Rough draft of MINT00360 (Mint 19/3/190)

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To the Rt Honble Sidney Earle of Godolphin Lord High Treasurer.

May it please yor Lordp

Speaking yesterday withAttending my Ld Chancellour of Scotland about on Thursday about the Mint at Edinburgh, his Lop proposed to us to lay before your Lop a Memorial concerning someuchsome things wch his Lop thought properwch might be to be considered by the Committee of Council wch is to sit to morrowday upon the affairs of Scotland.

His Lop is considering whether the Pix of that Mint may not be still tried before her M{illeg}ajties Council in Scotland as formerly, & if so, we are humbly of opinion that in conformity to the Act of Vnion there may be made seven indented Trial pieces of Crown gold & seven of standard silver, two of each metal to be kept in the two Treasuries to try the Pixes of the two Mints, two of each for the Wardens of the two Mints to try the moneys before delivery & to decide questions between the Master & Importer about the fineness of the Bullion, two of each for the masters of {illeg}the two Mints to make the moneys by, two & one of each for the Wardens & Company of Goldsmiths in London to try their plate & manufactures of gold & silver. Such trial pieces have formerly beem made by a Iury of Goldsmiths summoned & sworn either by the Ld Chancellour, or Lords Commrs of the Tre{illeg}asuryer.
     It will be also convenient that a Pile of standard Troy {illeg}weights be made for the Treasury in Scotland by the Deputy Chamberlains of the Excheqr, if it be not already done. But If both pixes be tried by the original standard weights kept in at Westminster, six Trial pieces will be sufficient. They have formerly been made by a Iury of Goldsmiths summoned & sworn either by the Ld Chancellour {illeg}or by the Ld Treasurer.

The Indenture of the Mint directs that two Piles of Standard Troy weights be made & examined by the OfficersWarden of the Mint & one of them delivered by the Warden of to the General of the Mint in Scotland. They may be printed like the weights sent to the corporations & in the absence of the General deli{illeg}vered to yor Lops order.

For setting the coynage on foot speedily in that Mint Her Maty may please to issue out aher Warrant to the General & other Officers of her Mint in Scotland with a copy of the I present Indenture of the Mint in the Tower annexed to it (or so much thereof as shall be thought necessary) annexed to it, authorizing & commanding them to coyn the moneys of gold & silver according tounder the rules & method set down in the said annexed Copy & {illeg} Order of the Treasury or Council of Scotland for putting that method in {illeg}ting & directing {illeg}to {illeg}observe that the ComptrollerCounterwarden {illeg}to concerning the duties of the {illeg} that Office {illeg}check the Meltings & coynage & keep an Account of the Dyes & that if any dispute shoualld arise about the duties the dutiesthe regulation of of the Officer that mint for puting that method in execution the order of the Treary or Council of Scotland be o{illeg}observed concerni{illeg}ng the same.
~ ~In the late recoynage of the hammered moneys in England, one tenth part of the silver was coyned into sixpences & four tenths into shillings, & the same proportion may be prescribed in the said Warrant if it be thought fit.

Another Warrant may be directed to the Genera Master of that Mint authorising the him to command the Graver to make Dyes & Master Puncheons & Dyes for coyning the money of the same form with the money coyned in the Tower of London & to use such master Puncheons as shall be sent him from the tower untill the Puncheons made by himself shall be approved by thies Officers of that Mint, & to set the letter E (the first letter of the name of the City of Edingborough) under her Majties Effigies as in the specimens of Dyes wch will be sent him from the Tower, that the money coyned in the two Mints may be thereby distinguished.

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The Gravers are making shillings Puncheons in the Tower, wth the new arms of great Britain, & tell us that they will be readyfinished with two or three pair of Dyes & be sent to Edin{illeg}burgh within a fortnight. And while they are coyning shillings in that mint, there may be Puncheons made for coy{illeg}ning other money. For we beleive {sic} it may be convenient to send them the first Puncheons from hence {illeg}that the money of both Mints may be exactly alike. Two or three pair of Dyes of each sort may be sent with the Puncheons for patterns. And if more Puncheons be at any time desired by the Officers of that Mint, we are ready to furnish them, the same being paid for out of moneys belonging to that Mint.

A new Instrument may be hereafter drawn up at any time hereafter, either in the form of an Indenture between her Maty & the Master of that Mint, or in the form of a Warrant prescribing the duty of every Officer in particular. In order to wch it will be convenient that a Copy of the constitution of that Mint be sent hither to be compared with the Indenture of this.

My Lord

By the direction of my Ld Chanclellour of Scotland we have drawn up humbly present yor Lordp wththe inclosed Memorial to yor Lop to be laid before the Committee of Council wch sits this afternoon upon ye Scotch affairs. & humbly present it to yor Lop

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authorising & commanding them Master to coyn the mo to act according tounder those rules there set down wch relate to their several oOffices & [particularly that the Master coyn the moneys under those rules for weigh of weight & fineness there prescribed] under the further directions of the Council & Ld Treasurer{illeg} of Sc       for puttingsuitable to those Rules in practice more effectually in p{illeg}ractice & p{illeg}articularly that of any dispute shall arise concerning the same. & particularly that the Master conyne all the moneys under those rules of the weight & fineness there set down & within the remedy there set down & take care that the several pieces bee not lighter then th{illeg}eir counterpoises & that the Warden & Counter-warden survey & cheque the who pro proceedings & accounts of all the other Officers, to see that those rules be observed& see that the moneys be well & duely coyned in all respects & that the General of the General of the Mint or Ld Trr of Scotland appointed one of the Officers of Clerks to keep an account of the Dyes & Puncheons