Holograph notes on the denominations, fineness and weight of various foreign coins, with a letter to Catherine Barton dated 5 August 1700 on the reverse Isaac Newton c. 1,030 words The Newton Project Oxford 2016 Newton Project, University of Oxford

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 1700, c. 1,030 words.

The manuscript is badly damaged and all the printed versions contain a number of conjectural readings.

The letter to Barton is very well represented in print, appearing in David Brewster, Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (2 vols., Edinburgh, 1855), 2: 213, in Louis Trenchard More, Isaac Newton (New York and London, 1934), 470-1, in Craig, NATM, 27, in NC, 4: 349-50, and in Westfall, 595. It does not seem to have occurred to any of the authors or editors of these works that the fact that Newton used the same sheet for notes on coinage rather suggests he never sent the letter (though it is of course possible he sent another copy).

On reverse of a holograph letter dated 5 August 1700 from Newton to Catherine Barton [his half-niece], wishing her well with her recovery from smallpox.

 MINT 19/2/30, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK UKSurreyKew, RichmondNational Archives MINT 19/2/30 1700 England English Holograph Unknown Hand Unknown Hand (1) Unknown Hand (2) MintAnalyses of Foreign Coin and Exchange Rates Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins Transcribed by Will Scott Will Scott Added reference to letter to Barton to title

Lords London, Paris & Glasgow In England, France, Flanders, Genoua, Florence. Venice they reccon by pounds shhillings or livers soulss & deniers,

In England acctsaccounts are kept by pounds shillings pence halfpence & farthings. The Gold coyne are 5 guinea-pieces, two Guinea-pieces, Guineas & half Guineas all of yethe same allay wchwhich is 11 parts fine gold & 1 part allay, & there are 441 Guineas in a pound weight Troy. The silver coyns are crowns or five shilling pieces, half crowns, shillings or twelve-pences, six pences, four-pences or groats, three-pences, two pences & pence all of yethe same allay wchwhich is 11110 fine silver & 910 allay, & there are 62 shillings in yethe pound weight Troy. The half-pence & farthings are of copper & 88 farthings make a pound weight Troy. Sometimes they reccon in England by marks & Nobles & a noble is 13 of 20s & a mark 23ds.

In sScotland they reccon by pounds & shillings & coyned at prresent 60 40 30 20 10 & 5s shillings pieces of silver: of the same standard wthwith english silver money according to law, but actually about 12 or 13 of a penny weight worse then yethe English money one piece wthwith another by yethe unaccuratesunaccurateness of their workmen. They divide an ounce as the English do into sixty two parts & coyn sixty of those as the English do but 56 into a crown or sixty shilling piece so that a A 60 shillings piece is to a pound weight Scotch as 56 to 62 or 28 to 31. Now a pound weight scotch is less then a pound wtweight English by 94dwt 9gr english, So that 60 shillings scotch ought to weight 425121814 y 4252031 grains english & be worth 55 pence English wanting the 112 of a farthing but being something coarser & lighter then it should be it may be recconed worth 55434 pence English one piece wthwith another. In Scotland they have sometimes coyned marks, two-mark pieces ,& 12 mark pieces & small pieces three of wchwhich make a noble their marks pieces not is 13s 4d of their money but these were being ill coyned were lately called in.. In the nearest round number their marks may in England for shillings & their ten shilling pieces for nine pences. In Ireland two 412d is one Haper or 9d English, & 20 Harpers is a pound or 15s English In France they reccon by Livers souls & deniers. 12 Deniers make a souls 20 souls a Liver or Frank. 16 souls make a Cardecu & 4 Cardecus a Crown. But now yethe French crown is 60 sous & weighteth 17dwt 1112 grgrains being to t[heThe Paris ouce as 60 to 62 beingis divided into 62 sous whereof 60 to their crown. The silver Their pound is to yethe English pound & by consequence their crown to yethe English as as 6 93 to 100. so that their pound is 56555357. English grains & their ounce 446512] The French Gold Lewis d'or equals 14 of a French crown or six sous in weight, being in weight 4dwt 8gr34 & is in fineness 11oz or 11oz–14gr. that is worse 14 grgrains And the French silver is worse 06wt. The French & Spaniard use the same weight wchwhich is a Mark of 7 ozounces 8dwt 8 ounces & weights 7 ozounces 8dwt Troy. 30 In Spain the pieces of 88 weigh 17dwt12 & the Pillar pieces are better 2dwt the Mexico worse 1dwt the Peruvian worse 112 dwtdeadweight. The Spanish Pistol weighs 4dwt 8gr & is worse 14gr. 34 Peru & a Mexic ants are kept in Merveds & Rials. 34 Mervedes is a Rial & 8 Rials is a piece of 88. The exchanges are made upon the Imaginary Ducat of 375 Mervedes or 11 Rials & a Mervede. T A piece of 88 equals a FrenceFrench crown in weight & a spanish Pistol equals a French one in weight, & both are 14 of a crown or piece of eight. The Ducat ofis yethe same all over Holland & the Empire & weights 2dwt 5gr & is better 1car 2gr. In Holland the three Guilder pieces (= 60 stivers) weigh 1oz. 6gr and are 4dwt (& sometimes by default 5 6 & 7dwt) worse [20 Stivers (or 4 oldssolds Turtois) here & in Flanders make a Guilder, & six stivers make a flemmish shillings & 20 shillings or skillings a pound Flemish. Ducatoons are = 10 dutch skillings Patlatoons = 8 Dutch skillings a Ducatoon is 412dwt better & weights 1oz 0dwt 22gr. The Dutch reccon by pence Groats or Grosses stivers Guilders & 4d is a Gross. 2two Grosses a Stiver, 12 Grosses = 6 stivers = a skilling, 20 skillings a pound flemish, 20 stivers a Guilder 6 Guilders a pound flem.flemish] A Ducattoon of Flanders weights 1 ozounce 22dwtgrains is better 412dwt is worth 5s 5d6 5 56d 5s. 6d38 A double Dutch stiver weighs 1dwt & is worse 4oz 4oz 6 dwtdeadweight, & is worth 1910d. The Dutch weight is a Mark of 8 ounces & weight 7oz 18dwt Troy. A Traveller told me that the Dutch ounce was but a grain lighter then yethe English ounce Troy 29/30 223 For Mris Catherine Barton at Mr Gyre's at Publicot neare Woodstock in Oxfordshire By Chipping Norton Bagg. I had yoryour two letters & am glad yethe air agrees wthwith you & though the fever is loath to leave you yet I hope it abates, & ytthat yethe remains of yethe small pox are dropping off apace. SrSir Ioseph Tily is leaving Mr Tolls house & its probable I may succeed him. I intend to send you some wine by the next Carrier wchwhich beg the favour of Mr Gyre & his Lady to accept of. My Lady Norris thinks you forget yoryour promis of writing to her, & wants a letter from you. Pray let me know by yoryour next how your face is & if yoryour fevour be going. Perhaps warm milk from yethe Cow may help to abate it. I am YorYour very loving Vnkle Is. Newton