'Of Spanish Money'

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Of Spanish Money.

The gold monies of Spain are the double Dobleon or four Pistole piece with sixteeen Reales, the Dobleon worth 8 Reales, the single Pistole worth four Realis, the Ecus de Mare or Crown de Mare worth 2 Reales or 16 Reaus or 544 Maravadis.    The silver pieces are the Reale, Piastre or Piece of 8 worth 1 Reale or 8 Reaus of old Plate & 10 of new. For since the year 1686 their monies have been raised 25 per cent, or in the proportion of 4 to 5. The half & quarter pieces of eight called in Ireland half & quarter cobbs worth 4 & 2 Reaus of old plate & 5 & 2$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$. The Reaule of plate or silver worth 34 Maravadies. The Maravadi is a little piece of copper money. Their Pistoles & Pieces of $\frac{\mathrm{8}}{\mathrm{8}}$ are of the same weight fineness & value with the French Lewidors & Ecus. The Pistoles are accounted $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$legr wors their pieces of $\frac{\mathrm{8}}{\mathrm{8}}$ of Sevil $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt worse, those of Mexico 1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt worse those of Peru 12dwt worse, the Pillar pieces of $\frac{\mathrm{8}}{\mathrm{8}}$ are $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt better. Their Ducat is not a real coyne but an imaginary one being a name put for 11 Reaus 374 Maravadis in merchandizing or 11 Reaus & 1 Maravadi or 375 Maravadis in Bills of exchange. For exchanges are often made by the Ducat. The silver money above mentioned they call money of plate. This is reale effective & invariable. They have another sort of money called money of Billion which is partly reale of silver & copper mint) & partly imaginary & this money is half the value of the money of Plate, but variable in value. In this money there are no Reales nor Reaus in specie but only quarter & half quarter of Reaus.

One Sevill piece dated 1691 weight 13dwt 21gr. Another dated 1700 weight 14dwt 00gr By the assay both were found standard. They seem to be four fifts of the old Piasters & to be coyned for eight Reaus after the Piastres were raised to tenn & to be worth about 3s. 7$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$d.

Pieces of eight should weigh 17$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt & 1000 pieces of eight should weigh 875 ounces or 72℔ 11 ounces Troy, but Merchants find that those which come from the West Indies fresh out of the Mint (the Mexico & Pillar pieces usually weigh but 872 ounces or 72℔ 8 ounces Tory the thousand & sometimes but 72℔ 5oz, especially if there be many pillar pieces mixt with the Mexico. For the Pillar pieces are scarce so heavy as the Mexico & some of them are a little worn: whereas the Mexico come all of them fresh out of the mint. The merchants sort them & send the lighter pieces to the sea coasts of France & other places where they pass as money the 8 grain pieces to barbary; the four grain pieces to Turkey & the pillar pieces to England for the melting pot. Whence the pillar pieces in London equal or exceed the Mexico pieces in number.