Holograph account of errors in the Exchequer and Mint weights of 1588 and 1707 and the unused Scottish weights of 1607

Normalised TextCatalogue Entry

<132r>

The two standard Piles of English Troy Weights kept in the{illeg} Excheqr & Mint were both made in the year 1588, & are of the same weight, excepting that the Mint Pile is about a grain heavier then the Excheqr Pile. The Scotch Pile makde in ye year 1607 has been kept without wearing & is lighter then the English Pile by 9oz. 6dwt. 16gr, as it ought to be. The new Pile made 1707 & stamped wth the rose & thistle crowned is about 312 grains heavier then ye excheqr Pile & 3gr heavier then the Old Mint Pile. In In Thise newMint Piles the small weights are in exact proportion wth the great ones. + The old Mint Pile oughtis to be kept used kept as a standard only to try the new +& the new used as a standard to mak ty the Bell weights.

+ In the Exchequer Pile the outmost weight is too light by 12 grains the outweight but one t{illeg}oo heaving by 9 grains

+ The outmost weight of the Exchequer Pile is 12 grains lighter then the outmost weight of the mint Piles & the outmost weight but one of ye Excheqr Pile is 9 grains heavier thaen then the outmost weight but one of the Mint Pile. The ounce weight & half ounce weight of the Excheqr Pile are each of them 14 grain lighter then ye like Mint weight. {illeg} The rest of ye Excheqr weights equal the correspondent Mint weights wthout any sensible difference. {illeg} Where the weights differ The errors isare in ye Exchequer weights. For the {illeg} greater & smaller mint weights are in proportion to the samller, {illeg} in the Mint Pile, but not in the Excheqr Pile. For in the Excheqr {illeg}Pile the outward weight is a penny weight lighter then then ye rest remainder of the weights within it, & the outward weight of this remainder is 9gr heavier them all remainder {illeg}of the weights within it. But in ye Mint Pile the outward weight equals the summ of the inward weights in the ends within a grain or 2 The new Pile made this year 1707 & stamped wth the rose & thistle crowned is about 312gr heavier then the Excheqr Pile & 3gr & heavier then the Old Mint Pile. In the Mint Piles the small weights are in Proportion to the great {illeg} This old Mint Pile is now to be kept as a standard only to try the new Mint Pile & the new {illeg} is to be used as a standard to try the Bell weights. The weights in the new Mint Pile are in exact proportion to one another.

<133v>

These are to will & require you forthwith {illeg}upon receipt hereof to summons & warne all & every the persons hereunder written