Excerpt of copy of minutes of meeting at Treasury Chambers about bad money

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27th. Feby 1712

Whitehall Treasury Chambers

Present

Lord Trer Mr Chancr.

Lord Hallifax Mr Attorney & Mr Sollr come in

[1]

The Officers of the Mint Recrs of Customes & Excize and Tellers Clerks are called in.

Mr Peyton produced a Crown & Sevll half Crownes diminished by Washing

Mr Att & Sollr say diminishing is wiyin ye law agt Treason.

Mr Pauncefoot saies the Tallow chandlrs at first brot great quantitys of Counterfeit mo.

Mr Ferne says, there is not much bad mo comes to his hands

Mr Lilly says he always tells + weighs ye mo. Much brass was brot at first but not at prsent, he finds the wt wanting to be 2 or 3 ounces in a bag.

They all say they cull ye mo they suspect.

Mr Attor saies by old laws in force the mo in ye Excheqr is to be taken by wt.

Mr Peyton says half ye silver brot to ye Mint to be coyned is sus new bullion & they suspect it to be mony melted.

The Officers of ye Mint say they have mett with new mo clipt and edged againe

Sr Isaac Newton saies 6d bags are too light abt 16 oz 14 or 15 oz the 1s bags abt 7 oz + $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ the Crownes & $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ Crownes about 4 oz in every 100 C 100liby wearing + unlawfull diminishing together.

My Lord ordrs that the reasonable wearing only of ye 6ds 1s's & Crowns or half Crownes be exactly sepately be adjusted + a Medium taken from thence for ye ordinary wear of a bag {illeg} in wch those pieces are promiscuously putt.

The Officers of ye Mint are to consider how to prvent the Counterfeiting of the Copper half pence & farthings.