Draft of MINT00159 (Mint 19/1/228-9)

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Observations concerning the Tryall of the moneys in the Pix.

After the a triall of the Pix is appointed by Order of Council the Lord Chancellour sends his Letter directed to the Mr & Wardens of the Company of the Goldsmiths to return the names of an able Iury & after the return of the name he the The Lord Chancellour sends his Warrant by his Sergeant at Arms or his Sergeants Deputy to warn the Iury to meet at the time & place appointed by the said Order of Council

At nine in the morning the Pix is set on the Table & before tenn the Lords usually meet & take their places, the Officers of the Mint & the Iury wth the Exchequer Officers attending, & at the command of the Ld Chancellour the Pix beingis opened by the Officers of the Mint when & the Gold & silver moneys therin poured upon the Table. whenat the Lords Chancellours command

The Lord Chancellour calls to his sergeant at arms for the said Warrant for summoning of the Iury & appoints the same to be delivered to ye Remembrancers Deputy who attends there. with the Copy of the Oath. And then the Lord Chancellor causes the Iury to be called over by their names in the said Warrant & the said oath to be adminstred to them

The standard Troy weights & the indented tryall pieces of hiser Majties Crown gold moneys & standard silver moneys kept in the Treasury are by order of the Lord Treasurer delivered out for the use of the Iury, & the Lord trial pieces, if the Lord Chancellour pleases, are compared with those of the Mint & Goldsmiths for the satisfaction of the Court, or the Iury may compare them after the Court is withdrawn.

Then the Lord Chancellour recommends to the Iury the making the trialls of the moneys in the Pix by the said Standards of theirr Majties Treasury as well in weight as in fineness & in the most just manner that can be, it being a business of very publick concern. And in And then the Lord Chancellourafter the Charge he app{illeg}oints the Iury when & where to attend his Lordp with their Veredict & so departs with the rest of the Lords.

The Iury then pr{illeg}oceeds to try the {illeg} moneys in weight & fineness before in the presence of the Warden Master & Comptroller of the Mint [(as the Assaymaster of the Mint had done before at the pixing of the moneys thereof]) & when the trial is over the Officers of the Mint departretire & before the Iury & agree upon their Veredict.

When the {illeg}Iury present their Veredict to the Lord Chancellour the Remembrancers Deputy attends to read it & after it is read to receive it, & the Officers of the Mint also attend to hear it read & to make their objections or else the trial has not been sufficient as the Veredict be not according to the trialif they have any, [(the Warden & Comptroller ion behalf of the Crown & the Master inon his own behalf) {sic} in case they think the trial has been insufficient{illeg} imperfect {illeg} be the Veredicts exact{illeg}ly agreeing according to the {sic} trial.] {sic}

If the moneys prove good the Master at his will to be discharged gratis by letters patents under the broadgreat seal for his acquittance.gratis gratis. If they prove worse & yet within the remedies, the lack to be entred on record by the Warden & Comptroller [or s{illeg}uch as they shall thereunto appoint] & the Master to account for the same to her Majty. If they moneys prove better, & yet within the remedies the same to be entred on record & allowed to ye Master in his charge when any lack shall be found by the like assays. And Iif they moneys shall be wthout the remedies, there Master shall to make fine & ransome to her Maty at her will. The remedydies aisre an allowance of two penny weight in silver moneys & isof the sixt part of a carat in gold moneys above or under the standard in weight or in fineness or in both together.