Draft of MINT00287 (Mint 19/2/602-3)

<589r>

Proposals for preserving & encreasing the coyn of this kingdom without hindring ye freedom of Trade.

For preventing the exportation of more Gold & Silver then is impor{illeg}ted.

Vpon arrival of every merchant ship a Custome house Officer to take an account {illeg}of all Gold & Silver imported therein & enter ye same wth ye exact weight of every species thereof in a Book for that purpose & give ye Merchant an indented Ticket conteining a copy of ye said entry cut out from ye said Book & to stamp all ye Barrs or Ingots with a stamp for that purpose. All this he shall do gratis.

I{illeg}f the Merchant within one year after the date of ye said entry or Ticket shall bring the said Gold or {illeg}Silver or any part thereof to the Mint to be coyned the Master of the Mint or his Deputy shall gratis enter on ye backside of ye said Ticket ye Species gross weight & standard weight of the Gold {illeg}or silver so brought in & coyned.

And upon delivering back ye said Ticket at ye C{illeg}ustome-house, the Merchant or his DepAssignes may within one year after the Date thereof imexport the uncoyned Gold or Silver mentioned therein or any part thereof together with any summ of English money not exceeding the standard weight endorsed; paying the charge of coyning the money exported. Wheich payment shall be kept apart wth ye Duty granted by Act of Parliament for encouragemt of Coynage & together with it be paid into ye Exchequer & thence imprest to ye Mr of ye Mint for the same uses.

The Ticket so deli{illeg}vered back to be filed in ye Custome house & ye Exportation entred there wth ye species & weight of ye exported Gold & Silver coynd & uncoyned. And if all the Gold or Silver mentioned in ye said Ticket be not exported the remainder to be entred & ye Merchant to have gratis a new indented Ticket of ye first date for ye sa{illeg}me. And also for so much as he exports to have gratis a License under ye hands of four Commrs of ye Customes.

No gold or silver to be exported in Barsrs or Ingots or molten masses wch have not the Custome house mark upon them, & to counterfeit that mark shall be felony.

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A penalty for impressing that mark upon other gold or silver then such as shall be found in the ship at its first arrival or exporting Gold or Silver coynd or uncoynd without License or shipping the same for exportation.

No gold or silver to be exported out of Ireland unless into England upon pain of               And an account of all the Gold & Silver exported thence into England to be {illeg}sent monthly from ye Cu{illeg}stom house in Dublin to that in London that ye Officers here may enquire after it.

The Commrs of ye Customes to take annually an Acct of all ye Gold & Silver imported & exported in all or {illeg}ports & copies of the summs of every species imported from & exported to every place to be sent to ye Treary the Council of Trade & ye Mint. This last might be done by order of Treasury the rest by Act of Parliament.

Such a Law would render Trade free, even freer then in Holland when Bullion exported pays to their Mint. It would save the Merchant the trouble & charge of attending at Goldsmiths Hall wth his Bullion wch discourages him from importing it. It would secure us from ye exportation of more Gold & Silver then we import much better then we are now secured by Custom house oaths. It would put an end to the melting down of or silvermoney for exportation & exporting it by false oaths. It would raise the price of money above that of Bullion as it ought to be by reason of ye workmanship, & this would incline the Goldsmith to make plate of Bullion rather then of money & ye Merchant to increase or coyn by turning his Bullion into money contrary to what is done at prsent by reason of ye great price of Bullion. It would be profitable to the Merchant by thus lowering the price of Bullion & also by ye use of his Gold & Silver when turned into money. It would increase or coyn as well by ye Merchants money running abmongst us till exportation as by what is not exported within the year. And it would be of great credit to the nation by the Merchants exporting their Gold & Silver in the form of English money to be current in forreign nations. For this would make us appear to them more rich & potent then we do at present & thereby recommend & encourage or Ministers & Merchants {illeg}in Treaties & Trade. All this would be done wthout any new charge to ye Gover{illeg}nment.