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

<168r>

To the Right Honourable the Lord High Treasurer of England

may it please your Lordship

In obedience to your Lordships orders of Reference of the 8sh & 10sh of August, wherein we are directed to consider the qualifications of Coll Parsons, mr Croker, mr Rose & mr Fowler to succeed Mr Harris in the place of Graver of the mint, we humbly represent to your Lordship

That upon consideration of the great inconveniencys the mint lately suffer'd in the time of the Rotiers, who bred up no Gravers to succeed them, & afterwards by mr Harris having the salary of Graver who was only a cutter of seals, the master worker of the mint did insert a clause in the Indenture made between the Crown & him, whereby the Gravers salary should cease upon the next voidance of the place, in order to a new setlement

It is therefore humbly proposd, that there should be a set of gravers brought up in the mint in the same manner of graving, for the security of the coinage against counterfeiting, & to propagate is to probationers or apprentices, for which end we humbly propose, that mr Croker one of the petitioners who has been many years employd in the at 150li per annum & is a very good Graver, be now made first Graver of the mint with a salary of 200li a year for himself & a servant to file & polish dyes, & turn the press, & have <168v> that part of the Gravers house in which he now lives, that mr samuell Bull who has been some years a probationer in the mint at 60li per annum be made 2d Gravers with a salary of 80li a year, & have the other part of the Gravers house And that a new probationer with a competent salary be taken into the 3d place as soon as a fit person be found, & be allowd two rooms to lodge & work in over the great press room & mr Crokers shop. The Petitioners Coll Parsons & mr Fowler do not grave themselves & therefore we believe them not so well qualifyd

We further represent to your Lordship your mr Harris as Gravers of the mint had also a patent to coin medalls, which we think too great a trust to be lodgd in the Gravers, & are humbly of opinion, that hereafter no medalls be made in the mint without an order from her majestie to the master worker of < insertion from f 169r > in the same manner as is done for coronation meddalls or any other manner as your Lordship shall think fit < text from f 168v resumes >

Mr Harris had also a patent for Graver of seals to her majestie, which is an office independant from the mint, for which mr Rose has petitiond your Lordship, & by a seale which he has lately gravd for the Dutchy of Lancaster we believe him qualifyd for it. All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great wisdom

<169v>

Report of the officers of the mint about the Gravers place