Detailed report on the trial at London of Wood's copper coinage for Ireland, which was found satisfactory, with an account of the amount of Wood's coinage up to 28 March 1724

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To the Rt Honble the Lds Commrs of his Majts Triary

May it please yor Lordps

According to yor Lops Order, the Pix of the copper moneys coyned at Bristow by Mr Wood for Ireland has been opened & tried inat the Mint in the Tower by the kings Assaymaster before us. And by the Comptrollers account (to wch Mr Wood agreed,) there has been coined from Lady day 1723 to March 28th 1724, in half pence fifty & five Tunns, five hundred & three quarters & twelve grainsounces, & in farthings three Tunns, seventeen hundred, two Quarters ten pound weight & eight ounces averdupois. And by the specimens of this coinage which have from time to time been taken from the several parcels coined & & {sic} sealed up in papers & put into the Pix, we f{illeg}ound that sixty half pence weighed fourteen ounces Troy & eighteen penny weight, wch is about a quarter of an ounce above one pound averdupois;the whole amounting to 59 Tuns, 3C 1 Qter, 11lwt 4oz & that thirty farthings weighed three ounces & three quarters of an ounce Troy & forty six grains wch is also above the weight required by his Patent; the whole coynage amounting to 59 Tuns, 3C 1 Qter. 11lwt & 4oz. We found also that both halfpence & farthings when heated red hot spread very thin under the hammer without cracking, as your Lordps may see by the pieces now laid before yous. But although the copper was very good & the money takenone piece with another was full weight, yet the single pieces were not so equally coined in weight as they should have been.

We found also that thirty & two old half pence coined for Ireland in the reigns of king Charles the second, king Iames the second, & king William & Queen Mary, & produced by Mr Wood, weighed six ounces & eighteen penny weight Troy, that is 103$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ grains a piece with another. They were much wor{illeg}n. And if about six or seven grains be allowed to each of them one with another for loss of their weight by wearing (for the copper money coined for England in the reign of king William {illeg}being already as much lightned by wearing,) they might at first weigh about half a pound Averdupois one wth another: Butwhereas thirty of those coyned by Mr Wood, are to be of that weight. tThey were also made of bad copper. Two of those coined in the reign of king Charles the second wasted much in the fire, & then spread thin under the hammer but not so well without cracking as those of Mr Wood. Two of those coined in the reign of king Iames the second wasted more in the fire & were not malleable when red hot. Two of those coined in the reign of king William & Queen Mary wasted still more in the fire & turned to an unmalleable substance like a cynder, as yor Lordps may see by the pieces now laid before you.

By the Assays We reccon the copper of Mr Woods half pence & farthings to be of about the same goodness & value with the copper of which the copper money is coyned for {illeg} in the Kings mint for England, or worth in the Market about 12 or 13 pence per pound weight Averdupois; & the copper of which the half pence were coined for Ireland in the reigns of king Charles, king Iames, & king William to be much inferior in value, & almost of no value in the market, the mixture being unknown & not bearing the fire for converting it to any further use untill it be refined.

The half pence & farthings coyn in the Pix coyned by Mr Wood had on one side the head of the king with this inscription GEORGIUS DEI GRATIA REX, & on the reverse a woman sitting with a Harpe by her left side & above her the inscription HIBERNIA with the date. The half pence coined in the reigns of King Charles, King Iames & King William, had on one side the head of king Charles or king Iames or King William & Queen Mary, & on the reverse a <467v> Harp crowned.

All which facts we most humbly represent to yor Lordps.

Apr. 27th 1724.