Royal Mint papers and tables, 1740-1748

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of papers and tables mainly relating to the work of the Royal Mint in the second quarter of the eighteenth century, [1740-1748], notably a copy of the Mint Charter of 24 Apr 1662, with a translation into English, and of the indenture of 23 Aug 1732 appointing John Conduitt as Master of the Mint, with a schedule of salaries; copies of the papers of Sir Isaac Newton and John Conduitt relating to the Trial of the Pyx, [1717 and 1734]; copy papers, some official, relating to the Assay and Trial of the Pyx in 1734 and 1740; copy papers on various, including Portuguese money, the process of making money from imported ingotts, and copper coinage; tables of monies coined under Richard Arundell, Master of the Mint, between 1737 and 1743; tables of gold and silver minted annually from 1660-1740; orders of 1729, 1732 and 1738 allowing the Master of the Mint to import Irish copper; tables showing the weight and fineness of gold and silver coins minted from the time of King Edward I, with names of successive Masters of the Mint. A note by the compiler in the index is signed 'A.P', which probably stands for Anthony Pollet, Clerk to the Caster.

The English Royal Mint was responsible for the making of coins according to exact compositions, weights, dimensions and tolerances, usually determined by law. Minting in England was reorganised by King Edward I to facilitate a general recoinage in 1279. This established a unified system which was run from the Royal Mint in London by the Master and Warden of the Mint. There remained smaller mints in Canterbury and elsewhere until 1553, when English minting was concentrated into a single establishment in London. For several centuries control of policy relating to the coinage rested solely with the monarch, with Parliament finally gaining control following the Revolution of 1688. The Mint itself worked as an independent body until that date, when it came under the control of the Treasury.

Single item.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

This manuscript was bought by Herbert Somerton Foxwell at Hodgson's, 1909, as an addition to the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature.

Collection level description.

Manuscript octavo. Bound in calf with metal clasps.

Compiled by Sarah Smith as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Other University of London Manuscripts relating to the Royal Mint and coinage include MSS 14, 21, 51, 62, 72, 100, 102, 151, 152 and 499.