Any mass of silver, therefore, of whatever weight, is supposed to be divided into 288 parts; consequently by 11⁄12 fine with one grain of remedy, is meant, that there are 263 of these parts _fine_, and the remaining 25 parts of _alloy_. This is the exact standard of the Dutch florins. To find therefore the number of grains of fine silver in the marc weight, as it is delivered at the mint, we must state this proportion, 288 : 263 :: 5087 : 4645.4. [Sidenote: Exact quantity of fine silver in a marc weight of Dutch florins as they come from the mint.] The marc therefore of coined silver florins, after all deductions for alloy, and for remedies of weight and of fineness, contains of fine silver 4645.4 aces Hollands troes. This marc is ordered to be coined into 237⁄331 florins. If therefore 4645.4 aces of fine silver be worth 237⁄331 or (in decimals, for the sake of facilitating calculation) 23.2024 florins, then the full marc or 5120 aces of fine silver will be worth 25.572 florins by this analogy, 4645.4 : 23.2024 :: 5120 : 25.572. [Sidenote: Mint price of fine silver.] But the mint price of the marc of fine silver is 25.1 florins. The difference, therefore, between the mint price of fine silver, and the price of it in the coin, will shew exactly the expence of coinage. State thus, The price of a marc of fine silver in the coin _fl._ 25.572 Price of ditto as paid by the mint 25.1 ———— Price of coinage 0.472 To know how much this makes _per cent._ state thus, 25.1 : 25.472 :: 100 : 101.48 [Sidenote: Price of coinage in Holland is about 1½ _per cent._ on silver.] So that in Holland there is not quite 1½ _per cent._ taken upon the coinage of silver florins. Let us next examine the regulations as to gold coin. [Sidenote: Of the Dutch gold coins.] There are in Holland two species of gold coins of different weights, fineness, and denominations, to wit, the _Ducat_ and the _Rider_; we must therefore examine them separately. [Sidenote: The ducat has no legal denomination.] The ducat is what they call a _negotie pfenning_, that is, a coin struck under the authority of the state, in all the mints, and of a determinate weight and fineness; but not a legal money in payments, because it has no _legal_ denomination. Ducats are delivered by the marc weight as the silver; but there is a remedy of weight deducted of one engle per marc. So the marc of ducats, as delivered by the mint, weighs but 5088 aces. [Sidenote: The fineness 23 carats 8 grains.] The fineness of the ducats is (as in the empire) of 23 carats 8 grains; but in Holland they allow one grain of remedy. [Sidenote: How the fineness is reckoned.]