David Gregory: 'Ane account of the new regulations of Her Majesty's Mint at Edinburgh humbly laid before the Right Hon<hi rend="superscript">ble</hi> the Earle of Godolphin Lord high Treasurer of Great Britain' Isaac Newton c. 506 words The Newton Project Oxford 2017 Newton Project, University of Oxford

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 13 December 1707, c. 506 words.

Another copy (in the third person) of the same date in T. 1/103.94, MINT00952 (printed in NC, 4: 503-5), and another at MINT00454(a) (Mint 19/3/24).

After arriving in Edinburgh on 1 August, Gregory ordered new equipment from London, appointed three new clerks, instructed these and the clerks already there in London techniques, and assigned new responsibilities to the Mint officers. Harmonisation with London practices proved difficult because the Edinburgh Mint used coal-fired furnaces [as opposed to slower-burning charcoal, which was unavailable in Scotland: see notes to MINT00387 (Mint 19/1/183)], but after various experiments undertaken in consultation with Newton a satisfactory method was established. Satisfied that London methods were well understood and practised, and having brought the coinage rate to £6,000 a week, he left on 21 November.

 MINT 19/3/173, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK UKSurreyKew, RichmondNational Archives MINT 19/3/173 13 December 1707 England English Clerical Hand MintEdinburgh Mint Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins Transcribed by Will Scott, with retrofitting of normalized MINT00952
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Ane account of the new regulation of Her MatiesMajesty's Mint at Edinburgh humbly laid befor the Right HonableHonourable The Earle of Godolphin Lord high Treasurer of Great Britain

In obedience to Her MatiesMajesty's commands in a warrant dated the 12th Iuly 1707 I took Iourney to Scotland 21 Iuly and aryved at Edinburgh 1st august and upon Shewing her MatiesMajesty's warrand to the Generall and other officers of the Mint there They prepared for the recoynage in the methods of the Mint of the Tower

And when the Moneyers aryved at Edinburgh The officers of the Mint I and they surveyed all the offices, tools, &c belonging to the Min and what were wanting were soon supplyed from London

After the officers of the Mint and I had Compared the former constitution of the Mint of Scotland with that in the Mint of the Tower, and with Her MatiesMajesty's instructions concerning the recoynage Wee adedadded three new Clerks (during the recoynage) To the Queens Clerk who was there befor To witt one for the Master, one for the warden, and one for the Counterwarden All these four Clerks were well instructed in the methods of rateing and standarding and the forms of book keeping used in the Mint of the TourTower, By the Clerk sent by Her Majestie for this purpose

The Officers of the Mint and I considering that by bringing the Mint of Scotland to the same methods with that in the Tower more Officers became necessary, and being unwilling to encrease charges agreed that the warden and Counterwarden should by turns doe the office of surveyor of the meltings and that the Counter warden should officiat also as weigher and teller And that their Clerks should be Clerks to those officerss It was also agreed that the Queens Clerk should be Clerk of the papers and Irons

The great difficultie was in the melting it being made there with pitt coall in this I made severall experiments according to directions which I received from SrSir Isaac Newtoun from time to time and at last such rules of allaying were found out and agreed upon as by experience were found to make the Silver of standart finnessfineness and the EssayAssay Master haveing no Clerk was allowed ane assistant during this coynage

Matters being thus adjusted I continued in Edinburgh untill I saw the methods of the Mint of the Tower weelwell understood and exactly practised by all concerned and the recoynage advanced so that they coyned 6000£: a week, And then at my request represented by SrSir Isaac Newtoun to your Lop.Lordship and that there was no furderfurther occasion for my staying there your LopLordship was pleased to dismiss me as I was informed by SrSir Isaac Newtoun in his of 15th November I parted from Edinburgh on the 21 of November after haveing taken ane exact account of the state and Condition of the Mint at that time and left directions for encreasing the Coynage signed

David Gregorie

London 13 Decer 1707