To the RtRight HonbleHonourable the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer
Lord HHigh Treasurer of great Britain.
May it please yoryour LordpLordship
In obedience to yoryour LordpsLordships Order of Reference signified to me by Mr
Taylour in his Letter of Iune 16th Instant, I have perused the Representation
from the Lords of the Privy Council of Ireland touching a late Order of Council
here for giving currency in that Kingdom by Proclamation to some forreign Coynes
wchwhich were omitted in a former Proclamation, a printed copy of wchwhich they have
sent, desiring a clause to be added to the said Order for making such
allowance for light pieces as was made in the said Proclamation, & that
the Order may comprehend also the forreign coynes mentioned in that printed
Proclamation because the original therof under the broadgreat seal was destroy
ed in the late fire wchwhich happened there at the Council Chamber, so that
the Clerk of the Council cannot now certify that the printed copy
agrees with the original verbatim as the late Act of Parliament requires
for the conviction of counterfeiters of those coynes. And upon comparing
the said Representation with the said late Order of Council & printed
Proclamation, I humbly represent that the weight of the single Pistole
& Lewis d'or being in the said Proclamation put 4dwt 8gr, the weight of
the double Pistole & double Lewis d'or ought in proportion to be put in
a new Proclamation 8dwt 16gr & that of the quadruple Pistole or dou
doubleon 17dwt 8gr. And that if the Moyder of Portugal (wchwhich as the
Merchants bring them hither a little worn weigh one with another
6dwt 21gr, & before wearing may be a quarter of a grain heavier or above) may be put in weight 6dwt 22gr in the same Proclamation & valued at thirty shillings. For in Ireland where an English shilling passes for thirteen pence the Moyder of this weight is worth 29s 11d reconning gold 22 carats fine at 3li 19s 8d per ounce wchwhich is the standard value, or it is worth 30s 00d reconning gold 22 carats fine at 4li per ounce as is ordinarily done: and 30s is a medium & the nearest round number. And a grain being allowed for wearing, this piece will be current till it weights but 6dwt 21gr as was stated in the late Order of Council. And after that it will be current still by abating 2d per grain in its value for what it wants to the weight of 6dwt 22gr. For the latter part of the printed Proclamation concerning the allowance for light pieces & concerning the scales & weights for weighing them, I am humbly of opinion should be continued in the next Proclamation.
I humbly beg leave to represent further to yoryour LordpLordship th at the waeights & values of the silver coynes in the printed Proclamation would answer better to one another & to the coynes themselves if two pence were taken from the value of the Crusado & eighteen or twenty grains added to the weight of the Dollars. For the Crusadeo is reconned in Portugal to be the tenth part of the Moyder in value & the Moyder is worth 30s in Ireland as above, & yet the Crusado is valued in the Proclamation at 3s 2d. Its weight before wearing is 11dwt 4gr. In the Proclamation its weight is put 10dwt 20gr, & a Crusado242Crusado of this weight is worth but three shillings. in Ireland
Rix Dollars Cross Dollars & other Dollars are in the Proclamation put of the same weight & value with pieces of eight of Mexico & Sevil, Pillar pieces & Lewises. And yet the Dollars are much coarser & heavier than the pieces of eight & Lewises & ought to be 18 or 20 grains heavier to be of the same value. Rix Dollars before wearing weighed about 18dwt & 6 8 or 10 grains & Cross Dollars 18dwt 1gr. That they may be worth 4s 9d (wchwhich is their value in the Proclamation) they should weigh at least 17dwt 18gr.
I am therefore humbly of opinion that the gold coines should be of the weight & fineness expressed in the Paper hereunto annexed, & the silver ones as in the printed Proclamation, unless for the reasons above mentioned it should be thought fit to take two pence from the value of the Crusados & add eighteen grains to the weight of the Dollars.
All which is most humbly submitted to yoryour LordpsLordships great wisdome
Isaac Newton
Mint Office 23 Iune 1712.
The weight & value of forreign coins in Ireland.
A
The piece commonly called the Spanish quadruple Pistole of Gold or double doubleon weighing seventeen penny weight eight grains to pass at three pounds & fourteen shillings.
The piece commonly called the Spanish or French double Pistole of Gold or the Doubleon or double Lewis d'Or weighing eight penny weight sixteen grains to pass at one pound & seventeen shillings.
The piece commonly called the Spanish or French Pistole of gGold weighing four penny weight & sixteeneight grains to pass at eighteen shillings & six pence.
The piece commonly called the Spanish or French half pistole of Gold weighing two penny weight & four grains to pass at nine shillings & three pence.
The piece commonly called the Spanish or French quarter Pistole of Gold weighing one penny weight two grains to pass at four shillings & seven pence half penny.
The piece commonly called the Moyder of Portugal weighing six penny weight twenty grains twenty two grains to pass at thirty shillings
The piece commonly called the half Moyder of Po weighing three penny weight eleven grains to pass at fifteen shillings
The piece commonly called the quarter Moyder weighing one penny weight seventeen grains & an half to pass at seven shillings & six pence.
The piece of Silver commonly called the Ducatoone of Fla weighing twenty penny weight sixteen grains to pass at six shillings.
The piece commonly called the half Ducatoone weighing ten penny weight & eight grains to pass at three shillings.
The piece commonly called the quarter Ducatoone weighing five penny weight four grains to pass at one shilling six pence.
The piece commonly called the piece of eight of Mexico or Sevil, the pillar piece of eight Mexico called the pillar piece & the French Lewis each weighing seventeen penny weight to pass at four shillings nine pence & the Cross Dollar Rix Dollar & all other Dollars [weighing seventeen penny weight & twenty grains] to pass at four shillings & sixnine pence
The piece commonly called the half piece of eight of Mexico or Sevil, the Pillar piece & French Lewis weighing 6 eight penny weight & twenty grains twelve grains & the cross Dollarhalf Rix half of the cross Dollar Rix Dollar Cross Dollar & other Dollars [weighing to pass at two shillings & four pence half penny.
The piece commonly called the quarter piece of eight of Mexico or Sevil, Pillar piece & French Lewis weighing four penny weight & six grains & the quarter Dollarof the Rix Dollar Cross Dollar & other Dollars weighing to pass at two shillings & one shilling & two pence farthing
243
The piece commonly called the old Peru weighing seventeen penny wtweight to pass at four shillings & six pence
The piece commonly called the half piece of eight of Peru weighing eight penny weight twelve grains to pass at two shillings three pence
The piece commonly called the quarter piece of eight of Peru weighing four penny weight & six grains to pass at thre one shilling & one penny half penny.
The
The piece commonly called the Crusado of Portugall weighing ten penny weight twenty grains, to pass at three shillings &
The piece commonly called the half Crusado of Portugal weighing tenfive penny weight ten grains, to pass at One shilling &