On the value of the Imperial dollar and uncertainty as to whether the term refers to the common dollar or the Rix dollar (Reichsthaler), which is worth more

To the Rt HonbleRight Honorable the Lords CommersCommissioners of His MatsMajesties Treasury.

May it please yoer LordpsLordships

In obedience to yoer LordpsLordships Order of Reference signified to me by Mr Tilson's Letter of yethe 5t Instant, that I should report the value of Imperial Dollars both intrinsecally & by way of Exchange with Sweden: I humbly represent that the Rix dollar it tootwo Guldens or 362 Gute Grosh or 48 Marien Grosch & that the common Doller is one & a half Guldens or 24 Gute Grosh or 36 Marien Grosch, & in respect of this DOllar the Guilds is usually marked $\frac{2}{3}$ & by the assay is worth 2s 4d. And therefore the common DOllar of the Empire is worth 3s 6d, & the Rix Dollar of full value is worth 4s 8d But Rix Dollars (especially those of the late Emperors) usually want a penny or two pence of this value & 16 Gute Grosh or 24 Marien Grosh make the Gulde or Guilder & that the Gulde the by the weight & assay is worth 2s 4d & is usually marked $\frac{2}{3}$ to signify that it is two thirds of the common Dollar of the Empire. This Dollar therefore is 36 Marien Grosh or 3s 6d in value. The Rix Dollar hath been coined by some Princes of the Empire worth two Gulden or 48 Marien Groshes but is usually coined of less value by one or two Marien Groshes & is accordingly the Rix Dollars of the late Emperors pass pass among the Iews for only 47 or 46 Marien Grosh. The Rix Dollars of Collen & Liege are worth 4s 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ d thaet one of Hamburg iswas worth 4s 7d The difficulty is to know whether by the Imperial Dollar, is meant the Common Dollar or the Rix Dollar is to be understood& what Rix Dollar. // If any payments of Imperial Dollars have been made to Sweden since the Treaty of $\frac{6}{16}$ Jan. 1700, the prescedent is to be followed as the best interpreter of the Treaty. If notne, then the best reason that I can meet with for determining this question is to consider that as in payments by pounds sterling in England the pound signifies not a coun but a certain value in current money, so in payments by Imperial Dollars between England & Sweden, the Imperial Dollar should be taken not for a specie Dollar wchwhich varies in goodness but for a certain value And such is the common Dollar of Germany, the same being not a specie Dollar but the value of 36 Marien Grosh or 42 pence wchwhich is a certain value equal to 42 pence; whereas the Rix Dollar goes at several rates in Germany accordingly as iss is coined of several values by several Princes of Germany [& very seldome is of the full value of 48 Marien Grosh. I never met with a Rix Dollar of this value by the weight & assay].the Empire But if this is not sufficient to determin the Question, it may depends upon criticisms in the German language of wchwhich I am not master as for instance by deriving the word name Imperial Dollar from the word Rixeichs Dolla Thaler

Exchanges with London at present are almost at a par. Between London & Hamburgh the allowance for exchange on Friday last was 1

\frac{1}{2}

per cent. But the exchange rises & falls daily. How it is between London & Stockholm I do not find in the Tables of Exhchange. All wchwhich is most humbly submitted to yoer LordpsLordships great wisdome Mint Office Apr. 11th. 1720. Is. Newton. As In the weekly Tables of Exchange between London & Hamburgh, the the number set down over against Hamburgh signifies the number of Bank schillings & deneirs to be received or paid at Hamburgh for one pound sterling at London & 35

\frac{5}{9}

schillings is at a part with 1£ sterling. 180 The specie Rix Dollars are coined of several values by several Princes of the Empire & & are worth from 4s 4

\frac{1}{2}

d to 4s 8d. But in Booke of Exchange the Rix Dollar is valued at 48 Markschelling Lubs at Hab Hambof Hāmburgh, at 48 styvers of Antwerp at 50 styvers of AntwerpAmsterdam & at 4s 6d English at LondonEnglish. Thre is also a common Dollar of the Empire in respect of wchwhich the Gulde or Guilder is usually marked

\frac{2}{3}

to signify that it is two thirds of this Dollar. The Gulde is 24 Marien Grosch, the Common Dollar 36 GulMarien Grosch & the Rix Dollar 48 Marien Grosh, so that the common Dollar is

\frac{3}{4}

of the Rix Dollar. The difficulty is to know whether by the Imperial Dollar be meant the Impe Common Dollar or the Rix Dollar. If any payment have been made to Sueden sonce the Treaty of

\frac{6}{16}

Jan 1700, the precedent is to be followed as the best interpreter of the Treaty. If none, I am told that yethe Imperial Dollar is sometimes taken for the common Dollar, but more usually for the Rix Dollar & that the word Reichs or Rycks-Thaler signifies imperial Dollar. But I am not skilled in the German Language. In the weekly Tables of exchange wthwith London, the number set over against HannovHamborough signifies the number of Bank schillings & pence derniers to be received & paid at Hamburgh for one pound sterling at London: & 35

\frac{5}{9}

schillings is at a part wthwith one pound sterling. How the Exchange is between London & Stockholm I do not find in the Tables of Exchange But the money by the treaty is to be paid at London to the order of the KQueen or King of Sweden. He is to receive at London 288000 Imperial DOllers & if these be Rix Dollars they amount unto 64800 pounds Sterling.