a discourse of coin and coinage-第21部分

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fittest　course　to　govern　this　matter　of　Money　and　coin；　but　able
to　judge　of　what　should　be　propounded　by　others：　a　point　of　so
great　Importance；　that　for　want　of　that　ability　the　wisest　States
and　the　greatest　Councils　of　Christendom；　for　many　Ages；　have
been　abused　by　misterious　names；　and　perplexed　subtities　of　Mint
men；　gold　smiths；　and　Exchangers；　who；　as　they　had　the　whole
knowledge　of　this　subject　in　themselves；　so　they　had　their
several　Interests；　and　I　conceive　that　I　have　performed　all　the
points　that　I　have　undertaken　in　this　discourse；　save　on；　which
is　that　speaking　of　the　several　means　of　raising　of　Money；　I　said
that　the　Occasions　thereof　had　been　two；
　　　　The　one　for　the　drawing　of　Money　from　the　neighbouring
Countries；　or　preserving　of　their　own。
　　　　The　other；　when　the　States　without　any　such　pretence；　but
forced　only　by　the　violence　of　Necessity　to　raise　means　of
Subsistence　for　themselves；　have　doubled　and　trebled；　nay
sometimes　sextupled　the　values　of　their　Moneys；　of　which　I
promised　to　speak　further：　and　for　this　purpose；　I　intend　to　set
down；　
　　　　The　history　of　the　most　memorable　Raisings　that　have　been　in
this　kind；　both　in　our　Age　and　heretofore；　of　what　nature　they
were；　and　how　these　States　did　draw　their　Benefit　and　Subsistence
out　of　them。
　　　　Secondly；　What　other　Extremities　and　Confusions；　those
Raisings　did　draw　the　said　States；　and　the　People　thereof。
　　　　Thirdly；　What　Remedies　these　States　have　applyed　to　reduce
and　settle　those　Extremities　and　Confusions　whereinto　they　were
fallen；　in　which　History　I　shall　come　to　touch　some　Examples　very
modern；　as　that　which　of　late　years　was　made　by　the　Emperour
which　now　reigns；　especially　in　the　higher　parts　of　Germany；　a
raising　so　high　and　excessive　as　it　equals　any　of　the　antient
Examples；　even　of　those　mentioned　by　Pliny；　to　be　practised　by
the　Romans　in　their　great　extremities　in　the　Punick　Wars；　whether
you　respect　the　excess　of　the　Multiplication；　or　the　Strangeness
of　the　effects　which　it　produced；　the　most　famous　Occasions；
which　I　purpose　to　examine　were；
　　　　First；　Those　Raisings；　mentioned　by　Pliny　to　be；　by　the
Romans　in　the　first　Punick　Wars；　which　was　to　make　every　piece　of
Coin　current　at　six　times　the　value　of　what　it　was　before；　since
which　time；　although　there　were　sundry　raisings　made　by　the
Romans；　yet　none　of　them　was　neer　this　Proportion。
　　　　In　the　Kingdom　of　France；　I　cannot　find　any　extraordinary
raisings　made　of　the　Money；　until　the　time　of　Phillip　le　Bell　and
Charles　le　Bell；　and　then　the　Kings　of　France；　did　raise　an
ordinary　tribute　by　coining　Moneys　of　a　base　value；　and　when　they
were　dispersed　in　the　Peoples　hands；　suddenly　calling　them　back
again；　and　making　them　uncurrent；　by　which　they　got　extreamly
both　by　the　coinage　and　recalling　them；　for　that　none　might
exchange　or　melt　these　Moneys　so　recalled；　but　the　Officers
appointed　by　the　King；　which　was　a　Gain　of　a　most　unjust　and
grievous　condition　that　ever　was　practised　in　any　Kingdom；　and
did　accordingly　produce　great　Tumults　and　Seditions　there；　yet
his　practice　did　remain　until　the　time　of　Charles　the　fifth；
otherwise　called　the　wise；　whereof　（besides　the　Records　of　the
Mint　in　that　Kingdom　which　do　shew　the　perpetual　alterations　of
the　Moneys　in　these　times）　I　do　remember　two　memorable　Evidences
out　of　Histories；　of　which　one　is；
　　　　That　at　what　time　the　State　of　France；　during　the　desolation
of　that　Countrey　by　the　English　Wars；　did　grant　unto　the　King　the
Gabel　of　Salt；　and　the　Impost　upon　Wine；　they　did　particularly
Covenant；　That　for　such　a　space　the　King　should　not　alter　the
standards　of　his　Coin。
　　　　One　other　is；　that　Hollingshead　in　his　Chronicle　making
mention　of　a　voyage　made　by　the　black　Prince　from　Burdeaux　into
Languedock　doth　cite　the　Letter　of　one　Sir　John　Wingfield；　a
principal　Servant　to　the　Prince；　wherein　he　saith；　That　the
Countries　and　good　Towns；　which　were　wasted　at　this　Journey；
found　to　the　King　of　France　every　year　more　to　the　maintenance　of
his　War　than　half　his　Realm　besides；　except　the　Exchanges　of　his
Money　which　he　maketh　every　year；　and　his　Customes　of　Poitou。　But
the　standard　of　his　Moneys　was　stabely　kept　from　Charles　the
Fifths　time　till　the　first　year　of　Charles　the　Seventh；　at　which
time　the　English　being　in　possession　of　the　greatest　part　of
France；　Charles　the　Seventh　having　no　other　means　to　maintain　the
Wars；　did　from　the　year　one　thousand　four　hundred　seventeen；　to
the　year　one　thousand　hundred　twenty　three；　raise　the　silver　by
several　degrees　from　eight　livres　nine　sols　the　mark　to　360
livres　the　mark；　so　as　the　Money　was　raised　in　six　years　above
forty　times　the　value　of　what　it　was　before；　of　all　which　neither
our　Chronicles　nor　those　of　France　do　make　but　？？？nder　mention；
in　respect　of　what　they　speak　of　the　Pucelle　d'Orleans：　And　yet
the　Truth　of　it　is　evident　by　the　Records　of　the　Mint：　and　all
those　who　have　written　of　the　affairs　of　the　Mint；　in　that
Kingdom；　do　unanimously　agree　that　this　was　the　Principal　mean　by
which　is　as　strange　as　all　the　rest；　is；　that　at　one　instant　the
Money　was　reduced　again　to　seven　livres；　ten　sols　the　mark；　and
from　that　time　there　have　not　been　any　raising　of　Money　in　France
of　this　nature；　although　the　Moneys　there　have　been　continually
raised　ever　since；　either　to　follow　the　People；　who　did　first
raise　their　Moneys　by　their　estimation；　or　to　follow　the　raisings
of　other　Nations；　or　to　raise　above　other　Nations；　to　draw　their
Money　into　that　Kingdom。
　　　　In　England　there　is　but　one　Example　of　raising　in　this　kind；
which　was　begun　in　the　eighteenth　year　of　Henry　the　Eighth；　and
continued　in　divers　Princes　Reigns　after；　and　was　not　absolutely
reduced；　until　the　fourteenth　year　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　this
raising；　although　it　were　far　short　in　Proportion　to　those
formerly　recited；　it　was　much　more　inexcusable　than　they　were；
for　that　this　Action　though　it　be　never　justifiable；　yet　in　a
case　of　extream　and　unresistable　Necessitie；　it　may　be　excused；
which　was　not　the　case　of　Henry　the　Eight；　for　although　he　wanted
Money；　yet　there　were　much　more　justifiable　wayes　to　supply　it；
and　it　was　not　imployed　to　avoid　his　own　ruin；　but　in　ambitious
Enterprises。
　　　　The　next　in　time　was　that　raising　Money　by　the　overmixture　of
ally　made　in　Ireland；　in　the　three　and　fortieth　year　of　Queen
Elizabeth's　Reign；　which　although　it　were　not　excessive　in
Proportion；　and　lasted　but　a　small　time；　yet　had　very　many
memorable　Circumstances　to　be　observed　in　it。
　　　　The　last　which　I　will　mention　is　that　which　was　made　by　the
Emperor　（which　now　lives）　in　the　year　…　who　being　reduced
within　the　Walls　of　Vienna；　and　having　almost　nothing　else　left
him；　but　the　Soverain　title　of　the　Empire；　did　by　coining　of　the
lesser　and　baser　kind　of　Money　five　times　baser　than　formerly　it
was；　extend　five　times　further　in　use；　for　the　present；　than
otherwise　he　could　have　done；　all　those　Moneys　which　he　drew　by
way　of　assistance　from　the　King　of　Spain；　or　from　the　Pope；　or
from　other　Princes　of　Italy；　and　besides；　having　a　part　of　the
profit　of　the　Mint　in　divers　other　parts　of　Germany；　he　did
exceedingly　support　his　Affairs　at　the　present　by　that　means；　and
it　was　a　principal　occasion　by　which　he　prevailed　against　the
King　of　Bohemia；　who　although　for　his　part　also；　he　raised　his
Moneys　three　times　in　value　to　what　they　were　before　（yet　as　he
was　always　a　strict　observer　of　the　contributions　of　the　Empire）
he　coined　no　other　small　Moneys；　but　those　of　his　own　stamp；　and
they　were　only　current　within　his　own　Countries。
　　　　Now　all　these　several　Raisings　which　I　have　mentioned；　were
not　all　by　one　way；　but　indeed　they　were　by　all　ways　differing
from　one　another；　and　as　the　Ways　of　making　profit　by　the　Raising
did　differ；　so　the　Inconveniences　which　follow　did　differ
likewise；　and　as　the　Inconveniences　did　differ；　so　the　ways　of
Reduction　did　differ　also；　all　which　will　require　a　long　and
curious　Disquisition　but　I　do　leave　it　to　a　second　breathing。

Lord　Coke's　Account　of　Coin　and　Coining

Coin　in　6　E。　1　was　but　20d　the　ounce；　but　now　it　is　above　thrice
so　much：　Stat。　de　Glocestr。　c。　S。
　　　　Ch　2。　Instit。　f。　311

　　　　The　pound　of　Gold　and　Silver　containeth　12　ounces：　12　graines
of　fine　Gold　make　a　Carrat。　24　Carrats　of　fine　Gold　make　an
ounce；　12　ounces　make　a　Pound　of　fine　Gold　of　the　touch　of　Paris：
but　by　the　Statute　of　18　Eliz。　cap。　15。　22　Carrats　fine　make　an
ounce。
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575。

　　　　Polidore　Virgil　f。　304　etc。　saith；　That　Sterling　Money　comes
ab　effigie　Sturni　（Anglice　Sterling）　aviculae　in　altera　parte
nummi　impressa；　etc。　vol　quod　nummum　haberet　notum　stellae；　quod
Angli　Star　voccant：　Of　this　Opinion　is　Linwood　the　Civilian；　tit。
De　Testamentis；　cap。　Item　quia　verbo　centum　solid。
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575

　　　　But　the　Esterling　or　Sterling　penny　took　its　name　from　the
workmen；　who　were　Esterlings；　that　both　coined　it；　and　gave　it
the　Allay。　Hoveden　parte　poster。　Annalium　fol。　377　b。　vet。　Mag。
Charta　167。　The　Esterlings　penny　was　first　coined　in　Hen。　the　II
time：　and　20d　of　Silver　made　the　ounce。　Dyer　7　Eliz。　f。　82；　83
and　12　ounces　made　a　pound　of　fine　Silver；　and　11　ounces　fine
Silver；　and　an　ounce　of　Allay　maketh　a　pound　weight　of　sterling
Silver；　intended　within　the　Act。
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575

　　　　By　18　Eliz。　cap。　15。　plate　of　Silver　ought　to　be　of　the
fineness　of　xi　ounces　2d　weight。
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575

　　　　Allay　is　the　mixture　of　Baser　Mettal　than　Silver　or　Gold；
called　in　our　Books；　Fulse　Mettal；　9　H。　5　Stat。　2　cap。　4　&　6。　3
H。　7；　10；　a；　b。
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575

　　　　No　more　Allay　must　be　put　into　Money　than　is　limited　in　the
Indentures　between　the　King　and　the　Moniers；　upon　Pain　of
Treason；　Britton。　f。　10　b。　Fleta　lib。　i。　cap。　22
　　　　Ch。　2。　Instit。　575






　　　　Finis