Letter concerning the allowed method of production of money of English standard at the Chester Mint

<1r>

[1]

Honoured Sr

I shall be very sorry if my care to answer in all points the Instructions given me as Dept Comptroller of this mint, should occasion me to incurr the displeasure of our superiours. I do not find in the Copy we have of the Indenture of the Mint, that it is prohibited to putt allay to scissell to reduce it to standard, and do think it necessary to do it when the barrs are found better. Yet I am given to understand I have erred in so doing, or which is equivalent in putting a Course Ingott into a pot scissell. Sr my particular instructions are to preserve an exact conformity in the finess and weight of all the Monies to the standard of England, nor does our Generall Instructions any where prohibit wthat we have done: besides I conceived it the Kings Interest not to make the mony too fine for more than one reason: And having observed by the reports of our Assay master often repeated, that the potts sett of exactly standard, proved in the pott and money assays alwais better, I concluded that the silver did refine in the first, and that the allay did really burn away to about the quantity of $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$dwt in each fusion: and to be sure of it, I caused an Ingott of about 1dwt worse to be melted down, with the same heat we usually gave our mettall when we cast barrs, and this without pouring it out we repeated three times, so that it was about 3 times as long as needed for casting, and at each hour I took an Assay piece, which our assay master found to grow better and better and the last best and very near standard: And the diminution of wt: was not much more than what was gained in finess; so that it seemed demonstration to me, that supposing the potts set off standard the barrs would be about $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$dwt better: and allowing accordingly we have found our money with all the curiosity I conceive the thing capable of, to answer to the standard of England: and so I doubt not but it will be found, when our money we have sent you up, comes to be assayed at the Tower, and our pix at the Exchequer: However being advertised that this is not the Tower practise I shall forbear it for the future, unless authorized by your approbation humbly begging your approbati opinion < insertion from the left margin > herin in a line or two by the first opportunity. I am Sr

Your most obedient servant

Edm. Halley

[2]

< text from f 1r resumes > <1v>

To Isaac Newton Esqr
at his house in Iermyn Street
near St Iames's

humbly present
London