The Regulating Silver Coin, Made Practicable and Easie, to the Government and SubjectPratt, Samuel
History
The Regulating Silver Coin, Made Practicable and Easie, to the Government and Subject
Pratt, Samuel
Coinage -- Great Britain -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain. Parliament -- Early works to 1800
I don’t mean by sending Us over such a Counterfeit as shall be of Less
intrinsick Value than our Own; but they can Afford all the Charge of
Curious Coinage, and Pure Silver, and Full Weight, and Hazard of
Importing it contrary to all Laws that We can Make; If any more
considerable Sum, than Twenty _per Cent._ could be Gain’d by such
Importation: But no body can afford all the Charge and Hazard, if the
Profit be no Greater, and the Punishment Capital.
Corol. II.
Nevertheless, provision may be Made, that all _Counterfeit Money_ shall
be Confiscated by a Summary Process, to be Tryed by a Jury of
_Moneyers_, for every Sum above _Five Pounds_; and for Less Sums, able
and substantial _Goldsmiths_ shall be Commissioned and Authorised to end
Disputes, Cutting it Asunder before the Owners Face; and Charging
themselves in a Book kept for that purpose, as Debters to the King for
the same individual pieces, which at the General Quarter Sessions they
shall deliver for the _KING_’s Use.
Some such Method as This, would make people more Cautious in taking
Counterfeit Money; whereas now they Take what they themselves Know to be
so, which hath given great Encouragement to Counterfeiters.
And if I may be Well Heard, I don’t at all Question, but to shew a Way;
how all Counterfeit Money may be easily Known; let it be Wash’d, Plated;
of mixt Metal, or pure Silver; Which is the next piece of Service of
this Nature, that I designe my Country, _GOD_ continuing my Life and
Health.
Corol. III.
I humbly Propound to the Disquisition of Better Judgments; Whether the
New Coin ought not alwayes to be of the same continued Weight,
notwithstanding any Variations in the Price of Bullion; and that not the
Weight of Coin, but the Aforementioned Interest be Varied from Year to
Year according to the Price of Bullion.
The Advantages and Conveniences of what I have Proposed, is, I hope, by
this time, somewhat Evident; but before I Reckon ’em up, it may perhaps
be Expected that I should Faithfully and Candidly let down all those
_Objections_ which have Occurr’d to me whilst I have been Writing these
Papers.
The most Material I will: And they are These.
_Object._ I.
_Now, if it be Objected, that Five Pounds_ per Cent. _for want of_
Silver, _in an Hundred Pound is too little, seeing an Hundred
Pound Bagg-full is entitled to no more than Twenty Shillings a
Year_:
I Answer,
That if a Man be contented to put in his Money into any of the New
Banks, at 3 _l. per Cent._ ’tis better worth to lend it at 5 _per Cent.
per Annum_, upon as good Security.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account