'The Original & History of the Wardens prosecuting Clippers & Coyners'

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The Original & History of the Wardens prosecuting Clippers & Coyners.

About twenty & five years since, Mr Tho. Doyley was made Clerk to Sr Anthony St Leger Warden of ye Mint & soon after began to act in prosecuting clippers & f{illeg}alsefiers of the Kings coyn. The continued Clerk {illeg}ten years, & Sr Tho. Wharton being made Warden (wch was about 16 years ago) took Nath. Higginson for his Clerk, & had about two years after (when Mr Macy b{illeg}ecame his Clerk) a Privy seal granted for seizing tools & materials made use of by Clippers & Coyners wch proved ineffectual because the things were of no value. A Quarter of a year after another Privy seal was therefore granted for ye clippings & clipt money & personal estate after conviction, wch last {illeg} instancecondition pr{illeg}oved a hindrance to ye Warden f{illeg}rom seiszing because they were more acquitted then convicted & for ye generality they were poor people worth little or nothing. Whereupon (after two renewals of this Privy seal (vizt in the beginning of King Iames & King William's reigns) the matter being referred to ye Attorney General now Ld Keeper, he reported that the words [after conviction] should be omitted & a new Privy Seal made to impower the Warden to receive clippings &c whereever found.

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About 2 years ago one Iames Hunter /a person employed in ye Mint) furnished Iohn Morr & Robt Chapman wth Dyes, marking engins & Cutter