Charles II, 1666: An Act for encourageing of Coynage.

Reasons for passing this Act.

Gold and Silver to be coined gratis. For every Pound Troy of Gold or Silver brought, there is to be delivered a Pound Troy of Current Coin.; For every Pound Troy of Gold and Silver finer than Standard so much more than a Pound Troy delivered; and for baser Gold or Silver so much less.

Whereas it is obvious that the plenty of Current Coynes of Gold and Silver of this Kingdome is of great advantage to Trade and Commerce For the Increase whereof Your Majestie in Your Princely Wisedome and Care hath beene gratiously pleased to beare out of Your Revenue halfe the Charge of the Coynage of Silver money For the preventing of which Charge to your Majestie and the Encouragement of the bringing Gold and Silver into the Realme to be converted into the Current Money of this Your Majestyes Kingdome Wee Your Majestyes Dutyfull and Loyall Subjects doe give and grant unto Your Majesty the Rates Dutyes or Impositions following, And doe beseech Your Majestie that it may be enacted, and bee it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parlyament assembled and by the Authoritie of the same That whatsoever person or persons Native or Foreigner Alien or Stranger shall from and after the Twentyeth day of December One thousand six hundred sixty and six bring any Forreigne Coyne Plate or Bullion of Gold or Silver in Masse molten or allayed, or any sort of Manufacture of Gold or Silver into His Majestyes Mint or Mints within the Kingdome of England to be there melted downe and coyned into the current Coynes of this Kingdome shall have the same there assayed melted downe and coyned with all convenient speede without any Defalcation Diminution or Charge for the Assaying Coynage or Waste in Coynage Soe as that for every pound Troy of Crowne or Standard Gold that shall be brought in and delivered by him or them to be assayed melted downe and coyned as aforesaid there shall be delivered out to him or them respectively a pound Troy of the current Coynes of this Kingdome of Crowne or Standard Gold, And for every pound Troy of Sterlin or Standard Silver that shall be brought in and delivered by him or them to be assayed melted downe and coyned as aforesaid there shall be delivered out to him or them respectively a pound Troy of the current Coynes of this Kingdome of Sterlin or Standard Silver and soe proportionably for a greater or lesser weight. And for every pound Troy of Gold or Silver that shall be brought in and delivered to be assayed melted downe and coyned as aforesaid that shall be finer upon essay then Crowne Gold or Standard Silver there shall be delivered for the same soe much more then a pound Troy as the same doth in proportion amount unto in finenes and value, And for every pound Troy of Gold or Silver that shall be brought in and delivered to be assayed melted downe and coyned as aforesaid that shall be courser or baser upon essay or worse in value then Crowne Gold or Standard Silver there shall be delivered for the same soe much lesse then a pound Troy as the same doth fall short in finenes or value and soe for a greater or lesser quantity.

II. Coined Money to be given out in turn and course without Preference.

Making undue Preference, by Officer ; Penalty and Loss of Office; by Deputy; Penalty and Incapacity.

And it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That there shall be noe preference in point of Assaying or Coynage, but that all Gold and Silver brought in and delivered into the Mint to be assayed and coyned shall be assayed coyned and delivered out to the respective Importers according to the order and times of bringing in and delivering the same into the Mint or Mints and not otherwise, Soe as he that shall first bring in and deliver any Gold or Silver to be coyned shall be taken and accounted the first person to have the same assayed coyned and delivered, And he or they that shall bring in and deliver any Gold or Silver next, to be accounted the second person to have the same assayed coyned and delivered and soe successively in course, And that the Gold and Silver brought in and coyned as aforesaid shall be in the same order delivered to the respective bringers in thereof their Executors Administrators or Assignes successively without preference of one before the other and not otherwise And if any undue preference be made in entring of any Gold or Silver or delivering out of any money coyned contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act by any Officer or Officers of the Mint or Mints then the partie or partyes offending shall be lyeable by Action of Debt or in the Case to pay the value of the Gold or Silver brought in and not entred and delivered according to the true intent meaning and direction of this Act as aforesaid with Damages and Costs to the partie or partyes greived and shall be forejudged from his or their Place or Office, And if such preference be unduely made by any his or their Deputie or Deputyes Clerke or Clerks without direction or privity of his or their Master or Masters then such Deputie or Deputyes Clerke or Clerks onely shall be lyeable to such Action Damage and Costs as aforesaid and be for ever Acter uncapeable of serveing or bearing Office in any Mint in the Kingdome of England.

III. Payment to Persons first applying on subsequent Orders no undue Preference.

Provided alwayes That it shall not be interpreted any undue preference to incurr any Penalty in point of delivery of Moneyes coyned if the Officer or Officers or their Deputyes or Clerkes shall deliver out or pay any moneyes coyned to any person or persons, that doe come and' demand the same upon subsequent Entryes before others that did not come to demand their moneyes in their order and course soe as there be soe much money reserved as will satisfie them which shall, not be otherwise disposed of but kepte for them

IV. Bills under the Mint Master's Hand to Persons bringing Gold or Silver to be coined.

And for the more orderly and cleare performance [thereof (fn. 1) ] Bee it enacted, And it is hereby, enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That the Master worker of His Majestyes Mint or Mints for the time being shall at the time of the delivery and entry of any Gold or Silver in the said Mint or Mints give unto the bringer or bringers in thereof to be coyned a Bill under his hand denoteing the Weight Finenes and Value thereof together with the day and Order of its Delivery into the said Mint or Mints.

V. Gold or Silver brought to be coined freed from Attachments, &c.; and all such Gold, &c. to be delivered, to the bringer.

And for the further Encouragement and Assurance of such as shall bring any Gold or Silver into His Majestyes said Mint or Mints to be coyned Bee it enacted And it is hereby enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That noe Confiscation Forfeiture Seizure Attachment Stop or Restraint whatsoever shall be made in the said Mint or Mints of any Gold or Silver brought in to be coyned for or by reason of any Imbargo, breach of the Peace Letters of Mart or Reprisall or Warr with any Forreigne [Nation (fn. 2) or upon any other accompt or pretence whatsoever But that all Gold and Silver brought into any of His Majestyes Mint or Mints within the Kingdome of England to be coyned shall truely and with all convenient speede be coyned and delivered out to the respective bringer or bringers in thereof their [respective (fn. 3) ] Executors Administrators or Assignes according to the Rules and Directions of this Act.

VI. The Charge of Coinage defrayed by a new Impost on certain Liquors.

Wine, Vinegar, Cyder, and Beer imported, 10s. Per Ton; Brandy-wines and Strong Waters, 20s. per Ton; Over and above all other Duties; Collectors to pay Duty Quarterly into the Exchequer, to be kept distinct.

And whereas it cannot be reasonably expected that the Expence Waste and Charge in assaying melting downe and coynage be borne by Your Majestie And for the further encouragement of Coynage Bee it enaced And it is hereby enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for every Tunn of Wines Vinegar Syder or Beere that shall be imported or brought into the Port of London or into any other Port Creeke or place within the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede from any parts beyond the Seas or Scotland from and after the twentyeth day of December in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and six there shall be levyed collected and paid the summe of Ten shillings, And for every Tunn of Brandy wines or Strong Waters that shall be imported as abovesaid the summe of Twenty shillings and soe proportionably for a greater or lesser quantity to be levyed, collected and paid at the respective Custome houses to the Collectors and other Officers of the Customes for the time being at the Importation of the said Commodities over and above all other Dutyes charged levyable and payable upon the said Commodityes and, to be by them distinguished and kepte apart from all other moneyes by them collected and levyed upon the same Coo[m]modityes or upon any other Coo[m]modities or Merchandises whatsoever and to be by the said Collectors or Collectors repectively soe answered and paid quarterly into the Receipt of the Exchequer of Your Majestie Your Heires and Successors, there alsoe to be kepte distinct and apart from all other moneyes ariseing by the Customes or by any other, way or Revenue whatsoever which said Duty they are hereby injoyned to receive and pay according to the severall Directions of this Act without any Salary or Fee.

VII. Remedy for the Duties.

[And bee it further enacted and declared by the Authoritie aforesaid That all manner of Wines Vinegar Sider. Beere Brandy wines and Strong waters imported as aforesaid shall pay their severall and respective Dutyes imposed, by this Act, And upon non payment thereof shall be lyeable to such and the same paines penalties and forfeitures as in and by the late Acts for Tonnage and Poundage and for Frauds are enacted and appointed upon non payment of the Dutyes by the said Acts imposed upon Goods and Merchandises of the same nature with those mentioned in this Act. (fn. 4) ]

VIII. Liquorsre-exported within one Year, Duty to be repaid.

Provided alwayes and it is hereby enacted That for what of the aforesaid Commodities shall be transpouted into any parts beyond the Seas within the terme and space of one yeare After the Importation thereof That the Duty, paid by this Act for the same shall be repaid by the respective Collectors of the Customes for the time being.

IX. Money raised to be applied to Coinage, &c.

No Monies to be issued out of Exchequer but by Warrant from Treasury.; Contents of such Warrants.

And it is hereby further enacted That noe moneyes levyable and payable by this Act shall be applyed or converted to any use or uses whatsoever other then to the defraying the charge [and expence (fn. 5) ] of the Mint or Mints and of the, assaying melting downe Waste and Coynage of Gold and Silver and the encouragement of ( (fn. 6) ) bringing in of Gold and Silver into the said Mint or Mints there to be coyned into the current Coynes of this Kingdome, Nor shall any of the said moneyes be issued out of the Exchequer but by Order or Warrant of the Lord Treasurer or Under Treasurer or Coo[m]mis[sion]ers of the Treasury for the time being to the Master and Worker or Masters and Workers of Your Majesties Mint or Mints for the time being and mentioning that they are for the use and service aforesaid to be kepte in His Majestyes Office of Receipte in the said Mint or Mints under the usuall Keyes of the Warden Master and Worker and Comptroller for the time being and issued out thence from time to time according to the manner and course of the said Mint or Mints respectively.

X. The annual Charge of Salaries and Repairs restrained to £3000.

Overplus of Monies to be employed towards Coinage.

And it is hereby further enacted. That there shall not be issued out of the Exchequer of the said Moneyes in any one yeare for the Fees and Salaryes of the Officers of the Mint or Mints and towards the provideing maintaining and repairing of the Houses Offices . and Buildings and other necessaries for assaying melting downe and coyning above the summe of Three thousand pounds Sterlin money, And the overplus of the said moneyes soe kepte or to be kepte as aforesaid shall be imployed for and towards the expence waste and charge of assaying melting downe and coynage and buying in of Gold and Silver to coyne and not otherwise.

XI. Continuance of Act.

And lastly Bee it enacted And it is hereby enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That this Act shall continue and be in force untill the twentyeth day of December which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred seaventy one, and untill the end of the first Session of Parlyament then next following and noe longer

XII. Proviso for Lady Villiers under Letters Patent of 20th August 12 Car. II.

[Provided alwayes and bee it further enacted That whereas His Majestie in and by his Letters Patents under His Great Seale dated at Westminster the Twentyeth day of August in the Twelfth yeare of His Raigne did for diverse good causes and considerations Him moveing give and grant to Dame Barbara Villiers Widdow the summe of Two pence by tale out of every pound weight Troy of Silver moneyes which from thenceforth should be coyned by vertue of any Warrant or Indenture made and to be made by His Majestie His Heires and Successors To have hold receive perceive and take the same unto the said Dame Barbara Villiers her Executors Administrators and Assignes from the Ninth day of the then instant August weekely as the said moneyes should be coyned for and dureing the terme of one and twenty yeares as by the same doth appeare That His Majestie may out of the moneyes leviable by this Act appoint and cause reasonable satisfaction to be made yearely to the said Dame Barbara Villiers her Executors and Administrators for her Interest in the Premisses not exceeding the summe of Six hundred pounds in any one yeare. (fn. 4) ]