Holograph draft of MINT00063 (Mint 19/1/170-71)

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May it pl. yor Lp

In obedience to yor Lops Order of Ref. signified to us by Mr Lowndes his Letter of {illeg} Iuly     we have considered the Petition of Coll Parsons & Mr Croker and for to succeed Mr Ha discoursed the Petitioners & also spoke wth Mr Rose & we find that Coll. Parsons doth not grave himsel himself but imployes {illeg} good workmen & has the best workmen and has a good fansy & judgment in these matters & that Mr Rosse Mr Rosse {sic} desires at {illeg}only to succeed Mr Harris in his place of Graver of Seales forto her Mty & by a seale wch he has graved for the Dutchy of Lanc{illeg}aster he seems to be a good workman & well enoughfor seales & sufficiently qualified for that place. But as for the place of Graver to ye Mint Mr Harris'es other places of Graver for the money & for Medals we humbly lay before ye Lordp that the Master of the Mint & upon {illeg}considering what in{illeg}conveniency the Mind haddidhad lately suffereded & mightmay again suffer by taking in Cutters of seales who into the chief Gravers place, he did upon his succeeding Mr Neale put a clause into the Indenture then made between the Crown & himself, whereby the Gravers salary of 325li per annu upon ye next voydance fo the place should cease in order to a new establishmt for the {illeg} advantage of the Coynage For Mr Harris being a cutter of Seales & not skilled in that sort of graving wch is proper for the money, im imployed that Mr Roetier Iames Rotier & afterwards Mr Croker to do all theat work for an allowance of 175li per an & retained ye remaining 150li prer an to himself wthout doing any thing for it, & that Mr Croker not being bred up in the service of ye Mint was did not understand {illeg} it when he first succeeded Mr Roetier by was necessitated for {illeg}twor {sic}three or threefour years to copy after Mr Roetiers work, till by & tho now by long practise he works very well, & we are humbly of opinion that he is the fittest person to be first graver of the Mint. & It is humbly proposed therefore that no new Gravers for the security of the coyne against counterfeiting that there should be a set of Gravers constantly brought up in the Mint who having once attained to perfection in their way may to keep such Art amongst themselves & propagate it to the their Appren{illeg}tices or Probationers & be succeeded by them & that no new Graver be taken into the Mint unless as an Apprentice or Probationer. For wch end we humbyly propose that Mr Croker be made the first Graver of the Mint wth such an augmentation of his salary as yor Lordp shall think fit for maintaining himself & a servant to file & polish the Dyes, & that Mr Bull who is now a Probationer & works very well be made the second Graver wth {illeg} wth such a salary to be also appointed by yor Lordp, & a {illeg} new Probationer taken into the third place so soon as fit person shall be met with.

And as for Mr Harris his other place of Graver of Medals to her Majty we are humbly of opinion that the Gravers of the Mint for ye time being are the fittest persons to execute it, & that whenever the Master of the Mint receives any directions about Medals {illeg} making of Coronation Medals or others, they be obliged to assist him according & have no power without his leave to {illeg} use any of the Presses without his leave or Pr Mills for coynage in the Mint or to doe work upon Medals in any of thie rooms without his leavewch belongisng to his Office for ye coynage of money.

All wch &c