SInce it hath been the pleasure of the Parlament and of the Council of State, to pass som Orders in relation to the preventing of the coun­terfeited and clipped monie, now dis­persed in England, Scotland and Ireland, hee make's bold, yet with submission, to pre­sent the following particulars, contei­ning, [Page 2]besides the said offers, First, the reason why the Coyn [...] this Common­wealth is clipped and light, so that few pieces are to bee found [...]eighing their true weight; As also the [...]ason why so much fals Coyn is now dispersed. And secondly, the onely way to remedie the said inconveniences, and to settle a good and constant order in the Mint.

As to the first, the reason of the said abuses is becaus the monie coyned with the hammer is so easie to bee counterfeit­ed, and with so few Engines and so little expences, that thereby the fals Coyners are encouraged and their number en­creased. And the dailie experience to this day shewed, that seldom or never any fals Coyners have been discovered by the nois of the hammer.

Another reason is, becaus the monie coined with the hammer, cannot bee made exactly round, nor equal in weight and bigness, and is often grossly marked, and hath many other faults, which give's a great facilitie to the fals Coyners to counterfeit and mould it; as also to the Clippers to clip it: It beeing very [Page 3]hard to dis [...] [...]ween a clipped piece, and one not c [...]d. Besides, abundance of coyn is ma [...]e too light even at the Min [...]: The said Blondeau himself hath re­ceived som [...]illings (which hee shewed to the Committee for the Mint) which weighed som five, som six, and som seven pence onely; as to the contrarie, hee received som that weighed seventeen, yea, & eighteen pence; both of them made so at the Mint: Which inequalitie occa­sions several Goldsmiths and others, who receiv the monie from the Mint, to cull or pick out the heaviest pieces to melt them; and after them, others do again cull or pick out the heaviest of them that are left, to transport them be­yond Seas; so that onely the light, the fals & the clipped monie remain's within the State, which turn's to the great ruine and destruction of Commerce, and un­doeth those poor people, who spend their monie little by little; for having som counterfeited or clipped pieces, they cannot put them off, but are forced to sell them, with loss, unto the Goldsmiths and others who can spend them among other moneys, or trade therein, and sell [Page 4]them again to the Ca [...] [...]epers of the Treasurers, Bankiers, [...]erchants and others, who make them pass afterwards among other monies; so that they re­turn again into the ha [...]s of the poor.

The reason why the workmen of the Mint do make the coyn thus unequal in weight, and do not care to keep the true weight, is becaus it is sooner don. Besides, the said workmen may coyn somtimes their own silver, or may treat with those that bring their Bullion to bee coyned, becaus they do not render the coyn by tale, but by the pound, and so still there bee more pieces in number, then there should bee in a pound. And the monie so coyned beeing distributed out of the Mint, the officers themselvs and the work­men of the Mint do cull or pick out the heaviest pieces to melt them again, as they themselvs have confessed before the said Committee for the Mint. And that is the thing which among themselvs they call the mysterie or secret of the Mint, and which is the caus that, by themselvs and by their friends, they make use of all their joint power and credit, and will [Page 5]laie ou [...] all [...] Estate, and leav no stone unmooved to [...]der the changing of the waie of coyning the monie.

As to the way of remedying those inconvenien [...]es, and settling a good and constant order in t [...] Mint, it cannot bee don [...] but by [...] [...]ay pro­pounded by the said Blondeau, by marking the coyn not onely on both the flat sides, but also upon the thickness or the edges.

The coyn made after that way, can­not bee clipped without taking away the marks that are about the thickness, the which would bee easily perceived. Besides, the pieces will bee of an equal bigness and largeness; the half-crown of the ordinarie weight and bigness, the shilling and other pieces according­ly; and so equal among themselvs, that it will bee impossible to take the less thing from any of them, but it will shew less then the rest, and so will be­com not currant: They cannot bee al­tered by washing or any other way, but they will lose their bigness &c glass, so that a blindman will easily feel it.

The ordinarie coyn marked onely [Page]on both the flat side [...] [...] [...]ee moulded, as the experience do [...]w by the grea [...] quantitie of fals coyn [...] [...], [...]ded, which is currant now; but [...]e Co [...] it is marked on the thickness or edges, the marks about the said edges can no way bee moulded. And though they could, yet in that case they ought to bee fyled after round about, specially in the place where it hath been cast, to take away the superfluous metal; which fyling cannot bee don without spoiling and taking away the said marks about the edges, and consequently made easily known not to bee currant.

The monie ought to bee adjusted piece after piece, equal in weight, both Gold and Silver. And for that end, it is requisite that an Officer bee appoint­ed in the Mint, whose charge should bee to weigh the monie piece after piece when it is finished; and in case he finde's any piece unequal or unhandsomly made, hee ought to reject it and give it to bee melted again, upon the charges of the Undertaker of the Mint, thereby to oblige him to bee so much the more careful: And for to hinder the conni­vence [Page]of the [...] appointed to weigh the said piece [...] who might happen to juggle with [...] Undertaker; another Officer may [...] [...]ppointed, to whom any of the people that shall finde any of the new coined pieces lighter then it should bee, might repair within a con­venient time, who shall change the said light pieces, all which shall bee put to account to the said Officer appointed for the weighing: But that cannot bee don except the monie bee coyned after the said Peter Blondeau's way, that is, marked on both sides, and upon the edges; els the Weigher might pretend it had been clipped and made light since it went out of his hand And the monie bee­ing coined after the said way, besides the hindering or removing of the aforesaid inconveniences, it will rais or encreas the Exchange by about ten per centum, to the advantage of this Common-wealth.

It is also requisite, to maintain the standard or goodness of the coyn, that any Goldsmith, Refiner, or other whom­soëver bee permitted to make essay of the currant monie; and in case it bee not found of the standard or goodness, they [Page]might bee allowed [...] [...]ck to an appointed Officer, t [...] [...] and the rest of the pieces by them [...] [...]o bee there tried again before [...] [...]missioners, and the Trier of [...] Mint; and if it bee found that the said coyn bee not of the due goodness, the discoverer shall bee rewarded at the charges of the Trier, that hee may have a due care, that no coyn com's out of the Mint but such as shall bee of a due value, and according to the order of the State.

The Council of State being willing to prevent the said disorders, was de­sirous to have the monie of this Com­monwealth well coyned; and therefore having seen the patterns of coyn made after a new Invention by the said Blon­deau, and having treated by Letters about the quantitie of pieces that could bee coyned in a week, and what they might cost; the said Council, caused the said Blondeau the Inventor of that way of coyning, to com to London, to treat with him by word of mouth, and to agree about the price of coyning the monie of this Common-wealth after his way. Hee beeing then arrived at [Page] London [...] [...]ce Septemb. 1649. the said Cou [...] [...]ced on him 40 ^l ster­ling, and the late M [...] Frost, then Secretarie to the said Cou [...] told him before Witnesses, that [...] State could not agree with him a [...] [...]he price, and that therefore hee shou [...] bee necessitated to retire himself, the State woul [...] indamni­fie him for his journie, both coming and returning, and for the time hee should have lost, and would bestow on him such a present, that hee would re­turn satisfied. A while after, the said Council of State ordered the Com­mittee of the Council of State for the Mint to hear the said Blondeau's Propo­sition, and report it to the said Council.

The Committee for the Mint accor­dingly took into consideration, whe­ther the said Blondeau should bee admit­ted to coyn the monie of this Common-wealth; and having debated it, they resolved and approoved that he should be admitted thereunto, provided his coyn and his Proposition should bee advan­tagious to the State.

Afterwards the said Committee ha­ving seriously considered and examined [Page]all the circumst [...] [...] waie of coyning propound [...] [...] said Blon­deau, and having h [...] all the Objections that could bee all [...] against it, both by the Master, Offi [...] [...] workmen of the Mint or by an [...] [...] of those who ap­peared in the [...] upon debate of the whole, the said Committee conclud­ed and Voted, that the said waie of coyn­ing propounded by the said Blondeau, was better, more advantagious and more honorable for the State, then that which is used now in this Common-wealth.

The Master, the Officers and the work­men of the Mint told the Committee, it was not likely the said Blondeau had don himself, the pieces sent by him to the Council of State. Besides, that it was an old Invention, which they knew themselvs, and that such pieces were one­ly made for curiositie, with very long time and great expence, and that it was impossible, that that waie might bee used about the ordinarie coyn, which is thin. They desired that the said Blondeau might bee commanded to make a trial of his skill by making som other pieces, and that they would do as much as the said [Page] Blondeau. There [...]ore the said Com­mittee ordered both the said Blondeau and the said workmen t [...] mak [...] their patterns and Propositions [...]ctively; and that hee that would [...] [...]t with most ad­vantage to the St [...] [...] [...]ld have the Im­ployment.

At the time app [...] [...] workmen brought to the Committee [...]om pieces made after the old waie, which is known to them, and som big pieces of Silver, stuffed within with copper; but they had drawn no Propositions.

Likewise the said Blondeau brought in about 300 pieces, som half-crowns of the ordinarie weight and bigness, som shillings, sixpences, and som Gold pieces, and presented his Proposition, which having been reformed according to the pleasure of the said Committee, it was received and accepted of by the whole Committee, who ordered it to bee re­ported to the Council of State, accord­ing to the order of the said Council.

The said Committee having then taken into consideration the big pieces of Silver at the outside, and stuffed with­in with copper (made with the Engins [Page]that are at the To [...], and well un­derstood that the [...]id pieces, becaus they are made [...] [...]eral pieces at the top o [...]e of [...] will give no sound [...]o th [...] [...] man can easily discer [...] tha [...] [...] [...]s; and having weighe [...] [...] and great cost required [...] each piece; be­caus th [...] [...] 4 pieces, namely one of cop [...] and one of Silver at the top, another underneath and one about, the which ought to bee adjusted and so­dered together, besides several other fashions, which cost more then the price of the lawful pieces; having also considered the great and heavie Engins, and great number of tools and of men required for making of one piece, the great charges for the En­gins and tools and several other things required for making of those counter­fetted pieces, they acknowledged that it would bee enough to disswade anie one from undertaking it; the rich not beeing willing, and the poor beeing un­able; and that though they should under­take it they could not do it without bee­ing [Page 13]discovered. Besides, that the monie coyned after the wa [...] of the said Blon­deau was so thin, [...] it cannot bee so counterfeited.

Whereupon it [...] [...]ble, that the said workmen of [...] although they made use of [...] [...]d heavie Engins, that are in [...], yet for making of som Tools [...] [...]eed of, and for the other charges [...]yning a­bout a dozen of pieces, they made then for a pattern, have spent 100 l. st. as hee that pretend's to have laid out the monie hath said before witnesses.

Afterwards, another order was given by the said Committee, and som time li­mited to the said workmen, to draw and present their Proposition for coyning of the monie marked upon the thickness or edge, as that of the said Blondeau is; But after the exspiration of the long time demanded by them, they brought such a Proposition, that the said Committee having read it over and over, could not understand it, nor the sens of it; and even those that brought it could not explain it; whereby it was apparent to the said Committee, that they were [Page 14]not able to mak [...] their Proposition good, much less [...]n the monie after that waie; whi [...] [...]y avowed them­selvs before th [...] [...] [...]mmittee. Yet they intreate [...] [...] [...]mittee to allow them the [...] months more to finde, if [...] [...]w invention, and that [...] [...]eau's Proposition should [...] [...]cated unto them, up­on whic [...] [...] [...]ight frame their own. They further demanded that the said Blondeau and the Graver, should have or­der to bring in all the pieces made by the said Blondeau for a trial, with the stamps or dices used for making of them; All which was granted them, upon that con­dition, that if within the time allowed them, they could finde out the means to coyn the monie after the said Blondeau's waie, and that thereupon hee should bee sent back, hee should bee indamnified, which was agreed by all. But they could never finde out the said new Inven­tion for coyning the thin & weak pieces after that waie with expedition requisite. Yet for all that, they made their Propo­sitions, w ^ch are in the hands of the Chair­man of the Committee, as are also the [Page 15] Blondeau's Prop [...]n & patterns, about a year and a [...], to bee reported by him to the Coun [...] [...] State.

The workmen [...] [...]nt have given to understand [...] 200 poor families, whic [...] [...] [...]ined by the work of the Min [...] [...] [...]esides truth. For som Officers o [...] [...] Mint have told before witnesses, that for [...]rly their Corporation was at the most of 40 Masters, and that at this time they are hardly 30 Masters, w [...] [...]re all rich, have lands or houses, and other waies of maintenance, without the work of the Mint. And that when they had much monie to coyn, they were wonted to hire som journie-men, giving to som 18 pence, to som 15 and to som 12 for half a daies work. Besides, in case the State admits of the said Blondeau to coyn the monie after his waie, and the workmen bee willing to work after the said waie, hee will oblige himself to teach them and paie them a reasonable price.

The said Blondeau doth not intend to have the Gold nor the Silver in his custodie, but onely the charge of work­ing the same, by such persons as the State [Page]shall bee pleased [...] thereunto.

Hee shall not [...] [...]wer to admi [...] any one to th [...] [...] [...]he Mint, with­out the cons [...] [...] [...]bation of the State.

Nor w [...] [...] keeping of the Dices or [...] [...]y shall bee in­trusted in the [...] [...]uch as the State shall adm [...] wo [...].

In a word, hee doth generally submit to whatsoever the S [...] shall think rea­sonable. Onely [...] prays to co [...]sider, that

• 1. The exact equalitie, that will bee effected by this waie and invention of the said Blondeau, will hinder and avoid all the known corrupt Practices about coyn­ing.
• 2. The charge of the State concerning the same, considering all circumstances, will bee less then in the old waie; and the honor of this Common-wealth much the greater, in having their monies coyned in perfection, above, or beyond any other State now known.
• 3. The said Blondeau came to London a­bout 3 years and a half since, and hath no other imployment here, but to attend the pleasure of the State.