To the most Honble the Earl of Oxford & Earl Mortimer Lord High Treasurer of great Britain

May it please yoryour LordpLordship

Since I attended yoryour LordpLordship last, I caused a new Furnace to be built in order to a further trial of what may be done by casting of copper into Barrs & coyning copper money out of those barrs. But in the mean time upon assaying the half pence of wchwhich I shewed yoryour LordpLordship a specimen, I found the copper coarser then it was by the assay before casting. Whereupon I ordered Mr Bagley the founder to supply me wthwith such barrs as would fully endure the assay: but he has not yet produced any tho it be about three weeks since I gave him the order. Whence I suspect that in yethe specimen of half pence wchwhich I shewed yoryour LordpLordship he put in some Tynn wthwithout my knowledge tho I stood by to see him cast the copper & he pretends another cause.

Whether the Fillets be made by hammering or casting it will be requisite to repair the Mill-rooms & other rooms in the Irish Mint for cutting flatting scouring & nealing the money, & the repairs by the workmen's estimate will come to about 145li. If your LordpLordship please to let me have a Warrant for repairing them, It may be done in six weeks time

We do not receive gold & silver into the mint to be coyned untill they be made fit to be received. If your LordpLordship shall think fit that the copper be made into fillets by hammering, & received into the Mint by weight & assay & the money delivered back by weight & assay the coynage being paid for by the Importer: a coynage may be set on foot in this manner so soon as the charge of coynage, the number of pieces in a pound weight & the Reverse of the money shall be setled. And the money made by this method will be of the same fineness wthwith that of Sweden.

All wchwhich is most humbly submitted to yoryour LordpsLordships great Wisdome

Is. Newton