In response to queries from Allardes [MINT00391 (Mint 19/3/119), in fact drafted by Newton himself], the Mint approve the proposed allowances

<152r>

To the Rt Honble the Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain.

May it please yor Lordp

In obedience to yor Lordps Order of Reference of ye 22th of December last, we have perused the annexed memorial of Mr Allardes the Master of her Majties Mint at Edinburgh & humbly represent that ye charges allowed to the Moneyers by her Majesties Warrant above 9d per Lwt Troy for coinage of silver are extraordinary & so are the charges of refining the coursest ingots of silver to bring the rest to standard: and therefore both these charges are in or humble opinion to be born by her Majty out of the bullion for coinage belonging to that Mint & to be placed by the Master among the incidents charges in his accounts. The extraordinary charges allowed to the Moneyers may amount to about three farthings per Lwt Troy, besides the charges of their journey.

And we are further of opinion that for preventing any stop to the coinage the Rt Honble the Lords Commissioners of her Majties Treasury in Scotland be desired to give orders from time to tim{illeg}e to the Collector of the Bullion to pay upon account such summs of money to the said Master as they shall find sufficient for defraying as well the extraordinary as the ordinary charges of the coinage, & to direct the Wardens of that Mint to see that the moneys so paid be applied by the Master duly & in just proportion to every man's service without any hindrance preference or neglect.

And as to the first melting, we hu

As for the melting of the old moneys into ingots we are humbly of the opinion that a penny per pound weight Troy is a reasonable allowance for the melters it being the usual price wch merchants pay the Goldsmiths for melting their silver into ingots in London. But this allowance cannot be paid out of the bullion belonging to th{illeg}e Mint because theis melting is no part of the coinage {illeg} and silver ought to be in the ingot when imported into the Mint, & if it is not in the ingot the owner causes it to be melted into ingots by whom he pleases at his own charge & bears the loss by wast. And this must be done before the Master of the Mint can receive it from him by weight & assay upon his Note in order to coin it, & therefore is always done at the owners charge. According to this method the Importer did beare the whole loss by this melting in the late recoinage of the hammered moneys in England, & the same should be now born by the Importers in Scotland & placed among the losses mentioned in the Act of Vnion in these words. <text in Unknown Hand begins>It is agreed that in the first place out of the aforesaid summ (<text in Isaac Newton’s hand begins>that is out of the Equivalent<text in Unknown Hand begins>) twheat consideration shall be found necessary {illeg}to be had for any losses which private persons may sustein by reducing the coin of Scotland to the standard & value of the coin of England may be made good. <text in Isaac Newton’s hand begins>But her Majesties most honble Privy Council of Scotland having appointed this melting of the old moneys into ingots, we humbly offer to yor Lordps consideration whether it may not be proper for their Lordships if they think fit to appoint also the recompence for performing this melting.

All which is most humbly submitted