Holograph draft of MINT00175 (Mint 19/1/274)
The fineness of gold & silver is generally estimated by the assay & bought & sold by this estimate, & gold 24 carats fine & silver Gold silver is bought & sold in silver&{illeg}12 ounces fine is reputed fine gold by Assaymasters fully fine. And Trial pieces by law are to be {illeg}22 car{illeg}ats fine Gold & {illeg}two carats ally of allyay & 11 ounces 2dwt {illeg}of fine silver, & 18dwt of allay
Quære {illeg}2 Whether may for this end her Maty may appoint {illeg}appointthese and send trial pieces of fine to be made of {illeg}such fine gold & fine silver as proves just 24 carats or 12 ouncesfine fine upon the assay, & such fine silver as proves just {illeg}12 ounc{illeg}s fine upon the assay, notwithstanding that gold & silver may be refined by any to by any artlatenew art be refined to an higher degree? Or what is the standard of fine gold & fine silver according to law?
Quære 34 Whether may for keeping constantly to a standard her Maty may direct that a parcel{illeg} piece of so the fine gold & a piece of {illeg} the fine silver be kept of wch the next trial pieces areshall be made be kept in the Exchequer for determining wth more exactness the fineness of the fine gold & fine silver of wch the all trial pieces shall hereafter be made for the future. ?from time to time for
Qaære 1. Whether there should be one common standard of fine gold & one of fine silver in all great Britain for setting a value upon all gold & silver in byuying & selling in coinesing of money & in making of plate & other gold or& silver wares.
Quære 3 Whether a Iury appointed to make Indented standard trial pieces is bounot bound to make them of such fine gold & such fine silver as is fine gold & fine silver according to law even without her Majts special directi{illeg}on & notwithstanding that gold {illeg}or silver may be refined by any new art be refined to an higher degree?
Source
MINT 19/1/242, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UKAfter 21 August 1710, c. 360 words.