So then Silver flows to those places where its value is highest
in proportion to gold as to all Europe from Spain & to the ea China & the east Indies from all Europe & gold flows to those where its value is highest in pro
portion to silver, & the
So then Silver flows to those places where its value is highest
in proportion to Silver Gold, & And p going to all Europe from Spain, & to the East
Indies & China from all Europe. And for the same reason silver flowsGold
toabounds in those places & states in their where its value is highest in proportion to silver, as
it stays & by reason of its plenty it is their standard money while silver
rises & fr goes from them as fast as it comes from the Indies & rises
& falls in its price like a commodity; & in England where
higher then in any other part of the Europe && Asia, & Africa && where it is of late
by its plenty become the standard money of the nation while silver flows from us
as fast as it comes from Spain & rises & falls in its price as in Spain
like a commodity, as it doth in Spain.
The high price of gold in England tends therefore to bring it in to us
& to carry away oer silver into all Europe & by the demand of silver For where price of gold is lowest in proportion to silver there the price of silver is highest in proportion to Gold, & th
So then it appears by experience as well as by reason that silver flows to those places where its value is highest in
proportion to Gold; going to all Europe from Spain & to yethe East Indies & China from
all Europe. And its value in proportion to gold being higher in France Hollan
in France, Holland & allthen in Spain & England, this is a except
spain & Portugal, then it is in England, this is a reason why it should go from
incline to go from England into all Europe except Spain & Portugal. an there
then from th And then So by And so Gold flo is apt to abound in those places where
its value is highest in proportion to silver, & for that reason abounds in Spain & is their standard
money while silver goes from them as fast as it comes from the America
& rises & falls in its price like a commodity, being lowest upon the coming
in of a plate fleet & rising in its price as it goes away & becomes scarce
till the arrival of another plate fleet. And so in England where its value is
higher then in any other part of the world except Spain Portugal & the West Indies
by its plenty it is become the standard money of the nation while
Silver flows from us
its price like a commodity according to the demand
bullion. And because there is a constandt demand of bullion either for
exportation or for other uses, thence it is that the value of silver is
constantly higher in bullion then in coin, by 2d or 3d in an ounce. And
this is a standing temptation to turn smoney into bullion rather then bullion
into money. And because the value of Silver in proportion to gold is lowest where the value of SilvGolder in proportion to GoldSilver is highest, ther
[So then it appears by experience as well as by reason that Gold is ap to flow to those places where its value is highest in proportion to silver & to stay there, & because in those places the value of silver is lowest whe in proportion to gold
where the value of g therefore silver is apt to flow from them to other places
where its value is highestr. And on the contrary Go The Silver flows from Spain
into all Europe & from all Europe into Spa the East Indies because its price its lower]
only tend to bring in Gold but also to carry away silver.snd the more Gold is over
valued the faster silver will go out.
In the last year of King William
For where the price of Gold is lowest in proportion to silver there the price of
Silver is highest in proportion to Gold, & on the contrary. And this makes silver flow to
those places where the price of gold is highest lowest & from those places where the price
of Gold is highest Spain &
Portugal the rest of Europe therefore silver fl & in Europe then in the East Indies &
China, therfore GoldSilver flows from Spain into all CEurope & from all Europe into China
the East Indies & China. And for the same reason, gold because sinceso because gold is higher in England
then in the rest of Europe except Spain & Portugal, therefore silver will incline
to go from England into all all Europe except Spain & Portugal. And this I take to one great reason
of our want of Silver
In the last year - - - be removed. For a Guinea is valued at 9 more in England then in any other part of Europe except Spain & Portugal.
102
The proportion of gold to silver in Bullion is settled by the Merchant & comm in the Markets of Europe. And according to this prportion the gold in a Guinea is worth not more thenabout 20s 9d stirling in Spain & 20 & or 20.s 7 in Spain, 20s 8 in France, 20s 7 in Holland & 7d, 6d 5d or 4d in Germain Italy Germany Hungary & the northern kingdoms. [And where the proportion is not the same in money as in bullion the Merchants & Goldsmith will be apt to will make their advantage of the difference. And the proper remedy is to make it the same in the money as in the bullion. S] & in England & where silver in Bullion is usually valued at 5s 4d an ounce or 5s 4d an ounce, if it be recconedvalued at 5s 4d an ounce, a [a pound weight of fine Gold will be worth 14.£w 11,oz 18dwt or in a round numberof fine silver [5dwt &] a Guinea will be worth 20.s 8d - 2d = 20s about 20s d20s 8.d as in France. And when Silver ships are going to the E lading for the East Indies & siver the demand raises silver in bullion to 5 6 or 5 8d an ounce or above A Guinea will not be wor at that rate will not be worth 20s 2d per ounce.
THat Gold & silver may therefore answer to one anothermay therefore beare the same proportion to silver in the Engllish moneys which Gold bullion bdoth to silver bullion in the Markets of Europe, a Guinea ought to be valued at no more then 20s 9d. And it would be better to value it at 20s 8d oe 20d 6d. But because the lowering of yethe Gold monies is against the interest of those who make a profit by the present value or have hoards of gold moneys, it may be better to lower it by steps & begin with taking off 6d from the present value of the Guinea. // To do this cannot affect the course of exchange. For that course depends not on the blaws of particular countries but ont he course of trade between nation & nations & on the && proportional value of Gold & silver in the Markets of Europe between nation & nationbetween nation & nation wchwhich will not be allowed by wh the value put upon gold & silver between the kings subjects. This value at lowe ought to be as just as the may be that the kings Subjects may not prey upon one another . And if gold be not lowered it will fall of it self so soon as the silver money begins to be so scarce that people will not gol given silvegive silver for gold nor make payments any longer in silver without a premium.
Nor can the lowering of Gold at home affect the course of Trade between abroad nation any firther then that course depending only on the proportional value of gold & silver in bullion between nation & nation which will not be altered by what we do at home amongst our selves. It can only take off something from the profit wchwhich the may be made by bringing in gold & carying out or melting down the silver money wchwhich profit is a dammage to the publick
So then one pound weight of fine gold is worth about fourteenin betwe fifteen pounds weight & ten or eleven ounces or 15 pounds weight of fine silver in all Europa or or a little less suppose 14 & 10 or 11. And according to this rate a Guinea is worth 20s . 8d or a little less And this the value of a Guinea
So then according to the Markets of all Europe gold& by consequence according to the course of Exch. one pound weight of fine Gold is worth fifteen pounds weight of sfine silver or fifteen pounds weight wanting two or three ounces. And a Guinea is worth 20s & 8d or 20s a penny or two or less, & therefore is overvalued in our coin by 10d or above a about 10d, oror 11d, or Now And it appears by experience as well as by reason that silver will be apt to flow to those places where Gold is lowest in proportion t silver & tofrom those places where Gold is highest. For where Gold is higesthighest in proportion to silver there silver is lowest in proportion to gold & where Gold is lowest there Gold is highest. For this reason GSilver flows from Spain into all Europe upon the coming in of every Silver plate fleet & from all Europe to the Indies & Chinea & Gold stays in Spain & is their standard money while silver rises & falls likes a commodity And for the same reason while Gold moneys are over valued in England there is a temptation to send our silver moneys into all Europe neither there b except Spain & portualPortugal & to send gold from all Europe to be turned in Gold moneys in England & where silver is wanted for manufacturee there is the same temptation to melt down the silver moneys rather then t give 2d or 3d pr ounce more for bullion for forreign silver. &
In the last year of K. WmKing William - be removed.
For tThe proportion of Gold to silver in Bullion is setled by the Merchant according to the course of e Markets of Europe & course of Exchange & will not be alter'd by what we do in England amongst our selves, & therefore the lowering the The price of forreign Gold has been raised in England too high by raising the price of Guineas & the way to bingbring down to its just value is with to lower the price of the Guinea & of by this means the price of forreign Gold shall be lowered, the price of forreign silver will be lowered at the same time price of the Guinea if it lowers the price of Gold forreign Gold in our own Mar rket ket , wchwhich has been raised too high by over valuing the Gold moneys, it will also lower the price of the sil forreign silver & bring it nearer to the 5s 2d per ounce which is its price in the Mint. If a pound weight of forrei standard silver should be cut into 3.£ 4. 6d it would make an ounce of silver moneys worth 5s 4d & by consequence equal in value to an ounce of forreign silver & thereby take away the temptation to exporto or melt down the silver money. But there is no need of altering the standard. The same thing may be done by bringing the value of the Guinea in silver money nearer to the standard. For by the standard of England setled by the Indenture of the Mint under the broad Seal, a Guinea is coyned for 20s &c in the Mint is cal still called a twenty shillings piece & is now raised by private interest to 1s or above the standard. It was gradually raised by the Goldsmiths selling Guineas to Gentlemen for for 2d a piece more then they were worth their current value to Gentlemen for conveniewho wanted them upon journeys for lightness of carriage. It was private interest without regard to the publick which at first braised the price of Guineas too high were it not for private interest there would be no difficulty in bringing them down to the price which they should have by the course of trade & exchange. This price I reccon betweenabout between 20s 8d &or 20s 6d. And if at present But if at If at present only 6d sho were taken from the Guinea. But if at present only 6d should be taken from the Guinea the Guinea should be reduced only to 21s, it would bring forreign silver nearer to the Mint price & thereby diminish the temptation to export or melt down our silver money, & by the effect of such a regulation reduction, it would better appear then at present, what further reduction would be properrequisite to bring down forreign silver to the price of silver in the English c coyn, or which is the same thing, to bring up the price of silver in the MintCoin to that of forreign silver, & thereby bring forreign silver to the Mint.
If silver things be let alone till silver money be a little scarcer the gold will fall of it self. & the sil For people are already unwilling to give silver for gold & will in a little time refuse to make paymt in silver or give silver for gold or toma without a premium, & this premium iswill be an abatement in the pvalue of the gold. And so the Question is whether Gold shall be lowered by the government &or let alone till it falls of it self by the want of silver money & then kept down to its just value by the government.
If It may be said that there are great quantities of silver in plate & if the pPlate were coined there would be as muchno want of silve money: as ever.But I allow that the luxusry of the nation in Plate is considerable reccon that silver is safer from exportation in the form of PLate them in the form of money because of the greater value of the fashion 2 & silver together. And therefore I cannot am not for coining the Plate till the temptation to export the silver money (wchwhich is a profit of 2d or 3d in the ounce) be taken away. A [And least it should be pretended If it that this temptiontemptation has had no effect nor will have any,] For as often For as often as men are necessitated to send away money for answering debts abroad they will be tempted to send away silver rather then Gold because silver is worth more abroad & as off often as for exportation. And as often as of the profit of And as often as men are necessitated to bring Go which amounts to wchwhich is almost 4 pr cent. And for the same reason forreigners will send hither their Gold rather then their silver as often as they are to pa necessitated to pay debts here in their own money.
- And it appears by reasonexperience as well as by experience reason that silver flows tofrom those places where its is over under valued is lowest in proportion to Gold &as from Spain to all Eur Europe & from all Europe to IEast India China & Japan as to East India China & Japan & to all E from all Europe & to E all Europe & from Spain as from Spain to all Europe & from all Europe to East India China & Japan: And that gold is most plentiful in those places in wchwhich silver flows its value is highest in proportion to silver as in Spain: & England And that Gold is over valued in England, the Guinea being valued at 21s 6d wchwhich is 10d about at least 10d or 12d above the price wchwhich it ought to have by the course of Trade & exchange. // And whether the be notthis seems to me to me one reason of the plenty of Gold moneys deserves to be considered.& scarcity of silver moneys in this Island, &, & why Gold will still increase & moneys will still The increase & silver moneys decrease untill Gold be brought down to the value which it ought to have by the course of Trade & Exchange. For by valuing Gold too high, the value of silver in bullion hath been also rasised in proportion so as to be worth 2d or 3d per ounce more in bullionuncoyned then it is worth in coyn. For the proportion of gold to silver in bullion is settled by the course of trade & exchange so that the one cannot be raised without raising the other nor lowered without lowering the other. [ The high price high low pr high price of gold for exportation in proportion to silver is the same thing with the low price of silver in proportion to gold, & this low price creates a demand of silver for exportation to better markets, & this demand raises the price of bull forreignexportable silver above the price of silver in coyn. ] And therefore the high price of silver gold tends to carry out our silver. And on the contrary: if the value of gold were too low it would tend to carry out gold to better Markets & bring in silver. And if it were the same in proportion to silver wchwhich it is in the course of Trade & Exchange it would keep our our gold silver
103
Upon the coming in of a plate fleet, the premium ceases or is but small but as their silver goes away & becomes scarce the premium increses & is most commonly about six per cent. Which being abated, a Guinea becomes worth about 20s 9d in Spain & Portugal
But silverin bullion exportable is usually worth 2d or 3 5d more then in coyn by 2d or 3d per ounce. And of at a medium we value atsuch bullion be fine elven oz be valued at 5s 4.d per ounce, a pound weight of fine gold will be worth but 14lb 11oz 12.dwt 9gr of fine silver in bullion. And at this rate a Guinea is worth but 20s 8d. And at this I reccon the value thereof according to the course of exhchange when I forreign silver of standard allay is at 5s 4 per ounce. When ships are lading to the East Indies an ounce of standard fo the demand of silver for exportation may raise the prise to 5s 6d or 8dor 8d pr ounce or above b & the a guinea in but I considered not those extraordingy cases.
The proportion of Gold to silver in bullion is setled by the Merchant according to the Mercats of Europe & therefore course of exchange & will not be altered by wahat wee do in England amongst our selves. It will not be altered by lowering the price of the Guinea. The value of forreign Gold in England having been raised too high by about 10d or 11d in the raising the Guinea value of the Guinea in our silver moneys the way to lower it is to lower the pricevalue of the Guinea in our silver moneys, & if this will lower the price of forreign Gold in proportion to our silver moneys it will also lower the price of forreign silver in proportion to our silver moneys & bring it nearer to the the price of silver in the Mint becauseFor the priceproportional value of forreign Gold to forreign sig silver is setled by the trade & course of exchange between nation & nation & will not be altered by what we do amonst oer selves - [And by bringing the price of forreign silver nearer to the price of the silver in oer coyn,] in England alone. And to speak more properly, the what I here call the the If a pound weight lowering the value of the Guineas is nothing else thenmore truly the raising the prise of our silver money in propor so that 20s & 6d or 8d in such money may be amongsamongst our selves as well as abroad of the same value with a Guinea & by consequence wiorth so much forreign silver as in the course of Trade & Exchnage is equal in value to a Guinea.
So then Gold in by the ordin course of Trade & Exchange beween nation & nation in all Europe fine Gold is to fine silver as 14 or 15 to one & a Guinea at the same rate is worth between 20s 5d & 20s 8d, except in the extraordinary cases when a plate fleet is just arrived atin Spain or ships are lading have for the East Indies which cares I do not here consider. And silver will goes to those places where gold is of the lowest value in proportion to silver.
The value of the Guinea having been raised to 21s 6d which is 10d or 12d too much, & the too much, & thereby the value of forreign Gold being rasised as much in proportion to the silver moneys in England, the way to lower the values of forreign Gold in proportion to these monies is to lower the price of a Guinea. wAnd if this will lower the price of forreingnforreign Gold in proportion to our silver moneys it will also lower the price of forreign silver in proportion to the same moneys, & it nearer to the price of silver in the Mint