Holograph draft of legislation (to come into effect on an unspecified date in 1711) on the fineness of hallmarked silver

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MINT 19/2/89, 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
  - 25 October 2019
    - Transcribed by Kees-Jan Schilt
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That the standard finess of plate be

That all plate shall be ab tenn ounces fifteen penny weight of fine silver in every pound weight Troy And if any |from & after one thousand seven hundred & eleven No {sic}| Goldsmith silversmith or other person whatsoever shall fraudulently work or cause to be wrought any p or made any silver vessel plate or manufacture of {illeg} silver less in fineness then the j{illeg}[ ten ounces fifteen penny weight of fine silver in the pound weight Troy, or shall by any accident \error/ in the assays ] the just standard or (excepting such errors as may\shall/ happen by casualty & not by desinge & \w^ch/ shall not exceed one p{illeg} penny weight in the pound weight Troy) & if nor \shal they/ put to sale exchange or sell any silver vessels plate or manufacture of silver made after the said day of - - - - - - - to the contrary notwithstanding. And if any Goldsmith Silversmith or other person And of any plat silver vessel, plate or manufacture of silver \or any part therof (except soder)/ which shall be brought to be touched or marked \shall be brought to/ before it shall be touched or marked for good, shall upon the assay be found one half penny weight worse \in fineness/ then eleven\ten/ ounces fifteen penny weight shall be defaced by the Wardens or\of fine silver in the pound W^t Troy/ the same shall not be marked or touched \but defaced & returned to the {illeg}/ by the Wardens or Masters of the said Mystery but defa shall be defaced \by them/\or by those imployed by {illeg} by them/ & returned to the owners. [And if any \question doubt/ {illeg}|o|r question shall arrise about the finenes of any\any silver/ vessel plate or other manufacture of silver \w^ch shall be seized/, the fineness therof shall be \decided/ trued by her Majesties AssayM^r in any of her Mints, in the presence of [ the Wardens or Masters of the said mystery [or any of them] such persons as shall be appointed by any\the/ court of Justice before whom the action shall] the persons contending & of the Wardens of the said Mystery or so many & of the persons contending\concerned/ {illeg}|o|fr \of/ so many of them as upon upon notice shall think fit to attend, & such or by any \other/ Assaymaster & before any persons who shall]

- any falshood or deceipt, or the same or any part thereof \(except the soder)/ Shall wan be less in finess then ten /eleven\ ounces fourteen /one\ penny weight, a then the Wardens & corporation of that mystery for the time being shall forfeit & pay the value of the the one half thereof to the Queen &c - - - - - notwithstanding

& e{illeg}|n|ter it in a book with the owners name & \shall/ deface the plate vessel plate or manufacture - the Assayer shall report the worsness upon pain of loosing his place & \shall/ return the same to the owner And all plate \vessels or manufactured of silver/ wherin there shall be any falshood or deceipt \or w^ch shall be one penny worse in fineness then it ought to be Eleven ounces 15 penny W^t/ shall be forfited to detained & forfeited to the Wardens & Corporation of that mystery \for the {value}/. And if after the said day of any new vessels plate or manufactured silver shall be touched marked or allowed for good by the Wardens or Masters of the said mystery in w^ch or those authorized or imployed by them for the assaying or|&| marking of plate & if in the same there shall be found any falshood or deceipt or the same or any part thereof (except the soder( shall be \found/ one|abo|ve one penny weight worse\less in fineness/ then ^eleven_tenn ounces ^two_fifteen penny weight \of fine ☾ in the pound weigh{t} Troy/, then the Wardens & Corporation of that mystery for the time being, shall forfeit & pay &c