Assorted draft memoranda relating to the Edinburgh mint
<text in Isaac Newton’s hand begins>And in conformity topursuance of the Act of Parliament 16{illeg} for defraying the expence of a free coinage made in ye year there shall be onetwo piles of like standard weig English weights kept the one in her majts Exchequer at Edin{illeg}burg{illeg}h, & the other & the other pile of the like English wts {illeg} kept{illeg}by the Dean of the Gild of Edenburgh
And in pursuance of the Act of Parliamt of 1686 for defraying the the expence of a free coinage, there shall be two piles of like Standard English weights kept the one in the Exhequer of North Britain & the other by the Dean of Gild of Edinburgh; & likewise a standard or printed Roll Table shall be kept in the Mint-house of the value of money or bullion according to the denominations of weights used in the Mint of carats grains primes & seconds & the ordinary denominations of Pounds Ounces penny weights & grains by wch Merchants or others may know what they were to give in or get out when their bullion doth arise above or fall {illeg}below the standard appointed.
<text in Unknown Hand begins>Pile of weights sent down from ye mint here for ye City & Exchequer.
mem: care to be taken yt ye Piles of weights to be placed in ye hands of yt Exche & De of Dean of Guild of Edinburgh as is directed ye ye {sic} Scots act of 1686.
Care to be taken of table to be kept in ye mint as is directed by ye Scots act for ye information of ye melts
Q: {illeg}: care is taken for a speedy coinage ye Sc: {illeg} f: 108:
<text in Isaac Newton’s hand begins>Mem: To be considered how much money may be applied to ye Mint in Scotland & after what manner.
Mem That the Clerk of the Bullion {illeg} do ye service of Counter warden during weigher & Teller & surveyer of ye Melting under the Comptroller during life & then pr an to be added to ye Counterwardens place.
that for the more exact sizing of the moneys the counterpoizes of ye several & respective gold & silvercoins herein mentioned be made lighter then their just weight according to such a proportion as shall be agreed on by the General Master Warden & Counter warden not exceeding half the remedy that is to say not exceeding {illeg}24th the 12th part of a c{illeg}arat in the pound weight of gold & one penny weight in the pound weight of silver: to the end that the single pieces of the said species be made may of the new moneys may no{illeg}t vary above half the remedy in weight from their just standard. For which reason her Majesty ordeins that no piece of pei{illeg}ces {sic}
dated the 14th day of Iune 1686 are
And in regard the duty arising in Scotland by the 24th Act of of ye 2d Session of parliamt in the first of his said late Maty King Iames the seventh made in Scotland dated ye {illeg}4th Iune 1686 foor the maintenance of the said Mint at Edinbught {sic} are is expired, & in lieu thereof the duty arising by the Coinage aforesaid A{illeg}cts of Parliament made in England are by the before the Act of union are by the aforesaid Act of Parliamt. made in the seventh year of her present Maty extended into Scotlandnorth Britain for the maintenancedefraying the charges of the said mint at Edingburg & the Salaries & charg ‡{illeg}es of repairs of buildings & other incident charges out {illeg} of the said mint, {illeg} wch may not exceed the summ of 1200 in any one year may in case of a deficiency of the said cCoinage duty arising in Scotland be paid out of any part of the moneys coinage duty of great Britain Wherefore {illeg} {illeg} soveraign Lady
‡ present Maty in pursuance of ye sd Act of union extended into north Britain for defraying the charges of the said Mint may be applied towards the paying of such summ as shall be necessary & reasonable {illeg} the Ltowards not exceeding in the whole the sum of 1200li for fees & salaries of ye Officers of the sd Mint {illeg}at Mint in ScotlandEdinburgh & towards providing maintaining & repairing the houses offices & buildings & other necessaries for assaying melting down & coining in the sd Mints of Scotland: wherefore our said Soveraign Lady the Queen doth by these presents ordein & appoint that the said Master & Worker {illeg}shall receive out of her Majts Excheqr from time to time all such moneys as in pursuance of the said Act of union are appointed to be paid unto him by the said Act of Parliamt made in the seventh year of her reign in purs in pursuance of the Act inor pshall be appointed by any following Act in pursuance of the of Parliament for defraying the charges or expences of the said Mint at Edinburgh
Source
MINT 19/3/216, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK1707, c. 819 words.