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27th. February 1712

Whitehall Treasury Chambers

Present

Lord Treasurer Mr Chancellor.

Lord Hallifax Mr Attorney & Mr Sollicitor come in

[1]

The Officers of the Mint Receivers of Customes & Excize and Tellers Clerks are called in.

Mr Peyton produced a Crown & Severall half Crownes diminished by Washing

Mr Attorney & Sollicitor say diminishing is within the law against Treason.

Mr Pauncefoot saies the Tallow chandlers at first brought great quantitys of Counterfeit money.

Mr Ferne says, there is not much bad money comes to his hands

Mr Lilly says he always tells + weighs the money. Much brass was brought at first but not at present, he finds the weight wanting to be 2 or 3 ounces in a bag.

They all say they cull the money they suspect.

Mr Attorney saies by old laws in force the money in the Exchequer is to be taken by weight.

Mr Peyton says half the silver brought to the Mint to be coyned is new bullion & they suspect it to be mony melted.

The Officers of the Mint say they have mett with new money clipt and edged againe

Sir Isaac Newton saies 6d bags are too light about 14 or 15 ounces the 1s bags about 7 ounces + 12 the Crownes & 12 Crownes about 4 ounces in every 100 100liby wearing + unlawfull diminishing together.

My Lord ordrs that the reasonable wearing only of the 6d 1s & Crowns or half Crownes separately be adjusted + a Medium taken from thence for the ordinary wear of a bag in which those pieces are promiscuously putt.

The Officers of the Mint are to consider how to prevent the Counterfeiting of the Copper half pence & farthings.

[1] about bad money

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Professor Rob Iliffe
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Scott Mandelbrote,
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Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL - newtonproject@history.ox.ac.uk

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