THere are but Two Ways of Redressing the Disorder of our Coyne.

The One by calling in all the Old that is Clipp'd, and Coyning it New into Mill'd Money.

Th' other of giving all the Old Money course, for at least one Year longer, but with Denominations different from what they bear at present, and more proportioned to their Weight or intrinsick Value.

Of these Two, that is to be chosen which has the fewest Inconveniencies attend [Page 4] it, for some, nay, many perhaps, there will be in both.

In the first Remedy the Inconveniencies are,

• First, The great dimunition of the cur­rent Species of Money in the Kingdom, computed to amount to at least Two Mil­lions, by which there will come to be in proportion, so many fewer pieces of Crowns, half Crowns, Shillings, and Six Pences, than were before in common use, to the great Prejudice of common Markets, as well as other greater Payments, publick or pri­vate.
• Secondly, If all Clipp'd Money be called in, and new Coined, and by the Ancient Standard, as to Weight and Denomination, our Money will still be carried abroad, ra­ther than our Commodities, whilest Tra­ders can get more by Exporting one than the other. For though the Plenty or Scarcity [Page 5] of Money in a Countrey, depend upon the Proportion or Ballance betwixt Exportation and Importation; yet, the better our Mo­ney is, the more in Specie will be Exported, and the worse it is, the more will be Expor­ted in Commodities, which has evidently occasioned the quick vent, and thereby dear­ness of all Commodities for these Years past, since our Money has been so generally Clip­ped.
• The Third Inconvenience will be from the necessity of the Time to he taken up in Cal­ling in all the bad Money, and Coining Good, which will occasion great Disorders in all Markets and Payments, till both be finish­ed; and for this I see no Remedy.
• Fourthly, Though the loss of what is paid into the King's Exchequer, be borne by the Publick, yet that will not indemnifie Men in private Payments, so as many will still lose by this Remedy in their particular Stocks, as well as the Nation in their Gene­ral [Page 6] Stock, and no one Particular will make any Gain.

On the other side, and upon the Second Expedient, Suppose that every Crown, or half Crown Milled, or not Clipped, should be raised in Denomination and current Pay­ment, the one to Six, the other to Three Shillings, every such Shilling to Fifteen Pence; and Six Pence to Seven Pence half Penny. Every half Crown Clipped, but not within the Ring, remain at its common Value: and so likewise Shillings and Six-Pences: But every half Crown Clipped within the Ring, be cryed down to Twen­ty Pence; every Shilling so Cliped to Eight Pence, and every such Six-Pence to a Groat, or Four Pence.

• In the first Place, all the old, broad, and mill'd Money, which now lies hoarded up in Bankers, and Rich Private Hands, would immediately come out into common use, by reason of the Gains would be made upon the [Page 7] increase of its value, or at least current use and Denomination. So that as a great many would be losers by crying down the current Price of the Clipped Money, so a great many would be Gainers by crying up the Good; and those that lose, would lose but little, because every Body has paid off, for some time, all Clipp'd Money as fast as it came in.
• Secondly, By this the General Stock of Money current, would perhaps not at all be lessened in the Denomination, considering how much of the old, or weighty Money may be presumed to be hoarded up. And more Money would fall into Commerce than does at present, because that it would come into common Payments, which is now kept close, and by the vast number of Guinea's which have appeared of King Charles, and King James's Coin, it may be guest how much of old, or mill'd Money would soon appear, if the Price were raised.
• [Page 8] Thirdly, By crying up our good Money, Traders would be tempted to Export less abroad, and turn as much as they could, to Export our Commodities, which would make Trade quick, and encourage both common Labour, and Manufactures among us. And our Money so Coined, and Guinea's fixed to go at Six and Twenty Shillings, would bring our Coine in the Intrinsick, and the Denomination to that of our Neigh­bours, as can well be contrived; without which the Temptation will still be great, to carry our Money abroad.
• Fourthly, All the Denominations will run easily into common Accounts and Reckon­ings, and the several Species of our Money will be augmented by so many Groats, Eight Pences; Twenty Pences; whereas there seem to be now too few left for common use, since no more Nine-Pences, Groats, Four-Pence-Half-Pennys, are in use, nor any Pieces of Silver under Six-Pence.
• [Page 9] Fifthly, The Money to be given by the Parliament, to make up the loss of Clipp'd Money, will be saved the Nation, at a time when so great Sums are like to be raised for other uses, and this may be left for a better season.
• Lastly, No stop will be made in any com­mon Payments, either Publick or Private, but every Man content for once only, to fit down with the loss of the Clipp'd Money he shall have by him, in proportion, as it shall be debased in common value, whilst others will have reason to be pleased with the Gains they shall make by producing their mill'd, or old, unclipp'd Money.

Now for the Inconveniences to be found in this, I see none of weight, besides the Disputes that may be occasioned between Man and Man, about the Clipp'd Money, whether it be within, or without the Ring, [Page 10] and thereby what current Price it ought to hold.

The Description seems to be so plain, that the Disputes will not be such as the force of Commerce will not easily break tho­rough.

Or else the Clerk of every Market may be made the present Judge, or where there is none, the Parson of every Parish: besides, Stamps may be made, and every Letter-Of­fice, to ascertain the Value of every Piece, as there received, which might otherwise fall into Dispute.

If this will not do, I know nothing else, but for all Clipp'd Money to go by weight.

I say nothing here of false Money, be­cause that will not pass, when and where it is plainly found out, and in all Countries, [Page 11] and at all times, there will be of it current, so much as is not easily discovered. The Remedy both of this and Clipping (though the last will be discouraged, by the rise and fall, proposed in our Coyne) must be endea­voured by such Punishments as will deter more, than what is at present, and yet will not prevail with Juries to be too easie and compassionate in Acquitting Clippers, rather than bringing to Death for such a Crime, how cruelly soever punisht in other Countries; such a Punishment might be for every Clipper or Coiner, to stand one Hour in the Pillory, then to have one half of his Nose cut off; and after, to be either sold to the Planta­tions for Seven Years, or employ'd in Work-Houses at home; which would deter Eng­lish Men more than Death, and save the la­bour of so many Men, as well as so many Lives.

After all, the ways of Increasing the Coin and Wealth of the Nation, at such a time as this, and preserve it from being too [Page 12] much Exhausted, must be found out, by Re­ducing the Balance of our Trade, by Sump­tuary Laws, Exrceating Labour and Manu­facture, discouraging Luxury and Expence, or at least Reducing it to our own Native Commodities.