the Rollers to the moneyers at 10^s a day. Hammered Rollers cost 6^li a pair, but are not so serviceable. What is meant by a sizing Mill we are not certain. If it be the Mill for drawing the barrs of gold & silver to a just thickness, such a Mill with three hammered Rollers in the late recoinage cost 177 pounds. The Moneyers have some of those Mills remaining in their hands which they can afford cheaper. German steel is scarce to be met with in shops fit for their use. Our Smith sends into Germany for it. It costs from 8^d to 12^d or 14^d per pound weight according to the goodness & scarcity. Its chief use is for making the Dyes & Puncheons, & we conceive it best to have the money of both nations made from the same puncheons. For the variety of impressions makes it more difficult to know good money & more easy to adulterate it. What is meant in the Inventory by large scratches half wier, we do not understand. Besides the things above mentioned there should be two indented Trial pieces of crown gold & two of standard silver one for making the money of due allay the other for examining it before delivery. They will cost the value of the gold & silver conteined in them, & are to be made by a Iury of Goldsmiths with four other Trial pieces for England, as we mentioned in our late Report of the 24^th March last.

All which is most humbly submitted to your

Lordships great Wisdome.

^[1]

I Stanley

Is. Newton

In Ellis

<344v>

Report of the Officers of the Mint upon the Inventory of Tools for the Mint in Scotland.

read 12^th apr: 1707. {vide} the Minute-Book

M^d. The officers have taken out the Scotch Inventor in advance to speak with Sir D. Nairn upon some expressions therein

Report
{offered} {by the} Mint
I

^[1] Mint Office. Apr. 12
1707