Extended holograph draft of MINT00503 (Mint 19/2/242-3)
To the Right Honourable the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord High Treasurer of great Britain.
May it please your Lordship
1 In obedience to your Lordships Order of Reference signified to me by Mr Taylor in his Letter of Iune 16th Instant, I have perused the Representation from the Lords of the Privy Council in Ireland touching a late Order of Council here for giving currency in that Kingdom by Proclamation to some forreign coines which were omitted in a former Proclamation, a printed copy of which they have sent, desiring a clause to be added to the said Order for making such allowance for light pieces as was made in the said Proclamation, & that the Order may comprehend also the forreign coins mentioned in that printed Proclamation because the Original thereof under the broad seal was destroyed in the late fire which happened there at the Council chamber, so that the Clerk of the Council cannot now certify that the printed copy agrees verbatim with the original as the late Act of Parliament requires for the conviction of Counterfeiters of those coyns. And upon comparing the said Presentation with the said late Order of Council & printed Proclamation I humbly represent that the weight of the single Pistole & Lewis d'or being in the said Proclamation put 4dwt 8gr the weight of the double Pistole & Lewis d'or ought in proportion to be put in a new Proclamation 8dwt 16gr & that of a quadruple Pistole 17dwt 8gr. And the Moyder (which as the Merchants bring them hither a little worn, weigh one with another 6dwt 21gr & before wearing may be a quarter of a grain or half a grain heavier) may be put in weight 6dwt 22gr in the same Proclamation For in Irland where an English shilling passes for 13d the Moyders of this weight are worth 29s. 11d, recconing gold 22 carats fine at 3li 19s 8d per ounce which is the standard value; Or 30s 00 recconing gold 22 carats fine at 4li per ounce, as is commonly done, And at a medium in the nearest round numbers it may be valued at 30s without any error worth noting, & it will be current without any abatement for wearing if it weighs above 6dwt 21gr notwithstanding that its weight be put 6dwt 22gr in the Proclamation.
But if the weight & value of the forreign coins in the said printed Proclamation are to be reconsidered, the following observations may be made upon them.
The Pistole & Lewis d'or as they are commonly current weight one with another 4dwt 7gr, being lightned about a grain by wearing & those of this weight are worth 18s 6d in Ireland where an English shilling does for 13d.
The Ducatoon of Flanders before wearing weighs (one piece with another) <237v> 20dwt 22gr. That it may be worth 6s in Ireland as it's valued in the printed Proclamation, its weight should be 21dwt. In the printed Proclamation its weight is put 20dwt 16gr without allowing any thing for the eight grains more in weight is allowed for wearing till it want 12 grains more in weight.
The pieces of eight of Mexico & Sevil & the Pillar piece of eight & French Lewis before wearing weigh one with another 17dwt 12gr. That they may be worth 4s 9d in Ireland as they are valued in the Proclamation they ought to weigh 17dwt 8gr. In the printed Proclamation their weight is put 17dwt without allowing any thing for 8gr wanting in the weight.
The Cross Dollar before wearing weighs (at a medium) 18dwt 1gr. That it may be worth 4s 9d as its valued in the Proclamation it ought to weigh 18dwt. In the Proclamation its weight is put 17dwt without allowing any thing for the penny weight wanting, which amounts to 3d.
Rix Dollars are of several sorts & before wearing weigh about 18dwt & 8 or 10 grains. That they may be worth 4s 9d in Ireland they ought to weigh 17dwt & 18 or 20 grains. In the printed Proclamation their weight it put 17dwt without allowing any thing for the want of 18 or 20gr in weight.
The old Peru piece of eight, that it may be worth 4s. 6d in Ireland should weigh 17dwt & is put at that weight in the printed Proclamation.
The Crusado of Portugal before wearing weighs 11dwt 4gr. That it may be wroth 3s 2d it ought to weigh 11dwt 10gr. In the printed Proclamation its weight is put 10dwt without allowing any thing for the want of 14s in weight.
The allowance of 2d per grain for the weighing of gold coins & three half pence per half penny weight for the wearing of silver coins is as neare the truth as can be put in round numbers & is sufficient for single pieces, & I am humbly of opinion that it should be inserted into the
2. The latter part of the printed Proclamation concerning the allowance for light pieces & the seales & weights for weighing them I am humbly of opinion should be continued in the next Proclamation.
I humbly beg leave to represent further to your Lordship concerning the silver coins made current by the said printed Proclamation that that the silver pieces mentioned in the said Proclamation are put lighter be then in proportion to their just value by eight grains or above. The Ducatoon of Flanders before wearing weighs one piece with another 20dwt 22gr. In the Proclamation <238r> they are valued at 6s. To be of that value they should weigh 21dwt. Their weight in the printed Proclamation is put 20dwt 16gr which is eight grains less & no abatement in value is made for the want of these 8gr. When by wearing they want 12gr more, in all 20gr of their just weight allowance is made of three half pence only for the want of the last 12 grains. Their weight in the Proclamation should have been 200dwt 22gr. And then they would have been current till they had wanted 12 grains of their weight by wearing. And by allowing three half pence for this defect of weight they would have been still current.
The pieces of 8 of Mexico & sevil & Pillar pieces of eight
I humbly beg leave further to represent to your Lordship that Dollars are coarser then Pieces of Eight
I humbly beg leave further to represent to your Lordship that Cross Dollars Rix Dollars & other Dollars are weightier & coarser then Pieces of eight & ought to weight 17dwt 20 grains that they may be worth 4s 9d ought to weight 17dwt 20gr & before wearing weigh one with another above 18dwt. as they are put in the Proclamation. And the Crusado of Portugal weighing 10dwt. 20gr is worth but 3s in Ireland, whereas it is put in the Proclamation worth 3s 20gr. And the Ducatoon weighing twenty penny weight sixteen grains is worth only 5s 11d but in the next round number is valued at 6s in the Proclamation. If it should be thought fit to allow for the weight & courseness of the Dollars
I humbly beg leave further to represent to your Lordship that Rix Dollars Cross Dollars & other Dollars which with pieces of 8 are valued in the printed Proclamation at 4 9 are coarser then pieces of eight & should weigh 17dwt 20gr to be worth 4s 9d as they are whereas in the printed Proclamation their weight is put only 17dwt. Rix Dollars before wearing weight about 18dwt 9grains & Cross Dollars 18dwt 1gr, & so might have been put at 17dwt 20gr in the Proclamation. The Crusados of Portugal new out of the Mint weigh one with another 11d 4gr. In the proclamation their weight is put 10dwt 18gr, At this weight they are worth in Ireland 3s 0d whereas in the Proclamation they are valued at 3s 2d, which is 2d too much.
3. I humbly beg leave further to represent to your Lordship that rix Dollars Cross Dollars & other Dollars are in the printed Proclamation put of equal weight & value with pieces of 8. They should weight 17dwt & 18 or 20gr that they may be worth 4s 9d, but in the proclamation their weight is put only 17dwt. Rix Dollars before wearing weigh about 18dwt 9gr & Cross Dollars 18dwt 1gr & so might have been put at 17dwt 20gr in the said Proclamation there being 12 grains under this weight allowed for wearing before they should begin to lose their currency, & after that upon abating three half pence in the value for the want of these twelve grains they would still be current.
<238v>I have annexed a scheme of the gold coins suitable to the weight & value above represented. All the silver coyns are already set down with their weight & value in the printed Proclamation unless it should be thought fit to alter the weight of the Dollars & value of the Crusados. All which &c
And a grain being allowed for wearing, it will be current till it weights but 6dwt 21gr as in the late Order of Council. And after that it will continue to be current by allowing 2d per grain for what it wants of the weight of 6dwt 22gr.
For the latter part of the printed Proclamation concernin the allowance for light pieces & concerning the seales & weights for weighing them, I am humbly of opinion should be continued in the next Proclamation.
I have annexed a scheme of the gold coins suitable to this Report & humbly represent further that the weights & values of the silver coines in the printed Proclamation would answer better to one another. If two pence were taken from the value of the Crusado of Portugal & twenty grains added to the weight of the Rix Dollars Cross Dollars & other Dollars. For Dollars which ion the Proclamation are put of the same weight & value with pieces of eight, are heavier & of coarser allay, & ought to be 18 or 20 grains heavier that they may be of the same value.
All which &c
For in Portugal the Moyder is recconed worth 10 Crusados & the Crusado before wearing weighs 11dwt 4gr. &c
The silver coins are all of them already set down in the Printed Proclamation. But the Crusado of Portugal is there over valued. This piece before wearing weights 11dwt 4gr & in Portugal is recconed the tenth part of a Moyder. In the Proclamation eight grains are taken from the weight & two pence added to the value. It should be valued only at three shilling & the half at one shillings & sixpence.
The Dollars which are coarser & heavier then the pieces of eight & Lewises are put in the Proclamation of the same weight & value with them. To make them of the same value 20gr should be added to their weight. The Cross Dollar before wearing weighs 18dwt 1gr & the old Rix Dollars 18dwt & 8 or 10gr. To make them worth 4s 9d they should weigh 17dwt 20gr, where as in the Proclamation they are said to weigh only 17dwt
Source
MINT 19/2/237-8, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UKJune 1712, c. 2,247 words.