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Printed in NC, 4: 536-7, where it is dated April/May 1709 and described as probably to Allardes, and again (without any comment or cross-reference) in NC, 5: 371-3 as 28 January 1713 and to Scott. The latter is clearly correct, as appears from Scott's reply [MINT00453 (Mint 19/1/188)], which supplies the date of this letter. Rough draft in Cambridge University Library Additional Ms. 3965(12), f.362r.
Wastage in copper is higher in Scotland than England due to the fiercer heat of the coal furnaces. For this reason, the Scots were allowed to resume their old practice of adding copper during melting, though no such allowance is made in England [see notes to MINT00387 (Mint 19/1/183)]. Consequently, the waste in Scotland should be proportionately diminished in other respects.
On reverse: Newton's sketch of a microscope.
I have been long indebted to you for your Letters &
was in good hopes that the Question you wrote to me
about would have been dei
ing that it is stillwill tell
I imploy a Melter to melt all the gold & silver coyned
& allow him thirteen pence per pound weight for
gold: whereof I reccon at least 3d for potts & fire, & the other 10d for
wast & charges of making up the sweep. Whence the wast doth not
amount to five grains in the pound of gold. And the wast in
silver cannot be much more.
Because I do not make up the sweep my self I have no
cannot speak of this matter by my own experience. But consulting
my Melter about it, he told me that the wast in melting was
about 6 grains per pound weight of silver,
In the year 1707 when the copper was the money
current in Scotland was to be recoined, we obje wrote to the Officers
of your Mint that we were not allowed to put any copper into the
pot for making recompence for the wast of copper ch
away in the melting, & that they were to conform themselves to e
practise of our mint. But they replied that by the ch
in melting, a greater wast was caused then in our Mint, &
so that unless they were still allowed to put
the pot, they could not coin the money standard. Whereupon this
allowance was connived at.
How much the copper fumes away in your meltings by the
flaming of the coals I do not
allowance of 12 grains per pound weight was instituted, it was deemed
a sufficient recompence for the wast
Mint allowance made for
gather than the wast in your Mint after making up the sweep
ought to be less by some grains: &
that the wast upon the whole coinage (if the sweep be well made
up) may not
For whilst 12 grains of copper are added to every pound weight
of silver in every melting & a pound weight of silver makes but about
half a pound weight of money: there are about 24 grains of copper every pound ep coined. And this addition diminishes the
grains per pound weight less in your mint then in ours, unless theusedin your mint cause a greater wast then in ours. I amin both mints by the fuming away of the metal e
are more then enough to make
good all your wast.
by the flaming coals must be
in ours to make the
r
r
Is. Newton.