Excerpt of copy of minutes of meeting at Treasury Chambers about bad money

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27^th. February 1712

Whitehall Treasury Chambers

Present

Lord Treasurer M^r Chancellor.

Lord Hallifax M^r Attorney & M^r Sollicitor come in

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The Officers of the Mint Receivers of Customes & Excize and Tellers Clerks are called in.

M^r Peyton produced a Crown & Severall half Crownes diminished by Washing

M^r Attorney & Sollicitor say diminishing is within the law against Treason.

M^r Pauncefoot saies the Tallow chandlers at first brought great quantitys of Counterfeit money.

M^r Ferne says, there is not much bad money comes to his hands

M^r Lilly says he always tells + weighs the money. Much brass was brought at first but not at present, he finds the weight wanting to be 2 or 3 ounces in a bag.

They all say they cull the money they suspect.

M^r Attorney saies by old laws in force the money in the Exchequer is to be taken by weight.

M^r Peyton says half the silver brought to the Mint to be coyned is new bullion & they suspect it to be mony melted.

The Officers of the Mint say they have mett with new money clipt and edged againe

Sir Isaac Newton saies 6^d bags are too light about 14 or 15 ounces the 1^s bags about 7 ounces + $\frac{1}{2}$ the Crownes & $\frac{1}{2}$ Crownes about 4 ounces in every 100 100^liby wearing + unlawfull diminishing together.

My Lord ordrs that the reasonable wearing only of the 6^d 1^s & Crowns or half Crownes separately be adjusted + a Medium taken from thence for the ordinary wear of a bag in which those pieces are promiscuously putt.

The Officers of the Mint are to consider how to prevent the Counterfeiting of the Copper half pence & farthings.