Reply to MINT00419 (Mint 19/3/177) and MINT00420 (Mint 19/3/35)

<44r>

Sr

I received sometime since a letter from you with an inclosed paper containing several Quæres relating to your Mint & the charges of making up the late Coynage & another{illeg} make way ofthe buisines of your Mint. I have been slow to return an answer for fear that some of those things may be referred to the officers of or Mint with whom I find it sometimes difficult to agree & therefore what I now write to you {illeg} is to be looked upon not as coming not from an Officer of ye Mint but from a private friend.

I am of opinion that the Officers of yor Mint should{illeg} sollicit the Barons of the Excheqr to get the Bullion in the hands of ye Barons of the Exchequer Executors of Mr Stewardt & the under collectors to be {illeg}paid into ye Mint with all convenient speed & that as it comes in you should pay it in due course & order as it became due discharging those debts first to whome it became first due. & which were first owing And when you have cleared all debts & accounts to any certain time you(suppose to Christmas orChristmas or Lad{illeg}y was a twelvemonth or Midsummer last, you may then or to any later time,) you may then make up & pass yor accounts to theat time if you think fit, & afterwards you may pass your accounts annually according to the {illeg} course of the Mint in the Tower expressed in the Indenture of ye Mint taking care to clear all the acc{illeg}ounts of every year before you make oath to them & pass them, because by passing them you are d{illeg}ischarged of all accounts till that time.

As for the Moneyers, {illeg}I{illeg} am of opi{illeg}nion that the nine pence per pound weight should be paid them in course as money comes into yor hands & that in your accounts the penny per pound weight above the 8d be set down in your accounts, & if the Ba Auditor or Barons of the Exchequer scruple it, you may petition my Lord Trear. to have itT What else is due to the Moneyers on account of your coynage as they must petition my Lord Treasurer to be allowed. I beleive my Lord will scarce pay any thing to them at London, butecause it was properlty belongs to your account what is due to them can scarce come into any other account then yors

The Pix & Assay pieces you are to receive & have & place ym in your account as so much money received, & to bring in a bill of the loss of Assays. The Bill must be examined allowed & signed by the Warden & Counter-Warden.

You should also according to the best of your judgmentmemory & knowledge bring in aone or more Bills of charges for the Miln horses & their maintenance & servants, & for furnishing Rollers, upholding the files cutters & tumblers, or th & fire candles & allome & other necessaries for the moneyers. And this bill also should be examined & signed by the Warden & Counter Warden. And so should all the Bills of Br Carpenters Brick layers stone Masons Pairers Glasiers Smiths &cPlaisters Plaisterers &c

I pay to ye Smith of ye Mint a farthing per pound weight {illeg} of all the mo silver moneys coyned, for his making the Dyes, & whether the like allowance should be made by you towards {illeg}defraying the incident charges of ye coynage I leave tomust leave to be consideredation

<44v>

I con{illeg}ceive twelve pencetwelve pence per pound weight to the Refiner to be {illeg} sufficient for all the mone silver refined to the degree of 17dwt & an half better & for every half penny weight wch the refined silver want of this fineness, f a farthing may be abated out of the shilling, unless you can think of any exacter estimate.