Holograph draft of MINT00515 (Mint 19/2/467), with notes

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May it please yor Lordps

According to yor Lordps order we have the Pix of the Copper moneys coyned by Mr Wood for Ireland has been opened & tried in the Mint by the kings Assaymaster before us. And by the Comptrollers account (to wch Mr Wood agreed) there has been coined from Lady day 1723 to March 28th 1724 in half pence 55 Tuns 5 C, 3Qters, 0lwt, 12gr {sic}, [making value 15,548li. 11s. 10d$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$.] And in farthings 3 Tunns, 17Q. 2Q. {illeg} 10li. 8oz [making value 1,086li, 6s. 3d.] And that the] And that by the specimens of{illeg} this coinage wch have from time to time had been taken from the several parcels coined & put into the pix we found that sixty half pence weighed 314 ounces Troy & eighteen penny weight that is, al wch or one pound weight Troy & averdupois & which is about a quarter of an ounce above one pound averdupois & that {illeg}thirty farthings weighed thre {sic} ounces & three quarters of an ounce {illeg}Troy & forty six grains. And that both half pence & farthings when heated red hot barrs {illeg} endured to be hammered very thinspread very thin under the hammer without cracking, as your Lordps may see by the pieces now laid before you. But tho the copper was very good & the the {sic} money taken one piece with another was {illeg} full weight, yet the single pieces were not so equally coined in weight as they should have been.

We found also that thirty & two old half pence coined for Ireland in the reigns of king Charles the second king Iames ye second & king William coi & Queen M{illeg}ary weighed 6 ounces & eighteen penny wt Troy, that is, 1023$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ grains a piece with another,. better what they had lost by wearing.They were much worn. And if {illeg}about six or seven or eight grains be allowed to each of them one with another forr {sic} loss of their weight by wearing, they might at first weigh about half a pound sterling. averdupoise one with another. But they were made of bad copper. Two of those coined in the reign of king Charles ye second wasted {illeg}much in the fir{illeg}e & then spread thin under the hammer but not so well without cracking as those of Mr Wood. Two of those coined in the reign of king Iames the second & two of those coined in the reign of king William & Queen Mary wasted still more in ye fire turned in the fire to a substance like a cynder & flew {illeg}in pieces under the hammer, as your Lordps may see by the pieces now laid before you.

The half pence & farthings coined in the Pix coined by Mr Wood had one one side the head of the king wth this inscription GEORGIUS DEI GRAITIA REX & on the Reverse a woman sitting wth a Harp by her left side & the inscription Hibernia HIBERNIA. {sic} with the date. And we did not observe that any of them were of any other form. The half pence coined in the reigns of king Charles king Iames & king William had theon one side the head of the kingsking Charles or King Iames or King Wm & {sic} & queen Mary with & on the reverse a harp crowned.

Two of those coined in the reign of king Iames the second wasted more in the fire & were not malleable when red hot: two of those coined in the reign of K. W. & M. wasted much more & tur in the fire & turned to an unmalleable substance like a cinder, as your Lordps may see by the pieces now laid before you.

We reccon the copper of Mr Woods half pence & farthings to be of about the same goodnes & value with the copper of wch the copper money is coyned in the kings mint for England, & at or worth about 12 or 13d per pound weight {illeg} Averdupois in the market: & the copper of wch the half pence were coyned for Ireland in the reigns of king Cha. king Iames & king William to be much inferior in value & scarce & almost of no value in the Market, the mixture being uncertain & not bearing the fire by wch itthe metal may befor converteding it to any other use.