The standard of the gold is reckoned by carats and grains: 24 carats are called fine gold, and every carat is divided into 12 grains; so let the mass of gold be of what weight soever, it is always supposed to contain 288 parts, that is, 12 × 24: at this rate the fineness of ducats is 283 parts fine gold, and 5 parts alloy. [Sidenote: Fineness of the ducats of the empire.] The imperial ducats ought to be 284 parts fine, 3 parts silver, and one part copper, without any remedy; but in Holland the assayers bring the gold to the fineness of 23 carats and 8 grains; then they suppose that what remains is all silver, and they take their remedy by adding one grain of copper. Dutch ducats are therefore something in the fineness, though nothing in the weight below the regulations of the empire. [Sidenote: Exact quantity of fine gold in a marc weight of Dutch ducats as they come from the mint.] To find the number of grains of fine gold in the marc weight, as it is delivered from the mint, we must state this proportion, 288 : 283 :: 5088 : 4999.6. The marc, therefore, of gold coined into ducats, after all deductions for alloy, and for the remedies of weight and fineness, contains 4999.6 aces of fine gold. This marc is ordered to be coined into 70 ducats. If, therefore, 4999.6 aces of fine gold, be worth 70 ducats, then the full marc of 5120 aces of fine gold will be worth 71.687 ducats, by this proportion, 4999.6 : 70 :: 5120 : 71.687. [Sidenote: Mint price of fine gold.] But the mint price of the marc of fine gold is 71 ducats. The difference, therefore, between the value of a marc of fine gold in ducats, and the price given by the mint for the same quantity of fine gold bullion, shews the expence of coinage. State thus, Price of the marc of fine gold in ducats 71.687 ducats Mint price of the marc ditto 71 —————— Price of coinage 0.687 To know how much this makes _per cent._ state thus, 71 : 71.687 :: 100 : 100.96. [Sidenote: Price of coinage upon ducats about 1 per cent.] So that there is not quite 1 _per cent._ taken in Holland upon the coinage of their gold ducats. [Sidenote: The price of coinage upon both species should be the same.]