Reply to an order for an account of gold and silver coined since Christmas 1702

Author: Newton, Isaac

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To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Mint


May it please your Lordships

In obedience to your Lordships Order of Reference of the 19th Instant that an Account be laid before your Lordships of all the Gold & Silver coyned the last fifteen years & how much thereof has been coined out of plate upon publick encouragements, & what copper money hath been newly coyned: it is humbly represented that since Christmas 17012 to the 19th of this instant November there hath been coined in Gold 663054412 Guineas recconing 4412 Guineas to a pound weight Troy & in silver 223380 pounds sterling recconning 3li 2s to a pound weight Troy. And that part of this silver amounting to 143086 pound sterling was coyned out of English Plate imported by Acts of Parliament in the years 1709 & 1711, & another part amounting to 13342li was coyned out of Vigo Plate in the years 1703 & 1704, & another part amounting to 45732li was coined out of silver extracted from our own Lead Ore, & the rest amounting to 21220li was coyned chiefly out of old Plate melted down & some of it out of Pieces of Eight.

The Graver of the Mint hath been hard at work ever since the last session of Parliament in making the Embossments & Puncheons for the half pence & farthings & taking off a few Dyes from them. The making of an Embossment & Puncheon for an half penny takes up the time of about six weeks & there have been two embossments & two Puncheons made for the half pence & one for the farthings. And now these are finished & some Dyes are made from the Puncheons, it will take up a little time to examin the copper & settle the best method of preparing sizing nealing & cleaning it, & making it fit for the Mint: this being a manufacture different from that of coarse copper, & more difficult, & not yet practised in England. And as soon as this method is fixed, we shall begin to coine in quantity.

All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great wisdome.

Mint Office. 23 Novem. 1717.