Draft of MINT00070 (Mint 19/1/172-3)

<157r>

A Question being moved about a clause in the Gravers Patent, I humbly beg leave to lay the matter before yor Lordp. that All Gravers having a liberty to make Medals where they are not restrained by the Governmt the Gravers of the Mint for their {sic} tThe Gravers for their encouragement & for restraining the liberty of making Medals with the effigies of ye {illeg}King or Queen have be a clause in their Patent been allowed & all others prohibited or to make such Medals with the effigies of the K. or Q.. And this Office of Medal-maker to ye Crown has been sometimes encouraged by a large salary out of the Civil List, & sometimes granted to strangers & is not part of the constitution of the Mint. For by the standing constitution of the Mint, [the Master & Worker imploys not the Graver to melt & coyn but] the Moneyers to coyne what ever the GraverGovernment has occasion for whether mMoney Medals or Healing pieces, the metal weight allay and form of the mMoney & Medals being first appointed by the King or Queen by advice of the Council, & the Graver only makinesg the stamps. Now if for saving her Majty & the Council the trouble of giving particular Orders about such Medals as the Government has no occasion for, & for encouraging the Graver the Gravers of the Mint {illeg} to improve themselves {illeg} to be content with less salaries it be {illeg} thought fit to continue this Office or Privilege of Medal-maker to the crown to the Gravers: we areI am humbly of opinion that the Gravers be obliged to set thiseir name or the first letters thereof upon thiseir ownown Medals to distinguish them from Medals made by the Queens Mint. HThey may be also {illeg}restrained from dispersing them before a specimen of them has been shewed to your Lordp or your Order Lordp {sic}or even from making medals wch relating to state affairs or be otherwise limited as her Majty shall think fit. And if it should be thought fit upon any emergent occasion, to restrain thenwhen it shall ever the Government pleases to have any Medals to prohibit the Graver coined by the Mint to {sic} order the the coynage of a Medal I am ready to coyn such Medalls as her Majty shall Orderthem by her Majts Warrantit according to the course of the Mint as in the case of coronation Medals & to deliver any number of themsuch Medals to yor Lordps Order. But should the Graver's melting & coyning be made a part of the constitution of the Mint the alteration in the constitution would be fundamental & might tend to confuse.confusion & to bring the Mint into dis{illeg} dis{illeg} discredit. & {illeg} & {illeg} All wch &c And I humbly conceive her Majts warrant to be requisite for the safety & credit of the Mint & that its best to have it by advice of the Council according to ancient customs. But wthout her Majts Warrant for every particular sort of coyn I humbly conceive it is not creditable nor safe for the Mint to act, nor proper for me as Master & Wr to {illeg}coyne by any other hands then the Moneyers the Gravers.] But to alter the course of the Mint by making the Gravers privelege a part of the constitution or to place in the Mint an arbitrary power of coyning Medals, or to give the Gravers to any Medals not approved by ther Majty Government the credit of being coyned by the Mint may be of illhave bad consequences., All wch {illeg} & I humbly conceive its better that the clause in the Gravers Patent is to Privilege be taken {illeg}away, & the coynage of Medals left to ye c{illeg}ourse of the Mint

The Gravers of the Mint do hereby give notice that their privilege of making Medals for the Queens Effigies,wth beisng no part of the constitution of ye Mint; & that [for distinguishing their Medals from Medals made by the Mint they will for the future set their names or the first letters thereof upon all thei{illeg}r own Medals to distinguish them from Medals made by the Queens Mint

<157v>

But should the Course oof the Mint be allowed by making the Gravers Privilege a part of the constitution or

Now w

But whether the Coynage or Medals for the future shall be in the Gravers or in ye Mint is humbly & is wth what restrictions is humbly su