Draft of MINT00493 (Mint 19/2/214-15)

<220r>

May it please yo^r Lord^ps

In obedience to your Lo^ps order of Ref. signified to us by M^r Lowndes we have considered the M{illeg} Memorial of y^e Chancellour of Ireland about erecting a Mint in that Kingdom &\w^th/ the Report of the late Warden & Master & Worker \upon it/ & the other Papers accompanying them |[|& find the caution of those Officers\those Officers in/ {illeg}|th|at Report {illeg}kt\not without a/ w^th the like caution of their Predecessors in a Report made almost 40 years ago a copy of w^ch is {illeg} conteined in the said Paper & copied in those P{illeg}|a|pers. "If, say they, It hath been, say they|]| And by those papers we find that And by those papers we find that the Officers of the Mint have \long/ been long\formerly/ cautious in this matter|.| &|F|or in their\a/ Report made \by them/ about 39 years ago they thus delivered their opinion\|use| have these words/|.|{of} {illeg} to yo^r Hon^ble Board It hath been, say they, the policy & caution of &c – First consideration.

We understand also that the la{illeg}|t|e Warden & Master in their {ab} Report {ab} upon {illeg} the {illeg} \above mentioned/ Memorial \|made| about three years ago/ were \{illeg}/ the more {illeg}|cauti|o{illeg}|u|s by reason of the applause the applause w^ch the {illeg} a project a designe of exempting Ireland from subordination to England then met with in Ireland|.|{,} |[|& how far that he {now} is now laid aside we do not know does not appear to us|]| And\reason of {th} a designe great then set on foot of perswading the people of Ireland that their {illeg} Parliament & government ought not to be subordinate to that of England/

And to a Mint in Ireland may have been much desired we do not see but that the Government {illeg} of England\of England/ has even been cau{illeg}|t|ious in this matter For tho a Mint in Ireland may have been upon several occasions much desired yet |it| has either not been granted or not suffered to continue. The Warrant An instance of this kind is afforded by the Warrant for setting up such a Mint which we find amongst the Papers above mentioned. And The reasons {w^ch} {illeg} {illeg} Among the Papers above mentioned we find a Warrant for erecting such a {illeg}|M|int {illeg} soon after the restauration of K. Charles II but y^e designe is not yet put in execution.

If \such/ a standing Mint be desired for coyning from time to time the Bullion of Merchants & others \(as the words of the Memorial may import)/ {illeg}|w|e beleive {sic} it may put Ireland to a greater charge then to coyn such Bullion in London. {illeg} But upon inquiring

But if it {illeg}|s|hall be his Maj^ts pleasure that {illeg}|a| Mint be erected in that Kingdom \(for the determination depends upon {some}\some/ /for increasing considerations w^ch are\we reccon/ above us)\/ we are humbly of opinion \in {consideration} {illeg} {illeg} in the papers communicated to us/ that the monies coyned there should be of the same weight allay species & \stamp or/ impression of with the monies of England, adding only such a mark of distinction as his Maj^ty shall think fit, & that the Mint be const{illeg} under the same rules & laws with that|is| in the Tower but with less salaries & fewer Officers such retrenchment of salaries & o|O|fficers as c|m|an|y| conveniently be made \& that y^e same valuation of the money & same proportion of Gold to silver be observed in both nations/. And we are ready to promote such a/promote the setting up |such a Mint after the best manner & particularly to|\ supply them with Standard weight, \Inde/ Trial pieces, Dyes,|&| Coyning Tools & to try their money & instruct their Officers at their first setting out\if it be desired/. {illeg}|A|nd for such a purpose the directions in the Warrant of 14 Car. II\But if a standing Mint be desired for coyning from time to time the/ Bullion of Merchants & others we are (as the words of the Memorial <221r> {may} import) we of opinion that beleive {sic} it may put Ireland to a greater charge then to coyn their\such/ Bullion in London

Vpon inquiring into the state of y^e Coyn in Ireland we understand that the forreign coyns w^ch make a great part of their silver monies are generally in great pieces \(as Ducatoons & pieces of eight{)}/ w^ch are inconvenient for change in marketing & other small expences and that by the want of small silver monies the coyning of great quantities of Copper monies for change hath been so much incouraged as to be complained of, & |if| for remed{illeg}|y|ing this inconvenience tis pro{illeg}|p|osed that p{illeg} a Mint is \be/ desired \only/ to coyn part of the I{illeg} the small money forreign moneys or \any/ part of |t|{illeg}|hem| int \small English money/ (shillings & sixpences) in {illeg} as we now understand, we beleive {sic} it may be cheapest & best for Ireland & safest for England to have this coynage dispatcht at once by erecting a Mint in Ireland for some short time (as eighteen months or two years) & by lowering the values of the forreign monies to bring them into th{illeg}|at| Mint. But we humbly represent that the late Mints in the Country were full of disor{d} lay before your Lord^ps that the late Country Mints were inclined to\in/ disorders & that\left/ their Accounts are full of difficulties \& that upon the breaking up of such a Mint may increase the number of fals coyners. {sic}/ {illeg} And we heare that the money {illeg} English money is now grown \much/ more plentifull in Ireland in proportion to y^e forreign then it was a few years ago so that y^e want of change is vanishing. |in good measure vanished & is still vanishing decreasing.|

If the Government of Ireland shall think fit to prohibit\discourage/ the exportation of English money from thence by a lo setting a lower value something lower upon the forreign so that when Merchants or others have occasion to export Gold or silver they may chuse rather to export the forreign monies then the English, there will be but little {illeg}there will it will pro it will \much/ promote the increase of the English money {illeg}|in| Ireland. A difference of one or two per cent may be sufficient in the value of the monies may be sufficient for this purpose & will mend the{illeg} exchange \to the{illeg}|se| profits of Ireland/ w^thout hindring the importation of the monies of Spain & Flanders into Ireland\that kingdom/ by trade. And if the exportation of English money out of Ireland be\were/ prohibited by the same laws \in Ireland/ as in England, it wouldwhile the forreign money {illeg}|it| would still conduce to the same end. A

And|lso| if shillings & sixpences were \for a few years while/ raised a f{illeg}|ar|thing ith' shilling {while} {illeg}in proportion {illeg}\without raising y^e/ greater money it would \{illeg} |sufficiently|/ increase th{illeg}|o||se| smaller species of money at a less charge then a Mint would do.

But if a \new/ Mint be thought\added/ y^e best {illeg}\fittest/ \would more increase the {illeg} of {illeg}/ expedient {illeg} we are ready to contribute o^r best endeavours for support towards it for setting it up &\for supplying Ireland for furnishing Ireland with small moneys/ \we/ beleive {sic} the Directions in the Warrant {illeg}|of| 14 Car II \amongst the Papers/ referred to o^rus, may be propoer for such a purpose if applied & restrained to the p^rsent way of coyning without |by| {illeg}|y|^e Mill & Press without a Seigniorage & without the penalty of fine & ransome upon two penny weight remedy in the single pieces.|,| |& with the trial of their Pix by theAll w^ch &c Assaymaster & Weigher & Teller of his Maj^ts Mint in the Tower in the presence of the Warden Master & Comptroller there of the said|m|e Mint.|

{illeg} There are several\many/ Mints in France & have been divers in England & if his Maj^ty should think fir to set up a new one any where in England \(as at Bristol or Chester)/ for furnishing Ireland & the Plantations w^th silver & brass money we should {illeg} oppose it \of the English standard/ w{illeg}|i|thout any dependance {sic} on y^e Mint in the Tower except for the triall <221v> of their moneys \& the stamps/, we should not oppose it it might put an end {illeg}|to| the {illeg} Project{s} w^ch are dayly on foot for {illeg}|c|oyning money {illeg} making great advantage by the coyning m{oney} \for the Plantations/ of the other standards \then the English &/ without due intrinsic value. A

Yet such a Mint may deserve tend to encrease the coyn of this for coyning English money \there/ may tend to encrease the species if care by first taken {illeg}|b|y due laws \{(a}s in England)/ to prevent {illeg}|the| melting it down for y^e market in London to East Indies or otherwise exporting it. And\For/ if his Maj^ty upon considering {illeg}|t|he reasons on both sides (some of w^ch are about o^r judgment) shall please that a Mint be erected in Ireland, we are humbly of opinion that the monies coyned there

I {illeg} {illeg}I am in a Post

The consideration of the advantage of y

|The| I am \now/ in a Post w^ch gives me an advantage by the coynage yet I could be glad to wave

|I am|/I am\ \|And A new Mint being a thing of a public consideration concern|/ I could be glad to wave any \private/ advantage {illeg}|I| \may/ have i{illeg}|by| the {illeg}\Coynage/ to oblige the Gentlemen of Ireland {illeg}\a new/ mint {illeg} a thing of a public consideration And if his Ma^ty please to have {illeg} {illeg} set up\shall think fit to order {illeg}|o|ne/ I am ready to assist in setting it up contribute what I can to y^e best manner of setting up it, & {paid} but as by supplying them with Dyes &c {illeg} The endeavours I am satisfied that the Memorial of M my L^d Chancellour of Ireland was well intended, & perceiving \{illeg} now/ that a mint for a year or two\two or thre {sic} years/ to coyn {illeg}|th|e forreign money \now/ iin Ireland is all {illeg} into shillings & sixpences is all {illeg} would \{illeg}/ satisfy {illeg} is only desired, I do not see that it|\such a coynage (if it stop there)/| would prejudice the {illeg}Mint in the Tower {in} y^e Trade of England or the Mint in the Tower, but the Question whether {illeg} a new Mint shall be erected \tho but for a year or two/ depends upon some other considerations above our judgment & we do not know what censures it may meet with how it may be censured what make us continue reccon above their judgment