Draft of MINT00159 (Mint 19/1/228-9)

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Observations concerning the Tryall of the moneys in the Pix.

After a triall of the Pix is appointed by Order of Council the Lord Chancellour sends his Letter directed to the Master & Wardens of the Company of the Goldsmiths to return the names of an able Iury & after the return of the name he sends his Warrant by his Sergeant at Arms or his Sergeants Deputy to warn the Iury to meet at the time & place appointed by the Council

At nine in the morning the Pix is set on the Table & before tenn the Lords usually meet & take their places, the Officers of the Mint & the Iury with the Exchequer Officers attending, & at the command of the Lord Chancellour the Pix is opened by the Officers of the Mint & the Gold & silver moneys therin poured upon the Table.

The Lord Chancellour calls to his sergeant at arms for the said Warrant for summoning of the Iury & appoints the same to be delivered to the Remembrancers Deputy who attends with the Copy of the Oath. And then the Lord Chancellor causes the Iury to be called over by their names in the said Warrant & the said oath to be adminstred to them

The standard Troy weights & the indented tryall pieces of her Majesties Crown gold moneys & standard silver moneys kept in the Treasury are by order of the Lord Treasurer delivered out for the use of the Iury, & the trial pieces, if the Lord Chancellour pleases, are compared with those of the Mint & Goldsmiths for the satisfaction of the Court, or the Iury may compare them after the Court is withdrawn.

The Lord Chancellour recommends to the Iury the making the trialls of the moneys in the Pix by the said Standards of her Majesties Treasury as well in weight as in fineness & in the most just manner that can be, it being a business of very publick concern. And after the Charge he appoints the Iury when & where to attend his Lordship with their Veredict & so departs with the rest of the Lords.

The Iury then proceed to try the moneys in weight & fineness in the presence of the Warden Master & Comptroller of the Mint (as the Assaymaster of the Mint had done before at the pixing thereof) & when the trial is over the Officers of the Mint retire & the Iury agree upon their Veredict.

When the Iury present their Veredict to the Lord Chancellour the Remembrancers Deputy attends to read it & after it is read to receive it, & the Officers of the Mint also attend to make their objections if they have any, the Warden & Comptroller on behalf of the Crown & the Master on his own behalf

If the moneys prove good the Master at his will to be discharged by letters patents under the great seal gratis. If they prove worse & yet within the remedies, the lack to be entred on record by the Warden & Comptroller & the Master to account for the same to her Majesty. If they prove better, & yet within the remedies the same to be entred on record & allowed to the Master in his charge when any lack shall be found by the like assays. And if they shall be without the remedies, the Master to make fine & ransome to her Majesty at her will. The remedies are an allowance of two penny weight in silver moneys & of the sixt part of a carat in gold moneys above or under the standard in weight or in fineness or in both together.