of Trial the King has formerly been informed that the Money of this Kingdom was of exact fineness conform to the Standart whereas by this manner of Trial there is no security that the Money coyned in this Kingdom is of equal fineness with the Standart and this is no Trial at all as to the weight which ought to be rectified and a certain way of Trial appointed that the Money coyned be not debased neither in Weight nor Fineness As also the Commissioners considering how uncertain it were for them to make an exact Trial of the Silver Pieces reserved in the Pixe whereby they might examine the Journals coyned since the last Essay was taken in respect of the scarcity of Essay-Masters whom they can trust in so important a matter have transmitted a competent number of these Peices taken out of the Pixe in presence of the Commissioners two Wardens and Essay-Master of the Mint and secured under the Seals of the saids two Wardens and Essay-Master to the Effect Trial may be made by such as his Majesty shal judge fit As also humbly represents to His Majesty that the former methods and practice of the Mint of this Kingdom how these Peices have been reserved for Trial in manner above-mentioned hath not been so exact but that the Officers of the Mint may Coyn at their pleasure and that the Fault cannot be discovered by the Pixe And therefore the Commissioners in humble Obedience to His Majesties Royal Commands makes Report to His Sacred Majesty of the Particulars above-mentioned which was sufficiently verified and instructed to them in manner foresaid And humbly remits the same to His Majesties serious Consideration to do therein as His Sacred Majesty shal think fit Sic Subscribitur G. Gordon Cancel Queensberry Athol Montrose Perth Southesque Tweeddale G. Mackenzie G. Mckenzie Patrick Ogilvie I Murray W. Drummond R. Gordon Ja. Dick. R. Baird May it please your Sacred Majesty HAving received a Commission from your Majesty for trying all Affairs relating to Your Mint in this Your Majesties Ancient Kingdom we did according to our Duty use our exactest Endeavours in the said Trial and Inquiry and have returned Your Majesty a just Accompt thereof by two of our Number the Lord Justice General and Lord Register to the end Your Majesty may be satisfied by them both in clearing any of the particulars if the matter so require or in relation to any further Proposals Your Majesty may have for regulating Your Mint for the future this being an Affair of so great Consequence both to your Majesty and to your Subjects we hope our Faithfulness and Endeavours in this Trial will convince your Majesty how ready we are upon all Occasions to mannage any Trust reposed upon us as becomes May it please Your Sacred Majesty Edr. 7. Aug. 7. 1682. Your Majesties most Humble most Faithful and most Obedient Subjects and Servants Sic subscribitur G. Gordon Cancel Queensberry Athol Tweeddale Geo. Mackenzie Patrick Ogilvie I. Murray W. Drummond R. Baird R. Gordon Instructions from the Lords Commissioners for Visitation of His Majesties Mint of Scotland to the Lord Justice General and Lord Register two of their own Number Edinburgh 7th of August 1682. 1. IMprimis To signifie how favourable the Commissioners proceeded in inquiring into the State of his Majesties Mint of Scotland from the General thereof allowing him what time he craved to give in the same and how he offered to them a Representation in place thereof declining the powers contained in their Commission and what time he spent before he would subscribe it how he denyed to answer their Interrogators in presence and demanded them in Writing with some days to consider and answer which was also granted how he desired time to advise whether he would Depone upon the Points of the Interrogators which was also dispensed with and how after so much time spent he plainly refused to answer any question relating to the Copper or Depone upon any Point in order to the Silver Coyn. Secundo To shew the Reasons whereupon the Commissioners Judges that the 8 th Act of His Majesties 2 d Parliament whereby it is left in the option of the Merchants either to import Bullion or to pay 12 shilling Scots to the Officers of the Mint for every ounce thereof and the Officers to furnish the Bullion by themselves to have been the ground of many abuses committed in the Mint-house since that time such as the vexatious attendance of the Merchants to get their Bullion Essayed received and payed the uâ—just exactions upon the Weights the not payment thereof by weight in the Ballance the melting down and recoyning of Forraign current Silver in place of Bullion which should have been Imported from abroad whereby manifold advantages did accrew to the Officers of the Mint which were divided amongst them but the King and Kingdom thereby much prejudged Tertio To inform what Arts were used some years after the first Copper Journal was ended to abuse His Majesties Privy Council to grant a new Copper Coynage how some of the Generals and Master of the Mints Creatures such as Sir William Binning Provost Kinloch and others of the Commissioners of the Royal Burrows were induced to supplicat therefore and how the Privy Council yielded thereto upon the Trust they reposed in the General and not knowing then that any more than 3000 stone of Copper had been formerly Printed when now it appears there was about 17000 stone past the King's Irons long before the Petition was presented Quarto To declare how that since the Report was finished there was in the Mint-house some Silver called Sweeps which are small Corns or Grains brushed off from the Moulds and Lignots immediatly after casting and Collected from a years work or more this being prepared was charged in the Pot and put in the Furnace by the Masters Deput without the knowledge of the Warden which was the first fault the Warden coming to the casting thereof he with the Counter-warden took a piece off the Lignots for making the Essay but kept it up for two or three days and left the Lignots in the Masters Deputs custody which was a second fault after some days the Wardens brought that piece to the Essay-master who immediatly in their presence took the Essay and reported it to be some seven or eight Grains worse but not knowing how that should be for his better security went to take another piece for a new Essay which he did and found it as before only when he called for the Silver he perceived they had proceeded to Miln the Lignots cut the Silver in 56 shilling-pieces and justed them ready for Blenshing and Printing which was the greatest fault of all Quinto To represent how necessar it is that His Majestie cause Regulat many abuses which have been too long practised amongst the Officers of the Mint that they may be preventen for the future Sic Subscribitur Geo. Gordon Cancel Queensberry Atholl Tweeddale Geo. Mackenzie
in Our Royal Wisdom shall seem fit And in regard We did not in Our said Letter to you of the 25 of August last make mention of John Falconer the late Warden of Our said Mint notwithstanding of his Malversation which clearly appears by the Report of Our saids Commissioners during his long continuance in the Place of Warden aforesaid It is also Our express Pleasure that he be prosecute in the same manner and method which We have prescribed for the Process against the persons already mentioned For doing of all which these Presents to be Recorded both in the Books of Our Privy Council and of the Session if needful shall be to you and them respectivè and to all others who may be therein concerned a sufficient Warrand And so We bid you heartily Farewell Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 2 d day of October 1682. And of Our Reign the thirty fourth year By His Majesties Command Sic subscribitur MORRAY Double of the KING's Letter in favours of the Earl of Aberdene and Collonel Grahame 1683. AT Edinburgh the eighth day of May One thousand six hundred fourscore three years His Majesties Letter under-written direct to William Marquess of Queensberrie Lord High Thesaurer for the Kingdom of Scotland and John Drummond of Lundie Lord Thesaurer-Deput was presented and read and ordained to be Booked Whereof the Tenor follows Sic suprascribitur CHARLES R. Right Trusty and right well beloved Cousin and Counsellor and right Trusty and well beloved Counsellor We greet you well We have seen and fully considered the Decreet bearing date at Edinburgh the 20 day of March last obtained at the instance of Our Advocat against Charles now Earl of Lauderdale Richard Lord Maitland and the other Officers of Our Mint of that Our Antient Kingdom by which they are found justly lyable to Us in great and considerable Sums much above what We are informed they are able to pay and are thereby fully convinced that their Maâ—versations and Abuses of their Trust have been so great that they ought not for the terror of others to pass without severe punishment Yet out of Our Royal Goodness and Clemency being unwilling to ruine them and their Families and calling to mind the forwardness of the said Earl of Lauderdale and Lord Maitland in Our Service in several other Stations and the many good Services done to Us and Our Royal Ancestors by their Predecessors We have now thought fit to let you know that seing the said Earl of Lauderdale and Lord Maitland did fully submit to Our Determination and have since humbly begged and Petitioned Our Favour It is therefore Our Will and Pleasure that the said Charles Earl of Lauderdale and Richard Lord Maitland Dispone to Our Right Trusty and right well beloved Cousin and Counsellor George Earl of Aberdene Our Chancellor in the most ample Form and Manner that he can in Law require all and whole the Lands of Dudhope Benvie and Balrudrie and all others whatsomever lying within ten Miles of Dundee which formerly did belong to the deceast Earl of Dundee and have been since possessed by the said Earl of Lauderdale or the Lord Maitland and also that they Dispone to the said Earl of Aberdene all Houses Tenements and Gardens lying within the Town of Dundee or Bonnet-Hill belonging to them with all the Right they have to the Passage on the Water of Tay any manner of way with the whole Profits and Emoluments thereof as also the Right of Patronage of the Parsonage of Dundee and all Superiorities and Feâ—-duties or other Duties whatsomever lying without the said Town within the bounds aforesaid which formerly did belong to the said deceast Earl of Dundee and were since possest by the said Earl of Lauderdale or Lord Maitland Make full Right of and Dispone to Our right Trusty and well beloved Collonel John Grahame of Claver-house The House of Dudhope with the Garden Orchard Park and Planting adjacent thereunto as also the Office of Constabulary of Dundee and all other Jurisdictions Priviledges and Superiorities and particularly the Rights Priviledges and Emoluments of the first Fair within the said Town Together with all other Rights Profits and Emoluments therein possest by the said Earl of Lauderdale or Lord Maitland which formerly did belong to the said Earl of Dundee that are not there above particularly ordered to be Disponed to the said Chancellor Providing always that the said Collonel John Grahame pay to Our said Chancellor twenty years purchase for one years Liferent that can arise unto him by this Disposition which at any time hath been accompted for in the Rental-books as a part of these Lands Disponed to Our said Chancellor And it is Our further Will and Pleasure that the Rights of the saids Lands Houses Jurisdictions and Superiorities and others generally and particularly above-mentioned as well in favours of Our said Chancellor as of the said Collonel Grahame be free of all Burdens and incumbrances whatsoever especially the Warrandice of the Lands and Estate of Craig the Lady Maitland her Joynture and the depending Process at the instance of the late Earl of Dundee's Creditors Or otherways That the said Earl of Lauderdale or Lord Maitland give such Warrandice as shall be satisfactory to Our said Chancellor and the said Collonel Grahame for their respective Securities in the Premisses Upon the performance of all which above-mentioned We do hereby declare That We will give a full and generall â—ndemnity Remission and Discharge to the said Earl of Lauderdale and Lord Maitland in as ample Form and Manner as in Law they can require for any cause or offence Civil or Criminal in any publick Station preceeding the date hereof Declaring likeways hereby Our express Will and Pleasure That seing We have now shown so much Favour and Clemency to the said Earl of Lauderdale and Lord Maitland they be first obliged to Discharge and Renunce all such Claim and Relief that they as Generals of Our Mint have or could pretend against Sir John Falconer late Master Mr. James Falconer Son and Heir to the said Deceast John Falconer late Warden and the rest of the late Officers thereof And for further Security We do hereby Assign and Dispone to Our said Chancellor and the said Collonel John Grahame all Our Right Title and Interest in and to the said Decreet against the late Generals of the Mint with full Power to pursue for and recover the Sums contained therein untill Our said Chancellor and the said Collonel Grahame shall be fully satisfied and payed of the sum of 20000 lib. sterling in manner after specified viz. First 5000 lib. to Our said Chancellor and 2000 lib. to the said Collonel Grahame and thereafter 11000 lib. to Our said Chancellor and 2000 lib. to the said Collonel Grahame Declaring nevertheless That upon the Earl of Lauderdale and Lord Maitland their granting of the above-mentioned Dispositions this Right to the above-mentioned Decreet granted by Us to Our said Chancellor and the said Collonel Grahame shall be void and null So We bid you heartily farewell Given at Our Court at Windsor-Castle 1. May 1683. and of Our Reign the 35 th Year By His Majesties Command Sic subscribitur MIDDLETON b Cap. 14. Statute Wilhel cap. 4. Stat. David 2. cap. 1. num 6. Statute David 2. v Acted Sess 2d Par. 2d Ch. 2d c Act 8. Sess 1. Par. 2. Ch. 2. d Acts 9. Pa. 13. Ja 2. Act 65. Pa. 8 â—a 3. Act 17 Par. 17 Ja. 6. e Cap. 38. 46 Stat. David 2d Act 23. Par. 1. Ja. 1. Act 54. Par. 4. Ja 4th f Act 114. Par. 7. Ja. 5. Act 2. Par. 19. Ja. 6. g Act. 249. Par. 15. Ja. the 6 th h Act 18. Par. 3 d. Ja. 3 d. i Cap. 22. Statut Rob. 1. Cap. 25. Stat. Wilhel Act 104 Par. 7. Ja. 5. Act 93. Par. 6. Ja. 6. k Cap. 13. Statut. Rob 2. Cap. 41. Statut. Rob 3d. Act 77. Parl. 14. Ja. 2. Act 105. Parl. 14. Ja. 3d.
immediat search than the distance his Majesty is now at will allow For supplying whereof his Majesty intending that the said matter should be exactly enquired into and tryed by a special Commission Therefore his Majesty having granted a Commission under the Great Seal to certain Commissioners with full power to them to call and cite before them all the Officers and Servants of his Majesties Mint-house and any other person whatsomever who can give information of and concerning his Majesties Mint Coynage or Bullion or what relates thereto and to make exact search and tryal of the fineness of his Majesties Money and of the due observance of the Rules whereby his Majesties Standart is secured and that by such methods and in such manner as shall seem most expedient to the Commissioners and to imploy such persons in the same as they shall judge knowing in that matter And likewise to examine the manner of receiving his Majesties Bullion the quantities thereof how the samen is exacted from the Merchants and payed to the Officers of the Mint and what Emoluments do thereby arise to the Crown and what are the due Sallaries and Perquisites belonging to the Officers and Servants and to examine what observance hath been kept in these matters in time past since the time of his Majesties Royal Grand-father King James the Sixth of ever blessed memory his removing of his Court from this Kingdom into England to this present time and to take tryal of any abuses that hath crept in during that time As likewise to examine the quantities of all kinds of Moneys Silver or Black Money Coyned since his Majesties happy Restauration to his Royal Government and to make inquiry into the fidelity care and diligence of the respective Officers and Servants in the Mint-house the priviledges belonging to all and every one of them and how they relate one to another and for that effect that the Officers and Servants in the Mint give exact obedience to the Commissioners and to exhibite and expose to them as they shall be required their Registers Journal Books Books of Receipt and Accompts all Contracts and Warrands which are in their custody relating to the said Office and to produce their Pix and to make Trial and Essays or to permit others imployed by the Commissioners to make Essays and Trials when and how oft the Commissioners shall appoint And the Commissioners are required to proceed in that matter with exact diligence and to make a full report of the whole matter to his Majesty that he may declare his Royal Pleasuâ—e thereupon And in humble obedience to his Majesties Royal Commands the Commissioners having met and called before them all the Officers of the Mint here present the Lord Haltoun and the Lord Justice-Clerk his Son who are conjunct Generals of the Mint being then in England and having examined the other Officers that were present upon several things relating to the Mint and having required them to produce all the Registers Commissions Compts and other Papers of the Mint that might any ways clear their diligence and faithfulness in their respective offices as to the Bullion fineness and weight of the Coyn and what quantity of Copper-money had been Coyned accordingly they produced some Accompts and Papers but declared that the Lord Haltoun one of the Generals had taken up from them most of all the Records Registers and Accompts of the Silver and Copper Coyn and by the confession and acknowledgment of the other Officers and the Papers produced there did appear several abuses to have been committed by the Officeâ—s of the Mint whereupon the Commissioners waited for the Generals return from England expecting a full and ingenuous account from him of all things relating to the Mint And so soon as he returned he being called before the Commissioners and desired to inform upon Oath as the other Officers had done concerning the matters of the Mint in place of giving any formal answer he gave in a Representation alledging that the Commissioners could not make inquiry in any matter relating to the Mint because he had exonerations from the King as to the Copper Coyn and a Discharge as to the fineness of the Silver Coyn and if any errors were committed by him in his Office he was secured by his Majesties Act of Indemnity in July 1679. And that any Crime committed in relation to the Mint did fall under that Clause of the Act of Indemnity by which all such are Indemnified as had maleversed in any publick station or trust or were lyable to any pursuit for any cause or occasion relating to any publick administration and refused to declare upon Oath concerning the particulars relating to his Office Upon which he was desired to Depone but pretended that he did not know how far it might reach or what it might import and that no man was obliged to Depone as to his actings in any publick station or in relation to his Office And the Commissioners having considered the Representation and grounds thereof it did appear by the perusal of the Exonerations as to the Copper Coyn that they did only relate to Six thousand Stone which was allowed by the Acts of Parliament and Council to be Coyned within the time contained in the Warrands and Prorogations mentioned in the Exonerations and therefore was not an Exoneration as to what more Copper was Coyned than the quantity contained in the Warrands to which they particularly relate And as to the Discharge in relation to the fineness of the Silver Coyned from July 1664. to December 1673. years The Commissioners declared they would make no inquiry of the fineness of the Money Coyned the time mentioned in the Discharge further than to inform his Majesty by what appears to the Commissioners that the tryal then made in Scotland to have been very insufficient as to the fineness As likewise there was no mention at all made in that tryal of the sufficiency of the weight which was al 's material as the fineness And as to the Act of Indemnity the Commissioners were of the opinion that this being a tryal and inquiry for his Majesties Information the Act of Indemnity could not hinder them to proceed in the inquiry that they might inform his Majesty of the state and condition of the Mint and of the abuses committed by the Officers thereof the Act of Indemnity being only granted to these that had acted in or against the publick Government of the Kingdom and not for deeds of malversation in any particular or peculiar station which had no connexion with or relation to the troubles and disorders in the Countrey in matters of Government For as the Act of Indemnity cannot be extended to Crimes committed by Sheriffs Baillies Commissars their Deputs and Clerks nor to abuses malversations and breach of trust committed by Customers Collectors his Majesties Cash-keepers or any others intrometters with his Majesties Revenues if they shall imbazle the Kings Rents and not make a full accompt nor
of black Money without warrand are punished with Death And albeit His Majestie since his happy restitution was pleased to allow Six Thousand Stone of Copper to be Coyned at two several limited times Yet notwithstanding it appears by the Depositions of the Wardens the Accounts and other Evidences adduced that there has been Twentie Nine Thousand and six hundred Stone Coyned whereas there was only six Thousand Stone allowed So that there was twenty three Thousand and six hundred Stone of black Money coyned more than was allowed by the Warrands which is an infinite Prejudice to the Kingdom And whereas the Generals should have stopped the further coyning of Copper-Money so soon as the quantity allowed by His Majesty to be coyned at every Journey was exhausted Yet notwithstanding the Generals did allow and ordain the Officers to go on in the coyning of more Copper-Money after it was made known to them by the Master that the quantity of Copper allowed by His Majesty to be Coyned was exhausted and they also received the half of the Profits arising from the superplus that was coyned more than was allowed by His Majesty Quarto The Coyn of this Kingdom being lately cryed up and there being a considerable quantitie of Bullion lying in the Generals and Masters hands The whole Profit of the Exaltation being Five per cent which did belong to the King It appears that the Generals did acclaime the Benefit of the one half of the Exaltation from the Masters as a perquisit due to them albeit it truely belongs to the King and which did amount to a very considerable Sum. Quinto Albeit by the Common Law and several Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom It is statute that if any Judge or Minister of the Law take Buds or Bribes they shall lose their Honour Fame and Dignity and their moveable Goods to be confiscat deprived of their Offices and punished in their persons at his Majesties Will Yet notwithstanding the Lord Hatton one of the Generals did in the year 1679 being then Thesaurer Deput and one of the Commissioners of His Majesties Thesaurie and Exchequer as appears from what is deponed by the Master by Writs and other pregnant presumptions take from the Master of the Mint the Sum of six hundred pounds Sterling to procure allowance and payment of the ballance of his most unjust and exorbitant Accompts from the Exchequer preceeding the year 1674 relating to the Mint and Coyn stating the King Debitor to him in Fourtie four Thousand pounds Scots which he as General of His Majesties Mint was obliged to comptrol having special Trust and a Sallarie from His Majesty for that effect By which Accompts it likeways appears that the Lord Hatton as General received payment of three years Sallarie from the year 1660 to the year 1664 Albeit there was no Money coyned preceeding that time beside an hundred and fifty Guinies of Gold given to the Duke of Lauderdale and fifty pounds Sterling to John Kirkwood his Servant upon that same accompt as the Master has Deponed And further the General did again most grosly exact his Sallarie for the same years out of His Majesties Excise and so did get double payment of his Sallarie for the same years albeit in reason there was none due In respect there was no Coynage or Overseeing the Mint for these years Sexto Albeit by the Common Law and several Laws and Acts of Parliament of this Kingdom it is Statute That if any Officer be negligent and culpable in the execution of his Office he is to be punished in his person according to the quality of his Crime at the Kings Will And albeit the Generals by their Gifts and Offices were appointed to Comptroll the other Officers of the Mint and had power to hold Courts and to punish Delinquents and notwithstanding they did know that the Counter-Warden who is Check to the Warden did not attend his Office and that the Under-Officers of the Mint were negligent in keeping of Compt-Books Registers of the Coynage and many other things relating to their Offices and that they had committed many abuses and done many deeds of Malversation yet the Generals of the Mint did not hold Courts to punish them but were Sharers with them in the benefit arising by their Abuses and Malversations And the better to palliat the Abuses that they might not be discovered and that it might not be known what Profit and Advantage the Generals and other Officers of the Mint had made all this time past the Generals did take up all the Compt-Books Registers and other Papers belonging to the Mint from the Under-Officers which were all Abstracted except two Leafs relating to the last Copper-Journal which had been torn out of a Book and were delivered to the Commissioners by the Counter-Warden Septimo Albeit by the Common Law and Laws of all Nations the eliciting and extorting of Bonds and Sums of Money especially by a superior Officer from these in Office under him is manifest and gross Oppression and severely Punishable yet notwithstanding the Generals of the Mint did vex and threaten John Falconer the late Warden to call him before His Majesties Privy Council unless he would grant a Bond to Al. Maitland Counter-Warden for the Sum of Twelve Thousand Merks upon the account of the third of the Remedies that were alledged to be due to him since his entry to his Office who never attended the same which Remedies did truely belong to the King yet notwithstanding the Warden was necessitat to grant Bond for Eleven Thousand Merks and grant a Discharge of a Thousand Merks that was due to him of his Fees and albeit the Bond was taken in Alexander Maitland's name yet it appears to have been to the Generals behove they having caused use Diligence upon the Bond and put the Warden in Prison where he was detained while he was necessitat to Compone and Transact the same with the Generals for the Sum of Seven thousand Merks which was payed and imployed for their use and behove It is not easie to make an exact Accompt of the Profits arising to the Generals Masters and other Officers of the Mint from these Abuses which certainly will amount to vast Sums But to conclude far within bounds it appears by an Accompt given in under David Maitland's Hands Deput and Trustee for the Generals that Twelve thousand four hundred and fourty three Stone of Copper did pass the Irons in the last Journal the printed value thereof accompted by them amounts to Two hundred ninety four thousand four hundred and fifty five Pounds Scots and compting the Stone of Copper at a Merk the Pound which was more than they truely payed for that Copper in cumulo amounts to one hundred and twenty eight thousand Pound so that there remains of free Profit to the Officers in the Mint one hundred sixty six thousand four hundred and fifty five Pounds Scots Money whereof the one half was altogether
Patrick Ogilvie I. Murray W. Drummond R. Gordon Robert Baird ACT Anent the Report of the Essay-pieces taken out of the Pix of His Majesties Mint of Scotland AT Edinburgh the eleventh day of August One thousand six hundred fourscore and two years Compeared in presence of the Lords Commissioners appointed by His Majesty for Tryal of His Mint of Scotland Robert Gordon younger of Gordonstoun one of the Commissioners thereof and in obedience of the Command given by the saids Commissioners to him William Drummond of Cromlicks and Sir Robert Baird of Saughtounhall three of the saids Commissioners or any one of them to go to His Majesties Mint-house at Edinburgh and there to make Tryal of ten Essay-pieces of Silver taken forth of the Pixe thereof before the saids Commissioners and that in presence of Sir John Falconer Master of His Majesties said Mint Alexander Maitland Warden thereof Archibald Falconer Counter-Warden of the same Master Henry Alcorn Essay-Master thereof Alexander Reid His Majesties Goldsmith in Scotland and Mr. John Borthwick Essay-Master to to the Goldsmiths thereof And to make Report of the Tryal of the same to the saids Commissioners Having accordingly gone and made Tryal of the saids Essay-pieces in presence of the saids persons Did give in and produced the Report thereof under-written Subscribed with the said Robert Gordon his own Hand and al 's with the Hands of the saids Sir John Falconer Alexander Maitland Archibald Falconer Alexander Reid and Master John Borthwick Which the saids Lords Commissioners appointed to be Recorded in their Books by their Clerk and Ordained him to give forth this present Act and Extract thereupon under his hand and Subscription which they declared should be al 's valid and make al 's great Faith as the Principal Report it self Of the which Report the Tenor follows AT Edinburgh the ninth Day of August One thousand six hundred eighty two years William Drummond of Cromlicks Sir Robert Baird and Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun being commaâ—ded by the Commission for Tryal of the Mint to make some Essays of the Pieces taken out of the Pixe Did in presence of the Master Wardens Essay-master of His Majesties Mint Alexander Reid the King's Goldsmith and Mr. John Borthwick the Goldsmiths Essay-master take the Tryals following First in respect that it is difficult especially for strangers to judge of the exact degrees of heat in any Furnace and that the divers heats may occasion great variety in the Reporting the finest Silver from the Cople and Beam we did take one pound of Fine-Silver a pound of the Indented Tryal Piece a pound taken off from a new English Shilling and a pound made of the Commixture of eleven ounces two Pennies of fine Silver and eighteen Pennies of clean Copper placed in the Furnace in Coples according to the Order under-written the pounds of fine Silver and of the Tryal-plate inmost and the pounds of the English Coyn and the Commixtion outmost towards the mouth of the Furnace the pound of fine Silver did come out three Grains lighter the Indented Tryal-piece came out eleven Deniers and half a Grain large the English Shilling came out eleven Deniers and one Grain large the Commixed Standart came out ten Deniers twenty three Grains and a Quarter at the next Tryal the fine Silver and Indented Plate being placed as before the fine Silver did raine and came out three Grain lighter the Indented-Plate came out eleven Deniers two Grains and a sixth part the English Coyn came out of the same exact weight with the piece of the Plate one piece out of our Pixe which was Reported the third day of March One thousand six hundred seventy six years to be eleven Deniers one Grain did come out ten Deniers twenty three Grains and three Quarters at the next Tryal the fine Silver and pound of the Indented Plate being placed as before with a pound made up of two pieces taken out of the pixe and melted down together with a little Borax both the pieces being Reported under the Essay-masters hand at ten Deniers and twenty two Grains the fourth Cople being commixed English Standart the pound fine came out at eleven and twenty one scarce the Indented-plate came out eleven Deniers and half a Grain the commixed English Standart came out at eleven Deniers and three Quarters of a Grain the melted two pieces of the Pixe Reported the fifth of September one thousand six hundred fourscore one years to be ten Deniers twenty two Grains did come out eleven Deniers five Grains and a half At the fourth Tryal the fine Silver and pound of the Indented-Plate being placed as before with a pound made up of two pieces taken out of the Pixe and melted down together with a little Borax being reported by the Essay-master in September one thousand six hundred fourscore one years to be ten Deniers and twenty three Grains the fourth being a commixed English Standart the fine pound came out two Grains and an half worse the Indented Plate came out eleven Deniers one Grain and three quarters the melted two pieces of the Pixe formerly in September one thousand six hundred fourscore one years Reported at ten Deniers twenty three Grains came out eleven Deniers four Grains and a quarter the commixed English Standart came out eleven Deniers large At the fifth a commixed English Standart was put in place of the fine Silver which came out ten Deniers twenty three Grains and three quarters a pound made up of two pieces taken out of the Pix and melted down together with a little Borax being Reported by the Essay-master in September one thousand six hundred seventy six years to be ten Deniers and twenty two Grains came out eleven Deniers nine Grains a pound made up of two pieces taken out of the Pix and melted down together with a little Borax being Reported by the Essay-master in March one thousand six hundred fourscore one years and July 26. one thousand six hundred fourscore two years to be eleven Deniers fine came out eleven Deniers eleven Grains and three quarters and a pound made up of two pieces taken out of the Pix and melted down together with a little Borax being Reported by the Essay-master in July one thousand six hundred seventy six years to be eleven Deniers two Grains fine came out eleven Deniers and seven Grains fine At the sixth heating a pound of fine Silver placed as formerly comes out eleven Deniers twenty one Grains large a pound out of an English Crown comes out eleven Deniers two Grains a pound out an English Sixpence comes out eleven Deniers two Grains and an half a pound out of a piece taken out of the Pix Reported by the Essay-master in August one thousand six hundred and seventy eight years to be eleven Deniers one Grain comes ouâ— eleven Denies seven Grains The Essays all taken by Mr. Alcorn the Essay-master Weighted by us at Edinburgh the tenth Day of August one thousand six hundred eighty two years in presence of the