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

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Minutes for
An Act for further encouragement of the coynage.

1 Vpon ye arrival of every ship a Custome-house Officer to take an account of all Gold & Silver imported therein & enter the same wth ye exact weight of every species thereof in a Book for that purpose & give the Merchant an indented Ticket conteining a Copy of the said entry cut out from ye said Book & pay ye Mercht [1] pr oz for all ye ☉ & one qter thereof pr oz for all the ☾ & in {illeg} entred therein & or so much thereof as shall contein {illeg} above $\frac{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{6}}$ of fine ☉ or ☾. And if any doubt arise about ye fineness the to stamp all ye Barrs or Ingots with a stamp for that purpose. All this he shall do gratis.

2 If the Merchant within one yea 12 months after the date of the said entry or Ticket shall bring the said Gold or Silver or any part thereof to ye Mint to be coyned, the Master & Worker or his Deputy after coynage thereof shall gratis enter on ye Back side of the said Ticket, the species & gross weight of the Gold or Silver so brought into ye Mint & the weight of the money into wch it hath been coyned.

3And upon delivering back the said Ticket at ye Custome house, the Merchant or his Assignes may wthin one year 12 months after the said Date thereof export the BullionBullionGold or Silver mentioned therein or any part thereof together with so much money by weight as hath been coyned out of the other part {illeg} thereof wch is not exported, paying a Duty of [2] 4d or 6d pr ounce for all English Gold monies exported and of [3] 2d or 3d pr ounce for all uncoyned Gold or forreign Gold monies exported and of [4] 1d pr ounce for all English silver monies exported and of [5] $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$d pr ounce for all uncoyned silver or forreign silver monies exported. Which Duty shall be kept apart wth the Duty already granted for encouragemt of coynage & together with it be paid into the Excheqr & thence imprest to ye Mr & Worker according to ye present usage of ye Mint for or towards defraying the charges of coyning the monies so exported.

4 The Ticket so defaced filed in ye Custom house & ye Exportation entred there. And if all the Bullion or money mentioned in the said Ticket be not exported the remainder to be entred & the Merchant to have gratis a new intdented Ticket of the 1st date for ye sa{illeg}me, & also for so much Bullion & Money as he exports to have gratis a License under ye hands of        Commrs of ye Customes.

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No gold or silver to be exported in Barrs or Ingots or molten masses wch have not ye Custome house mark upon them

Felony to counterfeit this stamp. And A penalty for counterfeiting this stamp or impressing it upon other Gold or Silver then such as shall be found in ye ship at its first arrival, or exporting Gold or Silver without license or more then licensed, or shipping the same for exportation

No gold or silver to be exported out of Ireland unless into England upon pain of          And an acct of all ye ☉ & ☾ exported into England to be sent monthly {illeg}from ye Custome house of Ireland to ye Custome house in London.

The Commrs. of the Customes to take annually an Acct of all ye Gold & Silver {illeg}of every species imported & exported in all or ports & send copies of the summs of every species imported from & exported to every place, to be sent to ye Treary, ye Council of Trade & ye Mint.

In consideration of the advantages accruing to the East India Company by this Act by lowering the price of Bullion & permitting the exportation of money, & for encouragemingent of the importingation gold & silver in lie{illeg}u of ye great quantities exported by them they the said Company shall annually pay into the Custome hous {sic} upon ye Feast of — ye summ of — [6] And out of this Annuity the merchant shall receive together wth ye Ticket about mentioned the sa       pr ounce for every ounce of Gold imported &         pr ounce for every ounce of Silver imported, provided the same contein not less then $\frac{\mathrm{10}}{\mathrm{12}}$ of fine ☉ or ☾. And upon any doubt, the Assaymr of ye Mint to assay the same at ye Charge of ye Mercht.

Such an Act {illeg}would be for ye advantage of ye Merchant by the use of his Gold & Silver when turned into money. It would save him the trouble & charge of attending with it at Goldsmiths Hall. It would leave trade free{illeg} even freer {illeg}then in Holland where ye Merchant pays to ye Mint for what he exports. It would prevent the much better then {illeg} by Customehouse oathspreventput an end to ye perju{illeg}ry of such as now export by fals oaths & much better then by oaths prevent the melting down of or money for exportation by wch the nation loses the charge of coynage [& secure us from ye exportation of more gold & silver then is imported,] much better then tis done at prsent by Custome house oaths. It would increase or coyne by the merchants money with till exportation & also by what is not exported within 2 months. It would prevent ye perjury of such as {illeg}now export by fals oaths. It would be of great credit to ye nation by the Merchants coyningexporting their Gold & Silver {illeg}in the form of English money to {illeg}be current in forreign nations. For this would make us appear to them more rich & potent then we do at present [& this without putting the government to any new charge worth considering or diminishing or money at home.

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Such a Law would leaverender Trade perfectly free even freer then in Holland when Bullion exported pays to their Mint. It would save the Merchant the trouble & charge of attending at Gold Hall & Goldsmiths Hall with his Bullion. & It& at Gold Hall witnesses wch d {sic}etersiscourages him from bringing his Bullion hither. It would [put an end to ye {illeg} practises of such as now export by false oaths &] secure us from the 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 silver for exportation by wch ye nation loses ye charge of coyange& exporting by fals oaths. It would put an end to ye buying of Plate for exportation. It would be profitable to ye Merchant [who imports by ye reward it gives him & t{illeg}o him who exports] by bringing down Bullion to ye {illeg}standard price, & also by the use of his gold & silver when turned into Bullion money, {sic} [& by the coyning of his money cheaper & better here then abroad. [ wch respects the East India Company would receive more profit by it then ye charge of ye above mentioned Annuity amounts to. It would free ye Company from that odious clamour against them for exporting more silver then is imported] It would increase or coyn as well by the Merchants money running amongst us till exportation & alsoas by what is not exported within the year. It would be of great credit to ye nation by ye Merchants exporting their Gold & Silver in ye form of English money to be current in forreign nations. For this would make us appear to them more rich & potent to them then we do at prsent [wch & {illeg} so mend our interest{illeg} & give us advange both in trade & treating] & {illeg}thereby mend our interest in tTrade & tTreaties.