Decus & tutamen, or, Our new money as now coined in full weight and fineness proved to be for the honour, safety and advantage of England, written by way of answer to Sir Richard Temple and Dr. Barbon ; to which is added an essay to preserve our new money from being hoarded, melted down, transported or counterfeited.

4. To prevent Counterfeiting our New Coin.

I had not thought to say any thing on this Head, because I judged it needless, by reason of the Difficulty of Counter∣feiting our Mill'd Coin. But being since inform'd, that several considerable Sums thereof have been Counterfeited, I think it proper to say something that may (if carefully put in practice) be a means to prevent it.

And indeed Nature it self does much favour the Detections of this villanous practice: Since it is not possible for those Counterfeiters of our Coin to make their pieces weigh as pond'rous as the true ones, because Silver is heavier than any other Metal of less value, ex∣cept Lead, with which Silver will not incorporate or mix. For the weight of the several Metals Quantities being a∣like,

are less according as they are here placed, from the heaviest down∣ward, viz.

• Gold,
• Lead,
• Silver,
• Copper,
• Brass,
• Iron,
• Common Pewter,
• Fine Pewter, &c.

The weight of Sterl. Sil∣ver to the like quan∣tity of

• Copper is as 1 is to .87
• Brass is as 1 is to .81
• Iron is as 1 is to .77
• Com. Pewt. is as 1 is to .71
• Fine Pewt. is as 1 is to .69

At which rate the quantity of a Crown piece of

• Copper will weigh but 16 Pw. 19 grs.
• Brass will weigh but 15 Pw. 15 grs.
• Iron will weigh but 14 Pw. 21 grs.
• com. Pw. will weigh but 13 Pw. 17 grs.
• fine Pw. will weigh but 13 Pw. 8 grs.

Now, that which I would infer from these Analogies of Silver to other Mettals, is to shew, how we may com∣pute when a piece of Money is too light by Counterfeiting, and when too light by wear. As in this Table of Propor∣tions, a false Crown Piece made of Cop∣per, and only washed over, (if it does

not much exceed a true Crown in Bulk) it will want 2 pw. 13 grs. the difference between 16 pw. 19 grs. and 19 pw. 8 grs. which it is impossible it should be worn lighter in 700 Years. And to prove this, I have weigh'd some of K. Charles the 2d's Crown Pieces, and find of those coined 27 Years ago, to be worn about two Grains; now if I strike off the two Years last past, wherein this Coin could not wear much, because Hoarded; then the Proportion will be, That a Crown Piece will wear 29 grains in 25 years. By which it may be easily gathered, what any other Piece will wear in any other number of years, which cannot be worth taking notice of in any piece un∣der 50 or 100 years; in which last time a Crown Piece will want but a penny of full weight, if the lightness proceed only from the wear.

To instance in other Pieces, Suppose I would know what a Shilling should wear that has been coined 120 years: By this Proportion it will appear, it will but wear 1 26/29 Grains, which is not quite two Grains. For

grains.	years.	grs.	grs.	years.
464	25	2	92	120	1 26/29 Grs.

So that it can never countervail the trouble of Rogues and Villains, to coun∣terfeit any Pieces of Coin, but it will be easily discovered by weight, making a sufficient Allowance both for wear and difference in weight of the same pieces, occasioned by the negligence of the Weigher at the Mint. A Crown Piece, if they should take but 6 d. in Silver out, and put the like quantity of Copper therein, this would make 7 Grains dif∣ference in the weight, between that Crown Piece and a true one, which a true Crown would not wear in less than 87 years. And if this extraordinary Alloy were Brass, or any other Metals, the want of weight would be much greater.

And, if every Banker and Cashier were obliged to keep in their Publick Shops or Offices, a good pair of Scales and Weights for Silver, to be for the common use of those with whom they deal, it would be very easie to discover this Cheat, either in single Pieces or in great Sums together, allowing however a small matter for wear. And for the Assistance of those concerned, I have here inserted a Table what any Sum of

our New Coin should weigh precisely, from 6 d. to 100 l. and may serve for much greater Sums; which Table is calculated at the rate of the 5 s. piece weighing 19 pw. 8151, 612, 903, 225 grains, or 19 pw. 8 grains▪ and something more than ½ a grain.

	lb.	℥	pw.	gr.
6 d.	00	00	01	22 ¼
1 s.	00	00	03	20 ¼
2 6d.	00	00	09	16 ¼
5 s.	00	00	19	08 ½
10 s.	00	01	18	17
1 l.	00	03	17	10
2	00	07	14	20
3	00	11	12	06
4	01	03	09	16
5	01	07	07	02 ¼
6	01	11	04	12 ¼
7	02	03	01	22 ¼
8	02	06	19	08 ¼
9	02	10	16	18 ½
10	03	02	14	04 ½
20	06	05	08	09
30	09	08	02	13 ¾
40	12	10	16	18 ¼
50	16	01	10	23
60	19	04	05	03 ½
70	22	06	19	08 ½

80	25	09	13	12 ¾
90	29	00	07	17 ¼
100	32	03	01	22

So that if a Person have any of these Sums to receive, it is but telling it over, and afterward put it in a Bag, and weigh it; as if be 70 l. it must weigh 22 l. 6 ℥. 19 pw. 8 gr. To which add the weight of a Canvas 100 l. Bag, which is commonly 1 ℥. and so to 1 ℥. 1 pw. and you have the true weight of 70 l. of our Milled Money and Bag; but if a∣ny of it were counterfeit, it would want weight. And if to this be added severe Penalties on all such as offer any Counterfeit Money in payment, especi∣ally on the Goldsmiths and Bankers, who are supposed to know Money well, and are less lyable to be deceived than o∣thers: I hope it would be effectual to hinder the Currency of Counterfeit Mo∣ney.

For indeed, 'tis too miserable and un∣happy a truth, That notwithstanding the Parliament have taken such measures in the last Sessions, as would have been a∣bundantly sufficient to cure us of the

great difficulties we laboured under, by reason of the ill state of our Coin; yet we have a sort of Men among us, I mean Bankers, who (because these good Laws have run counter to their Selfish ends) have endeavoured to make all those pru∣dent Methods taken for the Regulation and Restoring our Money, of no effect, by combining together to ruine the Bank of Eugland, by getting what Bank Notes they could into their hands; which upon the stop of the Currency of our Clipt Money, they power'd on the Bank so fast, as it was impossible they should Answer. And tho' they were disappointed in their design of quite ru∣ining the Bank thus, yet they have made the short Payments of the Bank a suffici∣ent Reason for making their little or none; tho' at the same time▪ they have very considerable Sums in Guinea's, which they either Transport to Holland or Scotland, to gain 1 s. or 18 d. a piece, or else Hoard them up, in hopes to break thro' the late Act of Parliament, for keeping the value of Guinea's at 22 s. or under. Besides, the non-payment of of their own Notes is most apparently very advantageous unto them; and

which for that reason they will never be brought to pay, till they are forc't to it by Law, or the Bank paying in full, or the plenty of Silver Mony or Guinea's, which they will therefore endeavour to stifle and retard as much as in them lyes; since by that, they have a colour for not paying their Notes; and by not paying their Notes, they have the more Cash out at Interest, or invested in Jew∣els, &c. or perhaps in monopolizing of Goods to their exceeding great advantage. All which Rogueries some ill disposed people are forward to say, The Parliament might have prevented: First, By giving longer time for bringing the Clipt Money into the Exchequer: And Secondly, By not lowering the price of Guinea's; not considering at the same time, That we had little or no Silver Coin currant from about last Midsummer till after Christmass last, the Guinea's all that time being a sufficient Running Cash, which they would have been, till we had a sufficient quantity of our New Silver Coin, had we not had some mon∣sters of Men among us. And as for the low∣ering of Guinea's 3 s. too low, which say they, is the occasion of their being carryed to Holland, Scotland, and Ireland, because they go there for 23 s. 24 s. and 25 s. each. I say in Answer, that it was but reasonable to conclude, that as the high price of Guinea's in England, was the occa∣sion of their Rise in these three places; so the lowering of our own Coin should have caused these Nations to do the like, which it has done in part: And no doubt, but so long as we can have Gold as now, at near 4 l. per ℥. if the Parliament should think fit to permit the Coin∣ing of more Guinea's, we might afford to let the Dutch or others take them from us at 23 s. till

they are weary; for we shall gain considerably by them at this Rate, as we do also in the way of Trade; which the Dutch are not so blind (what∣ever the Irish are) but they will soon perceive, and value our Guinea's no higher, if so high as we do.

But, if every body were on my mind, un∣less these Bankers could make it appear by their Books, and their own Oaths, that they cannot make their Payments, I would quickly make them tir'd with the Trade of Cheating; for if a Man has receiv d a Sum of Money of another, for which he has given his Note to repay at demand, I think 't is but reasonable, that if this Demand is made, and the Money is not paid, the Len∣der should have the Improvement of that Money from the time such Demand is made▪ and I doubt not but a Court of Equity wou'd give it, and which if duly prosecuted, would soon make these Sparks weary of their Trade of Cheating, in hin∣dering what they can the Current Money 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the destruction of Commerce, and ruine of this Rich and Flourishing Island. So that upon the whole, I humbly conceive, That the readiest way to have plenty of good Money current, is ei∣ther totally to put down the Bankers Trade, or to abridge them of that Power which they knavishly make use of, to the great detriment of the Nati∣on; but on the other hand▪ if Rounds were set to the practice of Bankers, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made more effectually, to prevent Melting down, Exporting and Counterfeiting our Coin, we should in a short time, notwithstanding the War, and ma∣lice of our Enemies, be one of the happiest Na∣tions the Sun sees.

FINIS.