Partial holograph draft of MINT00883 (Mint 19/1/10-11)

<106r>

The Assaym^rs weights are 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12 \& represent so many ounces/. The weight 12 is about 20^gr more or less as he pleases to have his weights made. {The} With this he weigh{t}|s| the silver into y^e fire. A{illeg}|nd| recconning a wast answering to 2 penny weight he weighs it out of y^e fire by {illeg}|y|^e weight 11 to see if it be standard & if it be he{illeg}|a|vier or lighter he adds {illeg} in y^e lighter scale penny weight & halfpenny w^t to see how much it is better or wors. His scales when cleane turn w^th y^e 128^th part of a grain, that is w^th y^e 2560^th part of y^e weight 12 that is w^th the {illeg} w^ch answers to \less than/ y^e 10^th part of a penny weight.

⁺ < insertion from lower down f 106r > He cutts off from every Ingot {illeg} a piece of about a drachm for two assays beats it out into a thin plate, cuts it into y^e scrapes it clean |&| cuts its {sic} into y^e ballance &c. In assaying the money he clips a little off from sevel pieces of money & assays them together. He {m}akes The Assay-drops of y^e money & of y^e Pot assay (but not of y{^e} ingots) are his fee. He makes ⁺ < text from higher up f 106r resumes > He \makes two assays of every Ingot, puts 13 coppeles at once into the furnace/ uses {illeg}|le|ad separated from its ☾: {illeg} {illeg} of this & ☾ an equal quantity He lets y^e fire cool gradually \till the silvers set/ least by cooling too quickly th{illeg}|e| silver spring & y^e assay {be} thereby \make y^e silver/ seem wors then it is \When y^e lead is blown off the ☾ looks very bright/. The dimensions of the Assay furnace are these

<106v>

The melter runns from 600 to 800^llwt of ☾ in a pot. When y^e ☾ is molten he puts in y^e allay. For y^e 1^st melting including coales & wages of servants melters & mouldmakers \& pots Ladles Ingot molds/ he is allowed $\frac{3}{4}$ per lbwt. For melting potts ladles tongues {illeg}         For wast 1$\frac{1}{4}$^d & as much for remelting, \the scissel & its wast/ that is in all 4^d per lb^wt. The sweep he has \into the bargain &/ at his own charge & makes it up for himself. There is more wast in y^e scissel & expence in y^e scissel then in y^e ingots in proportion of 4 to 3 \or {4} 5 to 4/ or thereabouts provided the quantity {th}|of|e silver melted be equ{al} |[|so y^t {illeg}\melting ingots is/ $\frac{18}{28}$^d = $\frac{2}{3}$ scissel $\frac{24}{28}$^d = $\frac{5}{6}$ per ℔ & wast is $\frac{30}{28}$ & $\frac{40}{28}$ = $\frac{\mathrm{50,\; 40}}{36}$ Total ut 3$\frac{1}{2}$^d ad 4$\frac{1}{2}$^d|]| The scissel is to y^e money made out of it as {illeg}|7| to 9 or thereabouts & all y^e ingots melted in y^e first melting to all the scissel melted afterward as the {illeg} money made at every melting to the scissel out of that money that is as 8 to 7+. There is more wast in money, plate & scissel then in Ingots & more in lincel & sweep then in scissel. |For| The wast is of the allay evaporating {illeg} & this evaporation is most when y^e metal is ready to melt. Hence standard lincel |{o}r sweep by melting| becomes better 2 or 3 grai penny we{h}|i|ght, & scissel better perhaps $\frac{1}{3}$ penny weight A blast makes carrys away y^e fumes of the metall & thereby makes increases the wast. Therefore y^e melting pot should be covered close with an iron cover under the flames & \as well as/ the fire with a cover over them. The {illeg} metal once molten \fumes {less}/ & therefore scissel, \& perhaps the/ lincel shou & sweep should be put into Ingots first molten. The For they wast least, when put into molten metal. The

{Hastings} To the

May it pl. yo^r Lo^ps

The petition annexed of the Clerks of the Officers at|of| the Mint in the {sic} Tower of Lond. we have