Letter from Newton to the Lord High Treasurer concerning the proposal of Charles Hore to be given a 30-year copper coining monopoly

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To the most Honble the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer, Lord High Treasurer of great Britain.

May it please yor Lordp

In obedience to yor Lordp Order of Reference of ye 12th of Feb last upon the Petition & Memorial of Charles Hore for coyningthe sole making & vending, of in about 30 years, the quantity of 700 Tunns of half pence & farthings in about 30 years, of suchsuch fine copper worth 2s 6d per pound weigh as as when wrought into wch when wrought into vessels would according to a sample {illeg} wch of such fine copper as when wrought into vessels would be worth 2s 6d pr pound weight, & to cut a pound weight of such copper into no more then 28 pence, & that an affidavit shall be made by his workman of the fineness of the Copper accordingsuitable to the a Sample given in: We have considered the same, & are humbly of opinion that it may be dangerous to have any Sort of coynage or coining tools out of the Mint; that the cheaper the copper is the less temptation there will be to counterfeit the mone copper money, & that very good copper for this purpose may be had for about 11 {illeg}d pence halfpenny per pound weight; [That the coinage of seven hundred Tunns in 30 years, wch is after the rate of 23 $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{3}}$ Tunns per an̄, would in a Short few years create clamours];That an affidavit of ye goodness of the copper made by the servant of the Petitioner be not relied upon, but the copper be assayed in the Mint whenever there shall be a coinage That it is safer to value the examin the value of the Copper by an experimental trial made in the Mint then to trust to an affidavit made of the value by hisa workman; of his. That whatever a Patentee get by the coinage, the adds to ye temptation coining the money ill & of counterfeiting the it copper moneywhen coined, & therefore the coinage should be perfermed upon account, That a Patentee who coins ye money without account may make great profit by coining it light & of bad metal, & therefore it should be coined upon account; That whatever a Patentee gets by the coinage increases the temptation to counterfeit the money when coined. & Therefore it should be coined to ye just value of the copper workmanship & incident charges as nearly as may be; And that the coinage of 700 Tunns in about 30 years, ( wch is after ye rate of 23$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{3}}$ Tunns per an̄, would in a few years create clamours, the people having twice peti complained in Parliament against too manymuch copper money, & not yet begun to move for a greater quantity.

All wch is most humbly submitted