Clerical copy of MINT00575 (Mint 19/2/245), returned to Newton by Treasury Secretary Lowndes 21 December 1717

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To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury.

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 in the last Fifteen yeares and how much thereof hath been Coyned out of plate upon publick Encouragment, & what Copper Money hath been newly Coyned. it is humbly represented that since Christmas 170$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ to the 19th Instant, there hath been Coyned in Gold 7127835 pounds in tale recconing 44$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ Guineas to a pound weight Troy & 21s. 6d to a Guinea; & in Silver 223380 pounds Sterling recconing 3li 2s. to a pound weight Troy. And that part of this silver amounting to 143086 pounds Sterling was Coyned out of English plate imported upon publick encouragment in the years 1709 & 1711 & another part amounting to 13342li. was Coyned out of Vigo plate in the years 1703 & 1704, and another part amounting to 45732li. was Coyned from Silver extracted from our own Lead Ore, & the rest amounting to 21220li was coyned chiefly out of old Plate melted down by Goldsmiths, and 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 Embosments & Puncheons for the halfpence & farthings & taking off a few dyes from them. The making of an Embosment and a Puncheon for halfpence takes up the time of about six weeks, & there have been two Embosments & 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 Examine 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 Coyn in quantity.

All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships

Great wisdoms

Mint Office
Novembr. 23. 1717.

Is. Newton

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From Sir Isaac Newton with an Amount of all the Gold and Silver Coyned for 15 Years past 23d. Novr: 1717

Read.

presented by Mr Lownds
21th. Dec 1717