Draft of MINT00605 (Mint 19/2/306)

<438r>

To the Rtmost Honble the Lord H. Ealrl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer, Ld H. Treasurer of great Britain.

May it please yor Lordp

In obedience to yor Lordps Order of Reference upon the Petitions of Iohn Pery & others for supplying the Mint with either Bla{illeg}ncks or Plates of fine copper to be coined into half pence & farthings, We humbly represent that copper money is at present very little wanted, but if it shall be thought fit to put the coinage of such money into a standing method, We are humbly of opinion

That the whole coinage of such money including the making of the blanks, be done in the Mint it being unsafe to have coinaing Tools & coinage abroad

That it be done of the cheapest fine copper wch will hammer when red hot & is worth about 11d or 12d p{illeg}er {illeg}pound weight. In finer copper & dearer copper we may deceived there being no certain test of the higher degrees of fineness, & theies great price will tempt fals coiners to counterfeit it.the money.

That it be done out of copper either hammered into plates at the copper mills or cast into barrs or fillets at the Mint wth an addition of two or three ounces of Tinn to an hundred weight of copper in fusion to make the metal runn close. The last way is most conformable to the Coinage of Gold & Silver & is cheapest by 2d in the pound weight, & is therefore to be preferred. For there will be least got by counterfeiting that money whose workmanship its cheapest.

That this money may be edged with such an edging as may be fittest to prevent counterfeiting by casting.

That the stamp for avoiding frequent trouble to ye Queen & Council in altering it, remain one & the same as in the moneys of gold & silver unless it shall be thought fit at any time upon any extraordinary occasion by Order of Councill to alter it

That an Importer be appointed to buy & import the copper the copper by weight & receive itthe new money back by weight {illeg}& assay tale & put the same away. And that the Master & Worker for the time being, be charged & discharged by his Note as in the coinage of gold & silver, & be allowed a weigher & teller for weighing the copper & telling the money between him & the Im{illeg}porter & entring all receipts & paymts. And that if the copper prove not good upon the assay the Master have power to refuse it. And that a person <438v> be appointed to survey the meltings & the whole coinage

That all the charge of copper, coining tools, coinage wages & incidents be paid out of the profits of the coinage, & that there be no & that there be no standingperpetual salaries to increase the extrinsic value of the moneys. And that ye Accountant be either ye Importer or the Master & be allowed for his trouble hazzards & charges in cashkeeping & accounting.be Accounted & be allowed for the same.

That a coinage of about 20 or 30 Tunns once in three or four years or of 50 Tunns once in six or eight years is sufficient for supplying the dayly loss & wast of the moneys already coined, & may prove too much if the counterfeiting of this money encreases. And that a coinage of about twenty or 30 tunns thirty or at the most 50 Tunns is abundantly sufficient at present.

That a coinage of such money from time to time may be performed by one & th{illeg}e{illeg} same standing Commission, & yt it be in the power of the Lord H. Treasurer or Lds Commrs of yt Treary for the time being to appoint by a particular warrant. {sic} the quantity of copper mony to be coined at the sameany time: wch quantity should never be so great as to endanger any clamour.

And that the Accountant

All which, & whether a coinage shall be set on foot till there be a greater want of such money, is most humbly submitted to yor Lordps great wisdome.

And that when a coinage of such money shall be resolved upon by her Maty, the{illeg} Petitioners & others who sellhave copper be consideredworks be treated wth & his copper chosen which is best coloured & most malleable & ch{illeg}p{illeg}eapest of such sorts of c{illeg}opper as will hammer when red hot.