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Considerably more discursive holograph draft of MINT00084 (Mint 19/1/90). Followed by a deleted paragraph (also in Newton's hand) relating to the calculus controversy.
The state of the Mint in relation to the Queens Assay
Master.
It has been
Mint never stands still. If the Master dies, the rest of the Officers go on
to coin appointedth
to go on receive new bullion. If the Warden or Comptroller dies the thM rest go on & the place is supplied th
checks
The
The Warden & Comptroller are
Queen & her people & the Master has covenanted thty
him in seeing that the coynage be well performed. And if either of them dies the Master rest th appointed th
speed. And if the Master dies the rest go on to coin & deliver what he has received th
nual to go on receive new bullion untill an indenture can be prepared. th
For it has been a Maxim in e
stands still.
The Queens Assaymaster is no che
are a che
by the Wardens trial piece i nthe presence of the Warden Master & Comptroller
who are to see that his Assays be done thFor he is only a The Warden & Comptroller are present in behalf
manual Operator & ought to be
of the Queen & her people & the Master
manual Operator & t
attend weekly for determining all controversies ch
& the Master about the valuation of the Bullion imported. He is also to assaye
new mony before delivery in the presence of the said officers.
the Queen. Crown.
The
The Master receives the
& is allowed 60l per n it is long since grown into
custome for the Master to trust the Queens Assaymaster. And this seems to have
been done partly by b li is too little to maintain a man responsible
creditable Assayer, & partly for avoiding dispute th
reccon the Assays of the Queens Assayer more satisfactory.
Since the last trial of the
the Merchant & the Master. They all acquiesce in his Assays, & are allowed &
desired to see the Assays as often as they please. But if any Merchant
should complain & demand a
receipt of Bullion must for feat of undue preference must stop till the
assay be performed.
The So then it was d to refer to the
Officers of her tsof the &
the Assaymasters place, & they being Ius
his assays & the approbation of both parties being between whom he is to be an
indifferent person, being included in their Report.
In
M the trial between Mr Oadhams &r Oadham & Mr Brattell
Theirsilve made each of them eight assays of e
of the same piece of silver, two in every four successive fires, two
& their silver assays were nearely equal. Mr Oadham's agreed something better
with one another & Mr Brattles one with another came something nearer to the true
standard of the piece of silver. But in the Gold assays there was no comparison
seven of Mr Brattels Gold assays agreed exactly with one another & the eighth
differed from the other seven but about a quarter of a quarterch
a difference scarce sensible unless to a curious observer. But two of Mr Oadhams
assays differed a quarter of a grain from others & one of them was che
want of skill.
When M r Brattel & Mr Oadham had a comparative Trial.
Report of the Officers.
The Warden & Comptroller are cheques upon the Master & in behalf of the Queen & her people
cheques upon the Queens Assaymaster And this Assaymaster is only a ma
nual operator who perfor is to perform all his Assays in the presence of the the said three Officers. And The to their sa th
thereof, the Warden & Comptroller in behalf of the Queen & her people the & the Master in his own behalf And therefore it was very right
Merchants
in the ders
a trial before the said Officers & their report includes the sense of is the joynt
report of both parties between whom the Assaymaster is to act as an indifferent
person. For by the statute of
betwen the r
between them about the valuation of their bullion. But no such controversies
have arisen since the death of the late Assaymaster, the Merchants being
satisfied th
he pleases. By chTheAnd as for M for preserving the same & thereby encourar Oadham, had he
ging the coinage coinage & the controversies the trouble of controversies
with Importers its the interest as well as the duty of the Officers of the Mint to
give their opinion best best Assayers.
end of that letters as x & z
for fluents & others as yothers ofay, or
of these & ther letter o, v i vizt 07, or for their moments & where
the fluxion is uniform he represents it by an unit & the moment
by this unit multipled by othat is by And a little before
where