Draft of MINT00499 (Mint 19/2/236v)

<225r>

According to yoer Lordps Order of Febr 26 signified to me by Mr Secretary Harley's Letter of Feb 26 instant I have considered the Letter of his Grace the Duke of Ormond her Mats Lewt Geneneral {sic} & General Governour of Ireland sent to your Lordp, with the Representation sent to his Grace from the Lords of her Majts. most humble honble privy Council of that Kingdom proposing the making current there by proclamation several pieces of forreign Gold therein named in order to precent the counterfeiting {illeg} thereof. [I have not seen the last Proclamantion for making forreign moneys curent in that kingdom but presume that by ye values proposed in this Representation that to be put upon Spanish & French gold moneys, that the Spanish Pistole weighing 102 Grains was therein valued at {illeg} 18s 6d, & that the French of t Lewis was there estimanted of the same weight & value. And if so, the all the French Spanish & French pieces of gold moneys mentioned in this Representation are rightly weighed & valued in weight & tale, in proportion to the Spanish Pistole & the French Lewis. The Moydor is in the Representation estimated at {illeg}168gr in weight wch is too much by about 3 grains. They weigh one wth another 165gr, & are finer then the Spanish Pistoles & French Lewises, by $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ ofhalf a grain & so in proportion to the French & Spanish gold moneys a Moyeder should be valued 1. 10 at 1. 10. 1 or in round numbers 1. 10. 0, & in proportion half a Mœder weighing 82$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ gr {illeg}at 15s & a quarter of a Mœder weighing 41$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ gr at 7s 6d.] And humbly represent that the Moyders of Portugal {illeg} one with another weigh 16 $\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ grains {illeg} & are $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ of a graind worse better then standard, but the French & Lewid'ors & Spanish Pistoles weigh 10 32$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$gr one with another as they come from the Merchant or at {illeg}or so are $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ a grain worse Standard, & that at the rate that a Guinea is valued at 1£ 1s 6d a [Spanish Pistole weighing 10 23$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ grains is worth 17s. 21d a Lewidor of the same weight is of ofweighing 103 grains is worth 17. 1d, A Moyder weighing 165$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr is worth 27 5s 8d$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ . The Quadruple Spanish weighing 1662 grainsPistole of Spain weighing 410gr is worth 3£ {illeg}8s - The double Pistole of Spain weighing 205gr is worth 1.£ 14.s. - The Spanish Pistole weighing 3102$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ gr is worth 17s. The double French Lewis weighing 205 grains is worth 1 14 The half Pistole Spanish Pistole is worth weighing 51$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ gr is worth 8 {illeg}s 6d - The quarter Spanish Pistole weighing 25$\frac{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{8}}$ is worth 4s 3.

The double Louis French Louis weighing 205gr is worth 1.£ 14.s -

The French Louis weighing 102$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ gr is worth 17s. {illeg}

The half Louis of France weighing 51$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ gr is worth 8s 6d.

The quarter Louis of France weighing 25$\frac{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{8}}$ gr is worth 4s 3d.

The Moyder of Portugal weighing 165$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ gr is worth 1. 8. 8

The half Moyder weighing 82$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$ gr is worth 14s 4d.

The quarter Moyder weighing 41$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{8}}$ gr is worth 7s. 2. But if the value of the forreign gold money coins be raised in Ireland in such a proportion that a double Pistol Spanish Pistole & a double French Louis {illeg} may pass there fore 1£ 17s & other pieces in proportion as is desired in the memorial, then the value of the Spanish & French pieces will be as follows{illeg} may stand as in the memorial THe double Spanish Postole weighing 2 {illeg}05gr valued at 1.17. The double L{illeg}ousd'or of France weighing 205gr valued at 1. 17 The quarter Spanish Pistole weighing 25$\frac{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{8}}$ gr valued at 94s 37$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ The quarter French Pistole

<225v>

But exceting that the Mo{illeg}yder{illeg} weighing 165 grains must be valued only at 30s, the half Mpyder weighing 32$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ at 15s & the Quarter Moyder weighing 41$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ at7s 6 - .

In ye reign of K. William, the S{illeg}coths put of their Crown pieces in the northern borders of England at {illeg} 5s sterling & their other silver coins in proportion tho a Scotissh Crown was worth but 4s 6d. & By this means the northern bor{illeg}ders of England began to abound wth Sc{illeg}otis money & Scotland wth English money; wch afforded profit of about ten per cent {illeg} by recoining the english money & sending it back to us in the form of Scotish money,in Scotland till the Officers of ye Mint gave notice thereof to the Lords Commers of ye Treasury who thereupon put a stop to that practise.ye currency of Scots money in England.

In the so

At that time Lewid'ors passed here at 17s 6d a piece wch overvalue brought in so great a number of those forreign gold coins that when the Officers of ye Mint gave notice thereof the Lords Commers of ye Treary & the King issued out a proclamation that those pieces should go but at 17s a piece in the last year of his reign & the first year of her Majties reign there were coined above 120000twelve hundred thousand Guineas out of those forreign coins. And this gold came in by the encouragemt given to ye Merchant to pay but & pay debts in England with forreign gold & abroad with English silver If in Ireland a double Pistole be raidsed in value from 34s to 37s & other pieces in proportion the Merchant may make a profit of 8 per cent by turning English gold & silver < insertion from > into forreign gold coins to be put off in Ireland. The too high value put upon Guineas in England in proportion to silver conduces to carry out our silver & bring in gold. & in its room, & the raising it higher in Ireland in proportion to silver then is done any where else in the world must {illeg} increase this effect.

If There being {illeg}considerable quantities of forreign gold moneys in Ireland, I am humbly of {illeg}opinion that they should be all made current by dproclamation, But(as is desired) so that it may be fellonydeath to counterfeit tithem. [But whether they should pass at the same value wth a Guin gold in England in proportion to guineas or at a raised value is a question wch may have dificulties in it wth wch I am not acquainted]

All wch is most humbly submitted &c
if it can be done wthout wihtout s{illeg} soon as it can be do provided the same value can be set upon gold in Ireland as in England. But I dare the establishing of a Proclam [I am afraid of the consequences of setting a higher value upon gold in Ireland in proportion to silver then is done any where else in the world. The too high value of gol put upon Guineas in England helping to conducing to carry out our silver & overstock us wth gold] but if that be opposed disputed I humbly propose that ye opinion of ye cCouncil of Trade be consulted had in this matter. before

All wch &c

I do not fully know the present state of the coins in Ireland, but I am humbly of opinion that this matter be well consi examined {illeg}by the Comer of Trade & whom else yoer Lordp shall think fit, before any thing be done in it.

<226r>

a Guinea ought to pass in Ireland for 1. 3s 23$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$