The manner of the Tryall of the Pix.
Directions about the triall of the monies of gold & silver in the Pix.
1 aAbout a month before yethe triall of yethe monies in yethe Pix His MajtyMajesty or his Council appoints the time & place for theat
Triall of the monies in the Pix & names the Lords of the cCouncil
before whom it shall be tried. The time is usually about a month
after 'tis ordered.made & notice thereof is sent to yethe LdLord High Chancellour & LdLord
High Treasurer of England & from yethe Treasury to the Officers of yethe ExcheqrExchequer & Mint.
2 The Ld.Lord Chancellour presently after this oOrder is to be waited
on by yethe Officers of yethe Mint to send his Letter to yethe Wardens &
Company of yethe Mystery of Goldsmiths London to return him the names
of an able Iury for that tTriallor of such a number as he shall think sufficient. And an extract of this a Paper is to be
bdelivered to his LopLordship conteining yethe form of yethe tryall
3. The return of the names being made to his LopLordship he sends his
WarrtWarrant by his Sejrjeant at Arms or Serjeants Deputy to summon yethe
Iury by their names to meet at yethe place & time appointed for yethe
Tryall.
6 In the mean time the OfficersKings Clerk & the Wardens Masters & Comptrollers Clerks
severally extract out of all their books the weight & tale of all the monies
taken up from time to time since the triall of the last Pix & the
whole tale of all the monies in the present Pix and when their extracts
are all compared & agreed 40 or 50 copies thereof are written
fair to be distributed to yethe LdsLords & Iury at yethe tTryall.
4 The Chancellour of yethe ExcheqrExchequer is also to be waited on attended
about a dinner for yethe [the principall Officers of yethe Mint] with]
the Iury: The place has usually been at yethe Dogg Tavern & sometimes the Horn Tavern in yethe Pa
lace yard.
5 The Ld.Lord High Treasurer or Chancellour of yethe Exchequer sends an orders
for the standard Troy weights & yethe Indented Tryall pieces of his MajtsMajestys Crown
Gold monies & standard silver monies kept in the Treasury of yethe
Exchequer be delivered upon yethe day of yethe Tryall for yethe use of yethe
Iury.
7 On yethe day of yethe Tryall the Officers of the Mint cause the
Pixes box or boxes to be brought the a Table before nine in the
Morning
About tenn the King if he pleases & LdLord Chancellour & other
LdsLords of yethe Council appointed by his MajtyMajesty take their places at yethe Table
aforesaid, the Officers of yethe Mint ExcheqrExchequer Officers & Goldsmiths attending
and The Pixes boxes at yethe direction of yethe LdLord Chancellour are opened
by yethe Officers of yethe Mint either before yethe Lords sit down (if they direct it) or after they
are
are sat. & yethe Gold and silver monies therein are poured on yethe
Table.
The LdLord Chancellour calls to his Serjeants at Arms for his War
rant for summoning the Iury & appoints the same to be delivrered
to yethe Remembrancers Deputy who attends tehre wthwith the Oath
copy of the Oath to be administredof yethe Iury wchwhich Oathwchwhich Oath is in these words.
The Gold & silver Monies in the Pixes boxes being poured on yethe
Table the LdLord Chancellour causedth the said Oath to be adminis
tred to yethe Iury
The Standard Troy weights & yethe Indented Tryall pieces of his
MajtsMajestys cCrown Gold & standard silver monies kept in yethe Treasury of
the ExcheqrExchequer & being delivered for yethe use of yethe [& yethe
triall pieces examined if the Lords please being examined by yethe like Indented triall pieces of
the Mint delivered by in custody of yethe Warden]. the LdLord Chancellour or in
his absence yethe Chancellour of yethe ExcheqrExchequer gives the Iury in charge
to make triall of yethe said Gold & silver monies in yethe Pix by yethe said
standards of his MajtsMajestys TrearyTreasury according to yethe rules set down in
the Indenture of the Mint, & to do it justly with all possible
care & exactness it being a business of a very publick concern
In the absence of yethe LdLord Chan.Chancellour the Chan.Chancellour of yethe ExcheqrExchequer administers yethe oath & gives the charge: Then yethe Lord Chancellour appoints the Iury
to attend his LordpLordship wthwith their Veredict & thenhe then he departs wthwith the
rest of yethe Lords (unless any of them be please to see the triall), & the Officers of the Mint & Warden Master & Comptroller to& lock up the monies & wthwith yethe Iury withdraw
withdraw into another room where they take their places in another room according to yethe Order at the Mint for
trying the monies after the same manner as is done in the Mint at the Pixing of the
same monies before deliverance
The Iury before the Warden Master & Comptroller examin
The first The Warden ethe other Officers & IuryOfficers of the Mint examin
the Indented Triall pieces of yethe Exchequer by the like triall
Pieces of yethe Mint in thise likesame
by the triall pieces of yethe cComAnd then yethe IuryAnd& they also
in form themseby inspecting the from yethe Officers of yethe Mint & by
& for that end inspect the Indenture of the Mint delivered to them by the Master & Worker
& examin the Gold & Silver so proceed to yethe triall. by number after the Bo Pixes are opened
This riall is made by number weight tale fire & water after the same manner as is done
in yethe Mint at yethe Pixing of the monies before deliverance, the Iury Goldsmiths being
tahe jury of Goldsmithsbeing the Kings sworn Assaymasters Weighers & Tellers appointedsworn in
the room of the Assaymaster & Weigher & Teller of the Ming
to try the monies before appointed by & the King or Lords of yethe Councill & also in presence of the Warden MrMaster & Comptroller who as Officers of yethe
Mint in the execution of their Office are to see that the triall be
duely made as well as
that other at yethe Pixing of yethe monies be duly
made
the others of Bullion & new coyned monies in the Mint be duly made, according to the
rules set down in the Indenture of the Mint
& the Warden
& Comptroller or their Deputies are to enter of Record strong feeble or too strong [& make a true accompt thereof to thty
between his MatyMajesty & the M cease]& make a true accompt thereof to his MajtyMajesty
The King or Lords of the Council appointed by him may be also present. at their For tis the covenant between the King & Master & Worker that this triall shall
be made before allboth parties publickly before both parties.
The Pixes being opened the Iury first tell & weigh &c
For this trial like as well as those of Bullion & new coyned monies is appointed by yethe said Indenture as a part of the busi
ness of yethe Mint & from like yethe other trialls of Bullion & those of
new coyned monies becomes of force full force against the Master by its being made
before the three first said three Officers of yethe Mint to be made before them & by being made before them becomes of force [& all the triall of Bullion & money
are272
are directed by yethe same Indenture to be made by sworn Artificers before them & by being made
said three Officers & by being made before them becomes of force
against the Master, otherwise note. And the King or ant Lord or appoint any
of his Lords of the Councilin behalf of this MajtyMajesty & the crown For by the contract between the King & Master the triall is to be made before both parties
The Iury therefore first tell & weigh yethe monies in yethe Pix & when
they someany of them have told so much money of Gold or silver have weighed a pound told 44℔s or 66li 15s or 89l in gold & 3℔. 2s, ℔ 13s or
6℔. 4s.make a pound weight or a pound
& an half or two pound weight they weigh yethe same & setwrite down yethe tale & weight thereof & send
into an Ingott. And pd And when they have tolethe
monies they weigh thatem also & set down yethe weight & tale of yethe whole
monies of Gold or silver in yethe Pix & how much money theey whole makess in yethe pound weight.
Then they weight yethe Ingott & the grains & set down yethe weight & how much
monies it ought to make in yethe pound weight if the wast be but
about 8 or 10 grains in yethe pound weight they send it to be assayd: but if yethe wast be too
great so that tithe silver gold or silver monies may be suspected to be refined by in the melted &
set down they melt another parcell of money into an Ingot & send this Ingottthat
to be assayed.
These assay being finished a&in writing in yethe same form & manner as is done by yethe Assaymrmaster in the Mint. And the
expressing the whole weight & tale &of all the monies in the Pix & how
much they make in yethe pound wightweight & ytthat thatwhether they are agreable to standard
or standard full or scant or better wtwt or 1dwt or how muchto so much better or worse according to ytthat report. And in ytthat mean time the Warden & Comptroller towrite down how much the monies are too feeble or too strong in weight & tellallay in order to enter the same of record. Then yethe Iury draw up & signe their Veredict
And the Warden & Assaymaster record much the monies are too strong or too feeble in weight & tale &c & in order to certify yethe same to their Majts
At dinner the
At the time appointed by the Lord Chancellour the said Officers of the Mint & Iury attend his LopLordship & the Iury present their Veredict to him and the Remembrancers Deputy attends to read it & after& keeps it when tis read to receive it.
The form of the Veredict is in these words
TheA Copy of yethe Iuries Oath administred to yethe Iury
The form of their Veredict of yethe Iury.
A copy of The Paper to be delivered to the Lord Chancellour