As the English recoinage was 'troublesome expensive and liable to abuse & gross abuses were actually committed in it', recommends various procedures to avoid a recurrence in Scotland. Possibly in reply to MINT00374 (Mint 19/3/110)

<160r>

The Tools you wrote for are preparing with all dispatch but will scarce be ready before the end of next week. Since you wrote about the manner of calling in & melting down the old hammered money in England & delivering it into the Mint to be coyned & Mr Haynes as I understand has written to you largely about it: because that method was troublesome expensive & liable to abuses & great abuses were actually committed in it, I will take the liberty to set the method which seems to me the best & leave it to your judgement. You may compare it with other proposals & chuse the best. I propose therefore

1 That every mans money berought in to be recoyned be not only told but also weighed & the tale weight & price paid for it in English money be entered in a Book in this manner.

Imported by		Tale		Weight			Price
		Liv.	sous.	Lib.	oz	dwt	℔.	s	d
John Anderson	Sept. 27	127.	07	3.	4.	7	9.	12.	6
Thomas Pitcairn	Sept. 28	245.	02	6.	5.	13	18.	4.	4

2 That the money thus weighed be put into baggs, & where the parcels are small two or more parcels may be put into one bagg & the weight of the money in every bagg be enterd on a label of paper tied to the bagg & the baggs tyed up & locked up in a Treasury under two or more keys till they shall be delivered to the melter. The number of the baggs may be also written on the labels

3 A Melting house to be provided with two fire holes for two iron melting potts, & a Smiths pair of Bellows to blow the fires in the two holes by meanes of a leaden pipe coming from the snout of the Bellows to the two holes. The holes must have iron covers to keep in the fire for heating the potts speedily. A melter may melt 10 12 or 15 potts a day {illeg}

4. That the old silver money be delivered to the Melter by exact weight of 15, 20, or 25 pounds Troy in a parcel the Melter giving receipts for the same & that the parcels be put into the numbered baggs {illeg} & carried to a Treasury room adjoyning to the melting house to be held {illeg} under the key of the Melter & under two other keys custody of {illeg} {illeg} untill they shall be {illeg} {illeg}. And {illeg} of the {illeg} <160v> is at work & see that the money baggs be not opened {illeg} the melting potts with the money in them about three baggs into each pot, & {illeg}, & that no {illeg} into the Melting house in their absence & kind be brought into the Melting house besides the silver in {illeg} & all utensils of iron. And that the silver being run & cast into Ingots the Ingots be marked in continual order{illeg} I. II. III. IIII. V. VI. VII. VIII. VIIII. X, XI &c and locked up in the treasury of the Melting house under the said three keys till delivery.

5. That the Officer appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to deliver the old money by weight to the Melter do receive the Ingots back from the Melter by weight and send them to the Mint in the order of their numbers & deliver back the Melters receipts for the like weight

6 That the Melter be bound to deliver back the same weight in Ingots which he receives in old moneys abating about 18 grains in the pound weight Troy for wast & to have the sweep towards making up his account, & to bring in his supply in the standard silver & be paid for coales & potts & servants wages & his own pains after a certain rate per pound weight Troy. Or if the government vast all {illeg} by the day of by the number of Ingots.

7 That the Ingots be delivered into the Mint to be weighed assayed & standarded coyned & delivered back by weight in new moneys according to the course of the Mint & the new moneys at the delivery told 100lb baggs, & the weight & tale entered into books.

Our MasterMelter with a servant