"An Account of the new regulation of her Majesty's Mint at Edinburgh"

Author: David Gregory

Source: T 1/103.94, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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- Revision History
  - 21 November 2016
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
  - 15 December 2016
    - Metadata amended & document catalogued by Will Scott
  - 20 May 2017
    - Minor amendments made by Will Scott
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<297r>

An Account
of the new Regulation of her Majesty's Mint at Edinburgh Humbly laid before the Right Hon^ble: the Earl of Godolphin Lord high Treasurer of Great Brittain.

In Obedience to her Majestys Commands in a Warrant dated, 12^th Iuly 1707, Doctor Gregory took Iourney to Scotland, 21 Iuly, and arrived at Edinburgh the 31^st, And upon Shewing her Ma^tys Warrant to the General, and other Officers of the Mint there, they prepared for the Recoynage in the Methods of the Mint in the Tower.

And when the Moneyers arriv'd at Edinburgh, The Doctor and they Surveyed all the Offices, Tools &c. belonging to the Mint, and what were wanting were soon Supplied from London.

After the Officers of the Mint & Doctor Gregory had compared the former Constitution of the Mint of Scotland with that of the Mint in the Tower, and with her Majestys Instructions concerning the Recoynage; They added three new Clerks (during the Recoynage) to the Queens Clerk who was there before; to witt one for the Master, one for the Warden, & one for the Counter Warden. All these four Clerks were well instructed in the Methods of Rateing and Standarding, and the Formes of Book-keeping used in the Mint of the Tower, by the Clerk sent by her Majesty for this purpose.

The Officers of the Mint & the Doctor considering that by bringing the Mint of Scotland to the same methods with that of the Tower, more Officers became necessary, and being unwilling to increase Charges, aggreed {sic} that the Warden & Counter Warden should by turns do the Office of the Surveyor of the Meltings; and that the Counter Warden should officiat also as Weigher & Teller, and that his Clerk should be Clerk to those Offices. It was also agreed That the Queens Clerk should be Clerk of the Papers and Irons.

The great difficulty was in the Melting, it being made there with Pit-coal. In this D^r Gregory made several experiments according to directions which he received from S^r. Isaac Newton from time to time. And at last such Rules of Allaying were found out & aggreed {sic} on, as by experience were found to make the Silver of Standard fineness. And the Essay Master {sic} having no Clerk, was allowed an assistant during this coynage.

Matters being thus adjusted, D^r Gregory continued in Edinburgh untill he saw the Methods of the Mint in the Tower well understood, and exactly practised by all concerned, and the Recoynage advanced so, that they coyned Six Thousand Pounds a week; and then at his request, represented by S^r Isaac Newton to your Lordp, and that there was no further occasion for his staying there, your Lordp being pleased to Dismiss him, as he was inform'd by S^r Isaac Newton in his of 15^th November, he parted from Edinburgh on the 21^st of November, after having taken an exact Acco^t of the state & condition of the Mint at that time, and left directions for encreasing the Coynage.

David Gregory.

^[1] <298v>

An Account {of} the New Regulation of her Majesty's Mint at Edenborough

Lo{d}'s S{eal}^d
Rep^t
M

^[1] London: 13 December.
1707.