Holograph draft or summary of legislation concerning the receipt of bullion by the Mint and the roles of the various Mint officers in this operation
1 The Master to make 4 sorts of Gold monies 22 carats fine 44 Guineas in the pound & to receive 6s 6d for every pound weight of Gold monies & pay 3s per pound weight to the Moniers, (11, 12, 13) & be allowed a remedy of of a Carat (14)
2 The Master to make 8 sorts of silver monies 62s in the pound weight 11 ounces 2dwt. fine & to receive 16d ob per pound weight & pay 8d per pound weight to the moniers (15, 16, 19, 20) & be allowed a remedy of 2dwt (22).
3 The monies to be made by the standard Trial pieces & where those pieces are kept, & for what use. 17, 18
4 The Master to put a privy mark on the monies 29 30
The warden & Comptroller & their Deputy or Deputies to oversee the making of the monies
5 The Master to receive all bullion neare to standard according to the value by weight & fineness & {illeg} Or Tickets testifying the weight & finenes thereof & within a convenient time to coyn & pay back the same by weight of equal value (23 43) & if he & the importer differ about the value the kings Assaymaster shall try the same before the Warden Master & Comptroller & the Master be bought thereby. (44)
8 The Warden Comptroller & Kings Clerk & Clerk of the Papers shall enter in Leger books all Bullion imported with the weight & fineness & importers name & day of Importation 24
And the Bullion imported shall be kept by the Warden Master & Comptroller till it be admitted to be coyned. 25
And the Warden Comptroller & Kings Clerk shall keep books of melting declaring the weight & fineness of the Ingotts & their allay put into every Pot with the Pot assays; which books shall be subscribed monthly by the Warden Master & Comptroller. 26
And the Assaymaster shall keep a book of all Bullion imported expressing the weight & fineness of the Ingots & the Pott assays. 27
And the Surveyor of the meltings shall keep a book of the weight of all bullion molten with the Allay put into it. 31
And the Warden & Comptroller & their Clerks shall oversee the making of the money 30
6 The Master to bear all manner of Wast & charges in coyning the money. 59
7 And if any bullion imported be nigh to standard the Master shall receive it for the value sought the charges of making it standard be born out of the Coynage Duty. 28
The Master shall bring in supply & make payments with all convenient speed 58.
When the monies be complete the Warden Master & Comptroller shall lock them up untill they shall be tried & paid to the Importers 32
Which trial shall be made by the Assaymaster before the Warden Master & Comptroller before deliverance two pieces being taken by the Warden out of every journey one for the Assay & the others for the Pix & they shall be sealed up, & the pieces for the Pix shall be put into a Box for the Warden & locked up by the Warden Master & Comptroller untill trial of the Pix before the King &c 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 38 39 40
No monier to deliver any money before triall upon pain of &c 73
The Master to take an oath & give security 56, 57.
<404v>– do & shall receive by weight all bullion of Gold & Silver neare to standard which shall be brought brought to the Mint to be coyned into the monies above mentioned whether it be their Majestys Bullion or the Bullion of any other person or persons whatsoever & whether it be better then standard or worse then standard. And he shall cause the same to be assayed & weighed & shall deliver to the parties so bringing in the same Bullion Bills testifying the weight & fineness thereof. And with convenient speed he shall coyne the same into the monies above mentioned & then deliver the same again by weight to his Majesty or to the other party or parties or their Attorneys who deliver back to him the aforesaid Balls, which weight of moneys delivered shall contein so much fine silver as was conteined in the Bullion imported. He shall receive all bullion according to its value by the weight & assay be it better or worse then standard And if the said Master –––44–––– manner as it belongeth.
And the said Master ––––49––– before recited. And if any person –28–––– Acts of Parliament.
And the said Master –––61–––– command.
And the said Master –––58–– – {illeg} people
Source
MINT 19/1/403-4, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UKca. 1697, c. 910 words.