Model letter for Allardes to send to Treasurer Godolphin

<183r>

November 28, 1706

Sr

We desire you to pay Mr John Flamsteed her Maties Astronomer upon account the summ of fifty pounds towards defraying the charges of preparing his Astronomical papers for the publick & correcting the Press, & the same summ shall be allowed in yor account to his Royal Highness the Prince.

May it please yor Lop

It has been found by experience that in her Majts Mint at Edinburgh that in melting the silver & lading it out into moulds, the allay fumes away while the silver is lading out so that when the silver lastfirst laded out is about three half penny weight finer then that is standard, that wch is last laded out proves threethat about three halfpenny weight {illeg} finer then standard. And for some dying this mischief that And the scissel when remelted proves all of it finer then standard & some of it without the remedy. Whence it has been the practise of the said Mint to add a halfpenny weight of copper to every every pound weight of silver sfor supplying the wast of the allay made by its fuming away & to putt this {illeg} copper into the pot when the silver is half laded off that the {illeg}silver wch remains to be laded off may become of the same standard fineness wth that wahich was laded off before. We use scotch or Pit coale {illeg} wch causes a greater heat then the charred coale made used in the Tower & so makes the copper fume away faster, & that coale not being to be had in Scotland & carriage by sea being uncertain & no coale there being at present no time to try experiments for regulating the fire nor any bodyartificer in London who is experienced in melting wth Scotch coale, I humbly pray your your Lordp that the parties officers of her Majts Mint at Edinburgh may be still allowed stillif her Majty pleases to use their formerancient method of reducing the molten silver to standard untill the present recoinage of the moneys in Scotland shall be finished, it being otherwise impracticable to pr make the moneys of due standard fineness or to go on with the make coyn the moneys with dispatch, & safety [wthout so great a charge in melting the All wch &c melting the silver offten as will exceed the profits of my place besides the danger of exceedingbeing without the remedy in some pieces of ye money.]

All wch &c.

Allardes Master of her Majts Mint at Edinb.

<183v>

We are humbly of opinion that it is be good is the duty ofis reasonable & agreeable to the Indenture of the Mint & the law of the land for& at present necessary for the Master of her Majts Mint in Scotland to put in so muc allay the silver in such manner & proportion as shall be found theb most exact eff most effectual & exact for making {illeg} the moneys of due standard fineness, provided the allay be put in not by conjecture of in an arbitrary manner but according to such rule{illeg} or rules as shall be grounded upon experience is reason & allowedagreed upon by the Officers of that Mint & allowed by her Majesty. And particualrly that theyhe may be allowed to allay the silver in the middle of its ladling out as in such proportion as they hadth been used to dousual untill the moneys in Scotland shall be recoyned, especially since by many experiment newly made in that Mint the silver is found to refine in the proportion alleged in the memorial & the moneys coyned by their ancient method provided better then standard in the lastte trial of the pix & there is no time at present for making experiments to bring this matter to an exacter regulation.