Forasmuch as by Our Royal Prerogative, We have power to establish, or alter the matter of Coyn, either Native or Forraign within Our Dominions, from time to time, as We shall find fit for the good of Our Subjects; and Our Royal Ancestors having been in constant use to raise and exalt the extrinsick value of the Coyn of this Kingdom, according as the Neighbouring Kingdoms and States have done their Standarts; and in some measure, to bear such a proportion with Our Neighbours, as that the Coyn of this Kingdom might not be exported: And whereas the value of the ounce of Coyned Silver hath been raised from time to time, as particularly in the year 1591. the value of the ounce of Coyned Silver was appointed to be fourty two shilling Scots, being of eleven Denier fine, which continued from that year to the year 1691, and was then raised to three Pounds ten Pennies, and two sixth parts, and which has continued ever since at that value: albeit in the Neighbouring Kingdoms and States, the ounce of Coyned Silver is valued considerably above the same, which has been one great occasion of the exporting of the greatest part of the Stock of Our own Coyn, and whereof Merchandise has been, and is still made; and the same species melted down by forraign Mints and Goldsmiths, and imported again in forraign species, much below Our own Coyn, both in weight and fineness, whereby Our Authority has been contemned, Our People cheated and abused, and the Trade and Commerce of this Kingdom highly prejudged; and if the same be not timously remeided, the remnant of the Stock of Our own Coyn will in a short time be carryed out, and nothing left but forraign species of baser Monies. And some of the most considerable of the Merchants of this Our Kingdom, having made their application to Our Privy Council, and proposed as a fit expedient, that Our four Merk peices might be ap­pointed to be current proportionally to the intrinsick value thereof, and the best of the forraign Current Coyn; who having had the same ūnder serious consideration, and having received from the Officers of Our Mint, an exact account of the intrinsick value thereof, and of all other forraign species of Coyn, tollerated to be current; and finding, that at the rate of the ounce of Silver now Current in other Countreys, it is fit that Our Coyn be in some proportion with theirs in the extrinsick value. We therefore, with the Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, do ordain and appoint, that in time coming, the ounce of Our own Moneys shall be in value, three Pounds four Shillings Scots Money: and to that effect, do ordain, that the four Merk pieces, which are now current at fifty three shillings four pennies, shall hereafter be current at fifty six shillings, and the inferiour species of that Coyn, viz. the two Merk, Merk, Half merk, and Fourty-penny-piece proportionably. And whereas it is most just, that now seing we have advanced the value of Our Coyn, as afore­said, the Merchants ought to have enccuragement to bring in their Bulzeon with greater chearfulness, We do ordain, that whereas they did receive for each ounce of Silver, payed in by them, as Bulzeon of eleven denier fine, fifty five Shillings nine Pennies Scots; the Master of the Mint is now to pay out to them, for every ounce of eleven denier fine, given in by them as Bulzeon, fifty eight Shillings Scots. And ordains all forraign species of Coyn to be current as formerly; And that these Presents be Printed, and Published at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and other places needful, that none pre­tend ignorance.

GOD save the KING.