William III, 1696-7: Act for importing and coining Guineas and Halfe-guineas. [Chapter I. Rot. Parl. 8 & 9 Gul. III. p. 1. n. 1.]

7 & 8 W. III. c.13. 1

§ 2; §4; 7 & 8 W. III. c. 13. (Exception) repealed.; Guineas and Half Guineas to be freely imported.

Whereas by an Act made in the First Session of this present Parliament intituled An Act for taking off the Obligation and Encouragement of coining Guineas for a certaine time therein mentioned itt is enacted That from the Second Day of March in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety five until the First Day of January then next following there shall not be any Obligation of receiving into his Majesties Mint or Mints to be coined any Gold whatsoever nor shall the Officers of his Majesties Mints be obliged to coine any Gold within the time aforesaid for any Person whatsoever and that the Recompences appointed by the Statute made in the Eighteenth Yeare of the Reigne of King Charles the Second and other subsequent Statutes for Encouragement of Coinage shall be applied to the Use of the Silver Mints And it is also thereby further enacted That from and after the said Second Day of March until the said First Day of January it shall not be lawfull for any Person or Persons whatsoever to import Guineas or Halfe-guineas into this Kingdome upon any p[re]tence whatsoever upon forfeiture of the said Guineas or Halfe-guineas And whereas the reason of making the said Act was occasioned by the high and unusual Price of Guineas which might in the end be very prejudicial to the Subject But the said Price of Guineas being now reduced to or neare the Standard and sundry Persons being desirous to coine Gold and also to import great Quantities of Guineas and Halfe-guineas which will be very beneficial to the Trade and Comerce of this Kingdome. For the Encouragement whereof Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Co[m]mons in Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the said Act and every Clause Matter and Thing therein contained (other than what relates to the Recompences by the said Act appointed to be applied to the Silver Mints and what concerns the Royal African Company) be and are hereby repealed and utterly made void to all intents and purposes and that all and every Person and Persons may freely import into this Kingdome Guineas and Halfe-guineas as they might or usually did before the making the said Act for prohibiting the same.

II. One or more Mills to be for the Coinage of Gold.

18 & 19 Car. 11. c. 5; Coinage of Gold and Silver to be kept in distinct Accounts.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the Master and Worker and other Officers of his Majesties Mint in the Tower of London shall on or before the Tenth Day of November One thousand six hundred ninety six prepare and sett apart one or more Mill or Mills Presse or Presses with other Conveniences to be in the first Place imployed in the Coinage of Gold which shall be brought thither by any Person or Persons Native or Forreigner to be received in coined and delivered out in such manner course and order as by the aforesaid Statute made in the Eighteenth Yeare of King Charles the Second is directed and appointed so that the course in Coinage of Gold and Silver be kept in distinct Accounts and not interferre one with another either in receiving into or delivering out of his Majesties said Mint and that such coining and delivering out Gold in a distinct course according to the time of bringing in the same although there be Silver remaining there uncoined shall not be interpreted any undue preferrence to incurr any Penalty in point of delivery of Money coined Any thing in the said Statute of the Eighteenth of King Charles the Second or other Statute to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.