Rough draft of MINT00360 (Mint 19/3/190)

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To the R^t Hon^ble Sidney Earle of Godolphin Lord High Treasurer.

May it please yo^r Lord^p

Speaking yesterday with\Attending/ my L^d Chancellour of Scotland about \on Thursday/ about the Mint at Edinburgh, his Lo^p proposed to us to lay before your Lo^p a Memorial concerning s{ome}|uch|\some/ things w^ch his Lo^p thought proper\w^ch might be/ to be considered by the Committee of Council w^ch is to sit to morrow\day/ upon the affairs of Scotland.

His Lo^p is considering whether the Pix of that Mint may not be still tried before her M{illeg}|a|j^ties Council in Scotland as formerly, & if so, we are humbly of opinion that in conformity to the Act of Vnion there may be made seven \indented/ Trial pieces of Crown gold & seven of standard silver, two of each metal to be kept in the two Treasuries to try the Pixes of the two Mints, two of each for the Wardens of the two Mints to try the moneys before delivery & to decide questions between the Master & Importer about the fineness of the Bullion, two of each for the masters of {illeg}|th|e two Mints to make the moneys by, two \& one/ of each for the Wardens & Company of Goldsmiths in London to try their plate & manufactures of gold & silver. Such trial pieces have \formerly/ beem made by a Iury of Goldsmiths summoned & sworn \either/ by the L^d Chancellour, or Lords Comm^rs of the Tre{illeg}|a|sury|e||r.|
     It will be also convenient that a Pile of standard \Troy/ {illeg}|w|eights be made for the Treasury in Scotland by the Deputy Chamberlains of the Excheq^r, if it be not already done. |But| If both pixes be tried by the \original/ standard weights kept in at Westminster, six Trial pieces will be sufficient. |They have formerly been made by a| /Iury of Goldsmiths summoned & sworn either by the L^d Chancellour {illeg}|o|r by the L^d Treasurer.\

The Indenture of the Mint directs that two Piles of Standard Troy weights be made & examined by the Officers\Warden/ of the Mint & one of them delivered by the Warden of to the General of the Mint in Scotland. They may be printed like the weights sent to the corporations & in the absence of the General deli{illeg}|v|ered to yo^r Lo^ps order.

\For setting the coynage on foot speedily in that Mint/ Her Maty may \please to/ issue out {a}|her| Warrant to the General & other Officers of her Mint in Scotland with a copy of the I present Indenture of the Mint in the Tower annexed to it (or so much thereof as shall be thought necessary) annexed to it, authorizing & commanding them to coyn the moneys of gold & silver according to\under/ the rules & method set down in the said annexed Copy & {illeg} Order of the Treasury or Council of Scotland for putting that method {in} {illeg}ting \& directing {illeg}|to| {illeg}|observe| \that/ the Comptroller\Counterwarden/ {illeg}\to/ concerning the duties of the {illeg} {that} Office {illeg}\check the Meltings/ |& coynage|/ /& keep an Account of the Dyes\ \& that/ |if any dispute shou|al|ld arise about the duties the duties\the regulation of/ \of the Officer |that| mint/ for puting that method in execution| /the order of the Treary \or Council/ of Scotland be o{illeg}|obs|erved concerni{illeg}|n|g the same.\
~ ~In the late recoynage of the hammered moneys in England, one tenth part of the silver was coyned into sixpences & four tenths into shillings, & the same proportion may be prescribed in the said Warrant if it be thought fit.

Another Warrant may be directed to the Genera Master of that Mint authorising the him to command the Graver to make Dyes & Master Puncheons & Dyes for coyning the money of the same form with the money coyned in the Tower of London & to use such master Puncheons as shall be sent him from the tower untill the Puncheons made by himself shall be approved by |t|hi|e|s Officers \of that Mint/, & to set the letter E (the first letter of the \name of the/ City of Eding|b|orough) under her Maj^ties Effigies as in the specimens of Dyes w^ch will be sent him from the Tower, that the money coyned in the two Mints may be thereby distinguished.

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The Gravers are making shillings Puncheons in the Tower, w^th the new a{rms} of great Britain, & tell us that they will be ready\finished/ with two or three pair of Dyes & be sent to Edin{illeg}|b|urgh within a fortnight. And while they are coyning shillings in that mint, there may be Puncheons made for coy{illeg}|n|ing other money. For we beleive {sic} it may be convenient to send them the first Puncheons from hence {illeg}|t|hat the money of both Mints may be \exactly/ alike. Two or three pair \of Dyes/ of each sort may be sent with the Puncheons for patterns. And if more Puncheons be at any time desired by the Officers of that Mint, we are ready to furnish them, the same being paid for out of moneys belonging to that Mint.

A new Instrument may be hereafter drawn up \at any time hereafter/, either in the form of an Indenture between her Ma^ty & the Master of that Mint, or in the form of a Warrant prescribing the duty of every Officer in particular. In order to w^ch it will be convenient that a Copy of the constitution of that Mint be sent hither to be compared with the Indenture of this.

My Lord

By the direction of my L^d Chancl|el|lour of Scotland we have drawn up \humbly present yo^r Lord^p w^th/the inclosed Memorial \to yo^r Lo^p/ to be laid before the Committee of Council w^ch sits this afternoon upon y^e Scotch affairs|.| & humbly present it to yo^r Lop

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authorising & commanding the|m| Master to coyn the mo to act according to\under/ those rules there set down w^ch relate to their several o|O|ffices & |[|particularly that the Master coyn the moneys under those rules for weigh of weight & fineness there prescribed|]| under the \further/ directions of the \{Council} &/ L^d |Treasurer{illeg} of| Sc       for putting\suitable to/ those Rules in practice more effectually in p{illeg}|ra|ctice & p{illeg}|ar|ticularly that of any dispute shall arise concerning the same. & particularly that the Master co{n}|y|ne \all/ the moneys under those rules \of the weight & fineness there set down & within the remedy there set down & take care that the several pieces bee not/ /lighter then th{illeg}\eir/ counterpoises\ & that the Warden & Counter-warden survey & cheque the who pro proceedings \& accounts/ of all the other Officers|,| to see that those rules be observed\& see that the moneys be well & duely coyned in all respects/ & that the General of the General of the Mint or L^d Tr^r of Scotland appointed one of the Officers of Clerks to keep an account of the Dyes & Puncheons