Copy of letter outlining documentation procedures for the closures of the country mints

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To the Warden of his Majesties Mint in Chester in Cheshire
To be comunicated to the Master & Comptroller of that Mint

Sir

The businesse of the Countrey Mints now drawing towards an End, the Lords of the Treasury are minded that Wee should lay your Accounts before them, & for that End I desire you with the Assistance of the Master & Comptroller or all of you together to fill up the blanks in the inclos'd paper with all the care & Exactness you can, & then to returne it to me, or a faire copy therof sign'd by you all that we may rely upon it.

Where nothing was imported (as perhapps in the branch of wrought Plate betweene Novr. 4: 96 & Iuly: 97 or in that of publique Monie since Mar, 1st.) you are to fill upp the Blanks with Cyphers. And soe in the two last Columns, Cyphers are to be putt where nothing remain'd due to Importers, or nothing was reserv'd for melting, refining & Coyning. And in the two Columns, under Ingotts & Sweepe if in any case you did not add the sweepe to be Ingotts, in that case sett downe the weight of the Ingotts alone, with the Letter, I, before it:                     If you doe not knowe the Tale of the new Moneys made out of every branch imported, sett downe the whole tale or summe of the Moneys made out of all the branches together from time to time, that is, from the beginning of the Coynage to Novr. 4 | 96, thence to Iuly 1. 97, thence to Novr. 4. 97 and thence to March 1.st. or to the day of signing the paper: Overag the word Sume in the Enclos'd paper you have blanks for this pupose, But if you doe not knowe these summes now can collect them out of your Bookes, then send us in a Letter the weight and Tale of all the new Moneys coyned till such & such periods of time, when you did both weigh & tell all the Moneys they Coyn'd, deviding the whole Coynage into five or six Periods,    Lett the Ablest of your Clerkes be imploy'd in Consulting & Comparing your bookes & Computing what is necessary out of them, but least not the Computatation of a single Clerke now any other Eyes than your owne, And lett the Enclos'd or a faire copy thereof fill'd up and sign'd by the officers be sent back in a Weeke or tenn dayes after the receipt therof or sooner if you can, And if there remaine any blanks which you cannott fill upp in that time, you may keepe a Copy of the paper you send me, to be fill'd upp more Compleately afterwards + sent to me as soone as, you have finish'd it, I have sent the same Papers to all the Mints that your Accounts may be conformable to one another, if therby the better fitted for the view of the Lords, & putt in a Method for Auditing: so by Mr. Neale's consent & desire as well as by the suggestion of the Lords, that I take care of this matter, and therfore I doubt not but you will have all the Assistance his Deputy & the Comptroller can give you, & the Free inspection of their Bookes. I am

your Loving Friend

Is: Newton

I approve of this; & would have it punctually comply'd with

Tho: Neale

I desire Mr. Halley to take particular care of this matter.

Is: Newton