[A1581/2/3]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Forasmuch as the king's majesty, his nobility, council and estates presently convened, considering the great hurt and inconvenience that his highness and the commonwealth of this realm have received and daily receive through the great quantity of alloyed money having course within the same, by occasion whereof the dearth of all things increases and also false and counterfeit money has passage and course therewith, the same being so subtly wrought and in such form of metal that it is very hard for ignorants to determine and know the true from the false, whereupon greater inconvenience is able to follow, to the great hurt of the commonwealth of this whole realm if timely remedy be not provided; therefore our said sovereign lord, with mature advice and deliberation of his said nobility, council and estates presently convened, following the good example of flourishing commonwealths proceeding chiefly upon the occasion of the fines of the money current within the same, for the good and profit of his majesty and his subjects, eschewing of dearth and many other inconveniences, all in one voice, have concluded, statute and ordained that all the whole alloyed money and other whatsoever silver coin within this realm (except the stamped placks and pennies) shall be reformed and reduced to the refinement of 11 deniers, with two grains of remedy of refinement, as well under as above; and to this effect, that all the several sorts of alloyed and other coined silver aforesaid (except before excepted) be brought in to the master of his highness's coin-house, by general proclamation, upon the prices that they are presently current within this realm (except the false and counterfeit, which shall be clipped down and delivered again clipped to the owner), and that each ounce of silver Parisian in coined money be set forth for 44s money of this realm, to be coined in several pieces bearing such form, weight, circumscription and remedies as his majesty, with advice of the lords of his privy council, resident with his highness for the time, shall think good, to whom his majesty, [...] advice of his said nobility, council and estates presently convened [...] authority and commission to this effect; as also to set tacks of the [...] coin-house and profits thereof for such reasonable space as shall be thought convenient for the better commodity of his majesty and the advancing of his highness as the occasion shall so require.