158442
To yethe RtRight HonbleHonourable yethe Earl of Godolphin LdLord H.High Tr.Treasurer of gtgreat Britain
May it pl.please yoryour LopLordship
In obedience to yoryour LopsLordships Order of Reference of 22 of this instant
Decembr we have perused yethe annexed Memorial of yethe Master of her MatsMajestys
Mint at Edinburgh, & for explaining orour opinion about the Order wchwhich
maken be taken there convenient to be made upon it we humbly represent that GolGold & Silver is
imported into her MajtsMajestys Mint in the Tower in the Ingott
not in the Ingot the Merchant or Importer is at the charge of melting
it into Ingots with the wast made in that melting causes it to be made into ingots at his own charge s it by weight &
assay upon his Note in order to coyn it. And according to this method yethe
publick paid for this first melting & wast in the late recoinage of the
hammered moneys in England, & the Bank of Scotland should w
pay for this melting in the present recoinage of the moneys in
Scotland, & place the charge in the account of the deficiency to be made good out of the Equivalentsilver should be now placed among the losses wchwhich private persons may sustein
the coin of Scotland to the standard & value of the coyn of England & wchwhich by the act of union are to
made good out of the Equivalent in the first place
But the disposal of the Equivalent being lodged in Commissioners
by Act of ParliamtParliament & her MatiesMajesties Privy Counsel of Scotland having
ordered this melting with an allowance of three pence half penny
per lwttpound weight for the performance thereof, & having by Act of ParliamtParliament
a power over the Coynage Duty of yethe Mint at E
over the Equivalent: the consideration of this matter seems to us
to lye either before her MajtsMajestys said Privy Councill & before the Commissioners
of the Equivalent,,. or one of them & the said Bank.
For the Act of Parliament wchwhich appoints yethe Duty for coynage
in Scotland ordeins that yethe said Duty shall be kept apart in a
chest & not be delivered but at such times as her MatyMajesty or her
Privy Council shall think fit to yethe General or& Master of her MatsMajestys
Mint for payment of yethe salaries of yethe Officers thereof & for defray
ing the charge expence & charge of a free coynage & for the farther
encouragement of Merchants & others to import Bullion. And
we do not know but that by the last words of this clause of this Act a power may be
lodged in her MatyMajesty or her Council of applying the said moneys even
to the first melting whenever it shall be thought fit for the en
couragement of coynage.
We are therefore humbly of opinion that before your
LordpLordship give any Order about this matter, application be made
by the General & Master of the said Mint or one of them to
her MatiesMajesties most HonbleHonourable Privy Council in Scotland & to the CommrsCommissioners
of yethe Equivalent & the for an Order for the payment of yethe said three
pence half penny out of the propper fund.
The charge of refining the coarser Ingots to bring the remainder to
standard being very uncertain is certainly to be allowed to yethe Master in his accounts
among the incident charges. In recoining the forreign moneys it may
amount to about 3d or prper lwtpound weight. In recoining those of Scotland to
less then a farthing prper lwttpound weight & we are humbly of opinion that moneys
should be advanced to yethe said Master from time to time by the CommrsCommissioners of the TrearyTreasury of Scotland out of the said Chest to the Master for enabling
him159442
him to bear this charge, wchwhich mayy be one ‡
either by either rsCommissioners of yethe TrearyTreasury wth yethe consentapprobation either at such times as her MatsMajestys Privy
Council in Scotland ryour LordpsLordships Order by virtue of a signe manual..
For the Act of Parliamt wchwhich appoints the Order being directed to
Steward Collectoethe Bullion for coynage. For the Act of Parliament wchwhich appoints the Duty for coynage
in Scotland Oordeins that the said Dity shall – – – – import Bullion. And
the Officer who keeps the key of this Chest is called the collector of yethe Bullion by Order either of her MatyMajesty
of of her Privy Council in Scotland.
The Moneyers are allowed ten pence halfpenny for marking &
coyning the moneys in her MatiesMajesties Mint in the Tower & could not be
prevailed with to send some of their body from their families & from
their farms to yethe Mint at Edinborough upon lower terms then those
allowed in her MajtsMajestys Mint Warrant, whereof the 9d prper lwtpound weight is the same
allowance for coynage as in the Tower,
her MatsMajestys Mint in the Tower pays only 8d thereof out of this standing
allowance for coynage & ther MajtyMajesty gives the other penny to the
Moneyers for coyning the moneys well. And we are humbly of opinion
that her MajtyMajesty may make the like gift to the Moneyers in Scotland for
their good service, whether it be of a penny per lwttpound weight, or of the charges
mentioned in the said Warrant above the nine pence ,(what, (in orour opi
nion may amount to almost a half penny prper lwttpound weight;) directing the
Masrter by a signe Manual to make this allowance to the Moneyers
out of such moneys as sh
the Mint & the Auditors to allow the same in his Account.
And When it is determined what chargegs shall be allowed incidents are to be allowed out of the coynage money to the
Master in his accounts amongfor the Incidents, we
that the Master do lay before her MatsMajesty's Privy Councill of Scotland
& before the CommrsCommissioners of her Treasury MatsMajestys TrearyTreasury in Scotland monthly or as often as shall be convenient an Account (signed by the
other Officers if it be required) of what moneys have been coyned
since the last accounts & what moneys are due to him for the same
or for any preceding coynage including incidents including incidents, tyMajesty or your LordpLordship to pay upon any acctaccount of the
coynage, that the said CommrsCommissioners of the Treasury may order Scotland may order such
summs too be paid to him upon account from time to time as may enable him to
carry on the coynage.
the her Majts said Council the Commrs of the Treary wth the consent of may order
summs to be paid to him from time to time as they shall judgebe proper
be proper for carrying on the coynage
And whenever it shall be thought convenient to bring the
constitution of that Mint nearer to the constitution of the Mint
in the Tower we are humbly of opinion that by her MatsMajestys signe
manual, at yethe instance of the said Master from time to time such round summs
of coynage money as yoryour LordpLordship shall think proper fit (suppose of one
two, four or five thousand pounds at a time) be delivered out of
the said Chestpaid from time to time by the Cash-keeper out of the Chest of moneys be to the General & Master upon Account to be
kept in a chest in the Treasury of the Mint under the keys
of the General the Master the Warden & the Counter wardeen
or three of them & issued out thence by the common consent
of the said Officers at due times & in due summs for paying
the salaries & charges of coynage & repairs other just charges
of the Mint by the said Master, he giving security & accounting
annually for the same.
All wchwhich
For the words of yethe Act are these. IIt is agreed that in the first
place out of the aforesaid summ (that is out of the summ called the
Equivalent) what consideration shall be found necessary to be had for
any losses wchwhich private persons may sustain by reducing the coin
of Scotland to yethe standard & value of the coin of England, may
be made good.
Considering therefore that her MatsMajestys most honblehonourable Privy Coun
cil of Scotland have direction the the three Comrs who receive the old moneysReceivers of the old moneys
to bring deliver the same to Mr Allardes to be melted into Ingots that
order then being delivered by weight & assay to the be recointedrecoinedthe ingots might be weighed assayed & & have
ordered that Mr Allards should receivehave 3 prper lwtpound weight for this melting the into Ingots& wast: we are humbly of oppinion that
† before yor Lordp give any order about this matter Mr Allards should apply to yethe her Mts said Privy Council for their Order to yethe said Commrs therein if any doubt arise
† the said Receivers should out of the new coyned moneys pay for this theis 9 in the first place the same among place & set down the same in the acctaccount of the losses susteined by reducing the coin of Scotland to yethe standard & value of yethe coin of England, & that if any doubt arise about this matter, Mr Allards apply to the Papplication should be made to her MatsMajestys Privy C.Council of Scotl.Scotland for their Order direction before yoryour LopLordship give any Order about it.
† the paymtpayment of this 3 should be made (before all other payments) by yethe said Receivers out of yethe new coynd moneys before all other payments & be placed in yethe account of the losses susteined by reducing the coin of Scotland to yethe standard & value of yethe coin of England, & that if any doubt about this matter it application be made to her MatsMajestys Privy Council in Scotland for putting the for ordering this payment before yoryour LordpLordship give any order about it.
it seems to us that yethe sadid 3 is a just due to Mr Allards from the said Receivers by the said Act of Parl.Parliament & Order of Council together & upon demand ought to be paid out of yethe new coyned money in the first place before theis said money be applyed to make good any other losses or dammages or deficiencieys & that whatsoever: And that the said Receivers shouldare to are to place this payment in their Accounts iof the losses susteined by reducing yethe coyin of Scotland to yethe standard & value of the coin of England:. aAnd that where any doubt arises about this matter, it has seems to lye before the her MajtsMajestys most honblehonourable Privy Council to heare of Scotland, who should heare may heare the same upon application made to them, before yoryour LordpLordship give any Order about it, they having appointed this melting.
After the master have receive tithe Ingot upon his Note, he melts & coins tithat at his own charge, but. And After And after the silver is thus received from yethe Masterdelivered to the Master & in his custody he bears all the charge of melting & coining it, but [the charge of & loss susteined by melting it into Ingots by before this delivery is always born by Importers before this delivery because the Silver is then in the Importershis custod custody & at his disposal
[& he may melt it himself or imploy whom he pleases to melt it into Ingots & but cannot oblige the Master of yethe Mint to melt it into Ingo perform this melting melt it nor so much as to receive it as Master of the Mint. For the Master receives all silver into the Mint. For yethe Master receives all silver] & he must make it fit to be delivered before the assayed & the weighted fbefore the Master can receive for coynage according to the intrinsic value. Accordingly the public paid for in yethe late recoinage of the hammered moneys in England pthe publick paid for the melting of the money into ingots