'Reasons humbly offered to his Sacred Matie & the Councill, for making an act of Parliament, to prevent the Counterfitting of the Coin, by Ioseph Aickin Clark'

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Reasons humbly offered to his Sacred Matie & the Councill, for making an act of Parliament, to prevent the Counterfitting of the Coin, by Ioseph Aickin Clark

1. Since the repealing of an old act, against Multiplying of metalls, men are grown very ingenious in making metals wch. imitate Silver & Gold; and that there are alchymists who make such metals & sell them to the counterfitters of the coin; viz. blancht copper, Tin & quicksilver incorporated; and that Swedish Copper money is imported & sold to the counterfitters of the coin &c.

2. That mill'd money is easier counterfitted than the old money; & that there is abundance of such counterfit money already; and that the number of the counterfitters of the coin encrease daily;

3. That there are a great many counterfitters of the coin enformed against, who are not apprehended; and that the officers employed to take them up, commonly called Thief-catchers, seldom bring any such offender to Iustice, who are able to pay them down the convict money; and that two such, have discharged 4 or 5 such offenders for 50℔.

4. That a Royal Silver mine wch. was discovered to her late Matie was nevertheless let to several men, who nevertheless are most of them counterfitters of the coin, and that it is a very rich mine; and that I know all the particular thereof &c.

5. That all those Tradesmen proposed to be Licenced, who have enriched themselves by the ruine of the coin of the nation, are likely to promote the same unlawfull practice still, unless prevented by good Laws.

6. That the enacting of several mints in the Kingdom, will instruct many men in coining, who when discharged, may be dangerous men, if not provided for or prevented of the meanes of counterfitting the coin

Lastly That yr. Peticoner will undertake, if his methods be made into a Law, to extirpat the very thoughts of counterfitting the coin out of England in a yeares tyme, without oppressing any of yr. Maties good subjects; for there is no man can better do it, that he who understands all the mysteryes of the Trade and no other method can do it effectually.