"Proposals for preserving and encreasing the silver Coin of this Kingdom"

<334r>

Proposals for preserving & Encreasing

the Silver Coin of this Kingdom.

All Silver imported & design'd for Exportation except Forreign Money, to be examin'd & enter'd in ye Mint; & for that End, upon it's {sic} first arrival at London, to be brought to ye Mint by ye Owner, & Two or more other Witnesses, who shall there prove ye importation upon Oath. And such of ye said silver as is not yet in ye Ingot, to be there melted down into Ingots, the Mercht: paying 1d ꝑ pound for ye melting. & these Ingots & all other Ingots of ye silver above mention'd shall at ye choise of ye Merchant be coin'd into Moneys, or markt with a Stamp provided in ye Mint for that purpose. And ye Master of ye Mint (if desir'd) shall give ye Merchant an Indented Ticket certifying ye Weight of ye Moneys coyn'd out of ye said Forriegn silver, & ye time of ye Coynage thereof; which Ticket shall be cut out of a Book provided in ye Mint, & be enter'd in the same Book

Ingots not markt with ye Mint Stamp may not be Exported, nor carry'd on Board any ship, nor bought or sold, but may be brought to ye Mint for encreasing the Coin, excepting that Ingots of fine silver may be sold by Refiners to silversmiths, Wyerdrawers & such other Artificers as manufacture ye same. This Law now obtains in France by an Edict of March was a Twelvemonth, for preventing ye melting down of ye moneys

The Merchant upon delivering ye Mint Tickets at ye Custom house, may within a Year after ye Coynage of the Moneys mention'd therein, by warrant of ye Commissioners of ye Customs upon a day appointed in ye Warrant, Ship for Exportation, the said Moneys, or ye same Weight of like moneys, or any part thereof & also any Ingots wch have ye Mint Stamp upon them, or& any forreign Moneys & the <334v> Customer shall enter ye same and file ye Tickets.

All Silver English Moneys before shipping for Exportation, to pay 1d: $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ ꝑ ounce Troy at the Custom house, for ye Charges of assaying, melting, & Coyning ye same which Duty shall be kept apart with ye Duty already granted for Encouraragement of Coynage, & therewith paid into ye Exchequer, and thence imprest to ye Mr: of ye Mint for ye same uses.

Penalties on them who counterfeit ye Mint Stamp or ye Mint Tickets, or Ship off Silver not licens'd, or without paying ye duty; or upon any other day then that appointed in ye Warrant, or under any other name than that of ye true Owner. Or buy, or smell unmarkt Ingots, or knowingly bring Silver to ye Mint to be Markt, or Coin'd as Forreign which is not Forreign.

Such a Law would Enable ye Officers of ye Mint to understand ye State of ye Money, wth respect to Trade. It would render Trade freer than at present. It would save the Merchant ye trouble of attending with his Bullion, and Witnesses at Goldsmith's Hall, & Guild-hall, after he has melted it at ye Refiners, or Goldsmiths. It would Check ye melting down of her Majesty's moneys for Exportation, or for sale to Goldsmiths, much better than ye Laws do at present. It would encrease ye Coynage in her Mats: Mint & decrease ye Indian Manufacture of coyning or Bullion in Ports where ye Company have not a Mint of their own. for which Coynage ye Indians receive of us a large Seiginorage {sic} It would be profitable to ye Merchant by ye use of his Gold & Silver when turn'd into Money before Exportation. It would encrease our Coin, as well by ye Merchants Money running amongst us, till Exportation, as by what is not exported within ye Year. It would be of great Credit to ye Nation, by ye Merchants exporting their Gold & Silver in ye form of English money, to be current in Forreign Nations. and <335r> thereby make us appear abroad, more rich & potent, than We do at present. And all this would be done, without any new charge to ye Government. And if ye Governmt: should pay the Charge of Coynage, or any part thereof, it would be pay'd by one part of ye Nation to another part thereof, wthout loss to ye whole.

I Stanley

Is. Newton

In Ellis

[1]

<333v>

<text in Unknown Hand begins>Proposals for preserving and
encreasing ye Silver Coin of this
Kingdom.