'Experiments and Observations about the value of forreign coyns' [in fact entirely about French ones]: notes on denominations, French Mint practice, and rate of wear of coin Isaac Newton c. 1,032 words The Newton Project Oxford 2017 Newton Project, University of Oxford

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 1702 or after, c. 1,032 words. MINT 19/2/134, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK UKSurreyKew, RichmondNational Archives MINT 19/2/134 1702 or after England English Latin Holograph 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
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Experiments & Observations about the values of forregin coyns.

Of French coyns.

The French money is Lewidors double, single & half & quarter & the silver Lewis Ecu Doller or Crown, the half crown the quarter crown or Cardecu the 12th part of the crown or Reau & the piece of 312 sous or . By many assays of Pistoles they were found some 34 legr.legr. worse then stan.standard more of them 14 legr.legr. worse, none standard most of them 12 legr.legr. worse. One wthwith another they were about 49 legr.legr. worse & weight 4dwt 718gr. Double Pistoles new out of the Mint weight 8dwt 16gr, & single ones 4dwt. 8gr. In round recconinngrecconing we may put Pistoles 12 legr.legr. wors & weight 4dwt 8gr new coynd, 4dwt 7gr commonly current & lightned by wearing. When new coyned they are wellequally sized & assayed but in 20 or 25 years lose a grain by wearing. Some weigh but 4dwt 6gr some few 4dwt 5gr or less. The double French Pistoles are generally heavier then two single ones, being less worse

Silver Lewises new out of the Mint weigh one with another about 17dwt 1314gr or thereabouts, but in every six or seven years wearing lose a grain more or less. They are less equally sized then & allayed then the gold. They size thies Lewidors to half a grain their silver Lewises to 112 grgrains. The assays of tenn pieces were as follows. One coyned 1651 worse 212dwt, another 1675 better 112dwt, another 1680 sta.standard another 1682 better 2dwt. another 1687 sta.standard another coynd 1690, restampt 1694 worse 1dwt. A 7th 8th 9th & 10thsta.standard sta. better 1dwt, worse 8dwt. One wthwith another they were worse 710dwt. But if the last be omitted they were one with another better 19dwt. These tenn pieces & two others weighed one with another The French standard is 11 ounces fine & one ounce of allay both for gold & silver They at a Marc into 3614 Pistoles 17dwt 10gr. The eight heaviest of them weighed one wthwith another 17dwt 12gr, The two heaviest 17dwt 1314gr, The two lightest 17dwt 312gr being lightned by earing. Among the eight heaviest were the five dated three next 17dwt 1214gr. The three next 17dwt 1034. The two next 17dwt 712gr & the two lightest 17dwt 358, being lightned by wearing. Of the eight heaviest five were coyned 1651, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1687. The other seven were coyned before 1694 & then restampt. The French standard is 11 ounces fine & one ounce of Allay for both gold & silver. And they cut a Mark into 3614 Lewidors & 81112 silver Lewises A Mark is 8 ounces & an ounce is 8 Gross, 124 Deniers, 20 Esterlings, 40 Mailles 880 Felins & 80576 grains, & a Denier is 24 grains. A Mark French is 7 ounces 17 penny weight & 9 grains Troy & an ounce is 47218 grains Troy & an ounce French is to an ounce Troy & a Mark French to eight ounces Troy as 60 to 61. The remedy for in weight for gold monies in France is two Felins or 1145 grains English & the remedy for silver monies is the twelft part of a silver Lewis or 3532107gr english. And they make their money lighter in the Mark then the just weight by above half the remedy, vasist by about 35ts of yethe Remedy that is by about 7 grains Troy of gold & 21 grains Troy of silver in the Mark. So that 3614 Lewidors + 7gr & 81112 Lewises + 21 grains is the Mark French. The Remedy of Allay is in gold monies 14th of a carat, or One grain or 196 of the whole weight, that is one grain, & in silver monies two deniers per ounce or the 144th part of the whole, that is 23ds of the remedy for gold. Their Remedy is only in defect of weight & finesness. If their money be too heaviyerer or finer then the standard they Masters of their Mints lose the excess, if it lighter or coarser & yet within the Remedy they are at the Kings mercy. They make their gold coarser then standard by about 12 or 23 of the Remedy: but their silver Assays being less certain & yet the Remedy scanter they make their silver money one piece wthwith another finer then their standard chusing rather to lose by the fineness then hazzard being without the Remedy. And its observable aslo that orour Assays in the Tower make the gold & silver of Importers I which which is worse then standard to be at least 14dwt better then they are. Lewidors new coyned are in value to Guineas of due weight & allay as 4 to 5 & for every half grain that a Lewidor is lighter then 4dwt 8gr a penny must be deducted from its value. Ecus new coyned are worth 4s 6d15 of good standard money, & for every two grains by wchwhich the Ecu is grown by wearing grown lighter then 17dwt 1314gr must be abated one farthing. In French Flanders are coyned pieces of 4 Livers, 2 Livres, one Livre, half Livres & quarter livres. A two livre piece coyned 1687 wthwith this inscription about the head Lud. XIIII D.G. Fr. et Narav. Rex & on the Reverse about the French arms quartered wthwith a crown on the Escutcheon, Sit normen domini benedictum 1687 & edged wthwith Domine salvum fac Regem Christianissimum, weighed 12dwt 016gr. Another of the same date a little more worn weighed 12dwt –14gr. In exchange a Pistole & two pence is to a guinea pennytwo pence as 4 to 5. The assays of 15 Lewid'ors were as follows. worse 14, 34, 58, 14 full, 134 scant, 14, 12, 112, 12, 34 full, 12 scant, 34, 34, 34legr WchWhich is one wthwith another 23 legr.legr. worse. In the books of the Mint Ingots melted out of Pistoles generally run 12legr worse. Some few Ingots (scarce one in twelve) are 14 or 34legr worse & more are 34 worse 14 worse: so that they may be recconed 51100legr worse.