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William the third by the grace of god King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith +c To the {Lords} Commissioners of our Treasury now being and to the Treasurer and Vnder Treasurer of our Exchequer or Commissioners of our Treasury for the time being And to the Warden of our mint now and for the time being And to all others whome this may concerne Greeting Whereas our late Royall uncle King Charles the second and the late King Iames the second by severall Letters under the privy seale Did give encouragement for the discovery and prosecuteing the Offences of coining and clipping and other crimes which are frequently committed in Relacon to the coine or money of this Realme which letters of privy Seale are determined But wee being nevertheless graciously disposed to administer all Fitting means tending to the suppressing the said Offences which abound to the unsufferable damage of us and our people Have thought fitt to give and grant and doe hereby give and grant to you the Warden of our mint now and for the time being And to such Deputyes or agents as you the said Warden now and for the time being shall constitute for this purpose under your hand and seale full power and Authority (in our names) to take seize aske demand sue for Recover and Receive all Clippings Clipped and false money and also all Tooles and matterialls belonging to clippers Counterfeiters debasors of our coine and other offenders against our Lawes relateing to the coine or money of this our Realme which are or shall be found or discovered in our Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwick upon Tweed of or from any Sheriffs Officers or other persons whatsoever haveing or whoe shall have the same in custody or wheresoever they or any of them are or may be found for which you the said Warden shall render an account to us from time to time upon your corporall Oath And we doe hereby declare and appoint that these presents and the acquittances of you the said Warden now or for the time being or of the said Agents or deputies under you acknowledging the Receipt or Receipts of the said clippings clippt and false money Tooles and materialls aforesaid or any of them shall from time to time be good and Sufficient Discharges to the said sheriffs or any others delivering the same against us or our heires and Successors And we doe alsoe hereby impower you the said Warden now or for the time being out of or with such clippings clippt or false money Tooles or materialls or the values or proceeds thereof from time to time to sattsfie such persons as shall be instrumentall from time to time in discovering or prosecuteing the said Offenders for their charges therein with {illeg}|such| allowances or Rewards for their good service as you the Commissioners of Our Treasury or the Chancllor {sic} or undertreasurer of our Exchequer now being or the Treasurer and Commissioners of our Treasury or the Chancellor or under Treasurer of our Exchequer for the time being in your discretions shall think fitt for which you are hereby Authorized to Issue your warrants or orders from time to time And you the said Warden of the mint now and for the time being are hereby directed and required from time to time to give Accounts of your doeing in the performance of the said service to the Commissioners of our Treasury Chancellor and under Treasurer of our Exchequer now being or to the Treasurer or Commissioners of Our Treasury Chancellor or under Treasurer of our Exchequer for the time being And to observe such Orders as they at any time shall think fitt to make therein for our service And we doe Further by these presents give full power and Authority to you the said Commissioners of our Treasury, now being and to the Treasurer or Commissioners of our Treasurey for the time being to cause any other Estate ready money goods or Chattles plate debts specialties or other matters or things belonging to such Offenders as aforesaid which are or shall be found or discovered within our Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwick upon Tweed to be delivered or paid over from time to time upon the respective Conviccons of such criminalls or offenders by the Sheriffs or by any debtors or others haveing or that shall or may have the same in custody or be chargeable therewith unto the Warden of our mint (or in case you shall otherwise appoint) to such person or persons as you shall think fitt to Intrust them with for our use and upon account to be Render'd to us for the same And alsoe to cause such goods Chattles plate or other matters or things to be sould {sic} for the most that can be made thereof and by or out of the said ready money goods Chattles plate debts specialtys or other matters or things or by or out of the proceed ariseing by sale of them or any of them as aforesaid to Sattisfie the said Wardens of our Mint or any other person or persons whoe have been or shall be instrumentall in the discovery or prosecution of such offenders as aforesaid or imployed or used in or about the same all such charges and Expences as they or any of them have disbursed or laid out or shall or may disburse or lay out for or in order to such Discovery or prosecution or any way Relateing thereunto with such allowances or Rewards for their good service performed or to be performed to us in the prmisses as you in your discretions shall seem meet the same charges Expences allowances or Rewards to be paid or allowed from time to time by warrants from you the said Commissioners of our Treasury now being or the Treasurer or Commissioners of our Treasury for the time being which you are hereby authorized to Issue in that behalfe And lastly in case any such offenders convicted or to be convicted as aforesaid within our said Realme of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwick upon Tweed or any person or persons in trust for or to the use of such offenders is or shall be seized or possessed of any mannors lands Tenements annuityes Rents or other Hereditaments or of any Estate Right Title interest Trust Terme or profitt whatsoever of in to or out of any mannors lands tenements Annuityes Rents or other Hereditaments which are or shall or may be Forfeited unto us by or upon such conviccon That then and in every such case we doe hereby invest you the said Commissioners Chancellor and Vnder Treasurer of our Exche now being and the Treasurer and Commissioners of the Treasury Chancellor and Vnder Treasurer of our Exchequer for the time being with full power and authority And you are hereby impowered and authorized to cause Leases or grants under the Exchequer seale or otherwise to be made or passed to such person or persons as you shall Iudge fitt And all money Rents or profitts ariseing thereby to be disposed of to such discoverers and prosecutors of the said Offences in such manner and proporcon as you shall think reasonable for the encouragement and compensation of his her or their charge and good service therein Given under our privy seale at our pallace of Westminster the Sixteenth day of February in the sixth year of our Reigne.

Io: Mathews

After our hearty Commendations whereas their Majesties by theire letters of privy seale bearing date the sixteenth day of February last have directed us to cause the Estates ready money goods chattles plate debts specialtyes or other matters or things belonging to clippers counterfeiters debasors of their Maties: coine and other offenders against their Majesties lawes Relateing to the coine or money of this Realme which are or shall be found or discovered within the|ir| Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwick upon Tweed to be delivered or paid over from time to time upon the respective conviccons of such criminalls or offenders by the Sheriffs or by any debtors or others haveing or that shall have the same in custody or be chargeable therewith unto you or in case wee should otherwise appoint to such persons or persons as we should think fitt to intrust them with for theire Maties: use and upon account to be Rendered to theire Maties. for the same |+| alsoe to cause such goods chattles plate or other matters or things to be sould {sic} for the most that can be made thereof by or out of the said Ready money goods chattles plate debts Specialtyes or other matters or things or by or out of the proceed thereof to satisfye such person or persons as shall be instrumentall from time to time in discovering or prosecuteing the said Offenders for theire charges therein with such allowances or rewards for their good service as to us in other descressions shall think meet as by the said letters of privy seale Relacon being thereunto had more fully may appeare Now these are by vertue of the said letters of privy seale to authorize and appoint you and your respective deputyes or agents for this purpose \to/ be constituted under your hand and seale to demand and receive from the sherriffs and others as aforesaid all the Estates and ready money goods chattles plate debts specialtyes or other matters or things belonging to such offenders as aforesaid within the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales and Towne of Berwick upon Tweed for theire Maties: use and upon account you are to render from time to time for the same upon your corporall Oath|s| when thereunto required of all such matters and things as you shall see receive for theire Maties: use As alsoe of all reall Estates that you shall or may at any time or times discover to belong to such offenders as aforesaid You are from time to time to give notice to us or the Lord Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being that further discretion may be given for the sale of any of the said goods and for the satisfaccon and reward of your selfe or any others that shall be at the charges or instrumentall in the discovery or prosecution of the said offenders in such manner as is authorized by the said letters of privy seale hereby declaring that the acqui{t}tance or acquittances of y{illeg}|o|u or the said agents or deputyes under you shall be sufficient discharge or discharges to the said sherriffs or others in the prmisses And for soe doeing this being first entered with the auditors of theire Maties: imprests shall be your warrant Whitehall Treasury chambers Iune the Twentieth 1693.

Godolphin St: Fox Cha Montague

{T}o our very loveing Friend Isaac Newton Es Warden of theire
Majesties mint and to the warden of the mint for the time being
      Iutrat 2{8}° Iunij 1693cor me
    B Bridges Audr:

Whereas it hath been and is the care of the warden of his Majesties mint to doe what in him lies for the prevention of abuses to the currant coine of this Realme by clipping fileing or otherwise diminishing and counterfeiting of the same and to cause to be discovered apprehended and prosecuted and brought to condigne punishment all such offenders and there being at this time generall complants {sic} of great numbers of clippers and false coiners in the kingdome of England And whereas his Majestie by his privy seale beareing date the sixteenth day of February 1692 and the right Honble. the Lord Commissioners of his Maties: Treasury by theire warrant upon the said privy seale dated the Twentieth day of Iune 1693 true coppyes whereof are above written have impowered me to demand and receive from all sherriffs and otehrs whoe have or shall have from time to time in their custody clippings clipped and counterfeit money as well as all Tooles and matterialls belonging to clippers and false coiners likewise after the Conviction of such offenders all theire Estates as ready money goods chattles plate debts specialtyes and other matters belonging to such criminalls soe forfeited within the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales and Towne of Berwick upon Tweed and upon account to be rendered upon oath to his Majestie for the same when thereunto Required These are therefore to authorize and impower you                                                                                                           to make diligent enquiery after such clippers and coiners and other offenders of this kind as you shall receive information against and shall have just cause to suspect and to apprehend and prosecute them as the law directs And alsoe I doe depute you with full power and Authority to act in vertue of his Majesties said letters of privy seale in as full and ample manner as if {illeg} my selfe were personally prsent And for your soe doeing this shall be your Warrant Given under my hand and seale of the Office of his Maties: mint this                    day of               in the Eighth yeare of the Reigne of our souaigne Lord King William the third by the yeare of god of England Scotland France Ireland Defender of the Faith Anno Dni 1696

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