[A1594/1/17/1]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The which day our sovereign lord, considering the great confusion and inconvenience presently within the realm through the multitude of diverse sorts of money, as well gold, silver as alloy proper and foreign of variant weight, fines, prints and prices current without any certain stand or value (except at the appetite of the giver out or receiver), to the great trouble, inconvenience and hindrance of his highness's subjects in all estates and degrees; for remedy whereof, and that there may be a universal and uniform good money passing amongst his people, his majesty, with advice and consent of his privy council, officers of state, commissioners of the parliament for the coin, auditors of the exchequer and senators of the college of justice under-subscribing, has concluded and concludes that the whole gold, silver and alloyed money within this realm be reduced to certain kinds of good coin, the gold to the fines of 22 carat with two grains of remedy, as well above as under, at £30 the ounce, to be set forth in five pound pieces, whereof there shall be six pieces in the ounce with halfs at 50s the piece, with two grains of remedy of weight upon each piece, as well light as heavy, having on the one side his majesty's portrait on horseback, armed, with this circumscription: 'Jacobus 6 D. G. Rex Scotorum', with the date of the year under the horse; and on the other side, the lion in a shield, crowned, with this circumscription: 'Spero meliora', and that the whole silver and alloyed money (except the pennies, two pennies and late placks) be reduced to 11 denier fine with two grains of remedy of fines, as well above as under, one be set forth at 50s the ounce, in sorts of 10 shilling, 5 shilling and 30 pennies and 12 penny pieces, with two grains of remedy of weight upon each piece, as well light as heavy; the print of the silver to have the portrait of his majesty's face, bare headed, on the one side, with this circumscription: 'Jacobus 6 D. G. Rex Scotorum', and on the other side, a thistle crowned with three heads, with this circumscription: 'Nemo me impune lacesset', and the date of the year. And for the furtherance of the work of the said new money, that all his highness's lieges and others within the bounds of his dominions bring in to his mint-house all gold, silver and alloyed money, as well foreign as inward, upon the prices following, that is to say the French crown of the sun† for 57s, and all other foreign gold according to the rate thereof, and all gold of the coin of this realm for the prices that they are presently current, and all sorts of silver, as well foreign as inward, upon the prices following, that is to say the piece coined for 40 shillings, for 42 shillings and the 30, 20, 10 shilling pieces and testans and all other silver according to the rate of the same, and all manner of alloyed money (not heretofore excepted) for the price that they are presently current, and that between the date hereof and 1 May next to come; for which gold, silver and alloyed money so ordained to be brought in to his highness mint-house, the in-bringers shall have the prices before-specified. And his highness, with advice and consent foresaid, declares and decrees that all gold, silver and alloyed money now ordained to be brought in to the said mint-house as said is which shall not be brought in to the same between now and the said 1 May next to come shall have no course nor passage from thenceforth, but wherever any of the same may be apprehended thereafter, changing, exchanging or paying debts or quantities of goods, to be intromitted with and escheated, together with the pain and penalty of £100, to be collected from every person contravening this his highness's ordinance and proclamation; and that the pains of the said escheat and penalty shall strike upon whatsoever person or persons that takes upon hand to buy, break down, refine or smelt any of the said gold, silver and alloyed money without warrant and direction of such as his highness has granted power and licence to do the same. Further, his majesty, with advice and consent above-written, decrees, declares and ordains that it shall not be permissible to make reversions, contracts, obligations, decreets or sentences upon any kind of money in time coming after the date hereof except in the new coin of gold and silver presently appointed to be made and have course, the gold of 22 carat fine and the silver of 11 denier fine, under the pain of 100 merks money of this realm to be incurred by whatsoever person doing in the contrary as often as they shall be apprehended or shall be adjudged and determined to have incurred the same pain, with loss and escheating of the said sums of money, to be collected and intromitted with by such as his majesty has appointed, therefore ordains letters to be directed to officers of arms, sheriffs in that part, for publication hereof at the market crosses of the head burghs of this realm and other places needful, that none pretend ignorance of the same, and to command and charge all and sundry the lieges to observe and fulfil this his highness's ordinance and proclamation, so far as concerns them and everyone of them, and specially the master coiner, wardens, assayer and sinker in the mint-house, to proceed with all diligence in making, printing and giving out of the said new money and all the lieges in bringing in of the said money appointed to be brought in, and in accepting and interchanging of the said new money, being given out under the pains above-specified, and all other pain, charge and offence which they and everyone of them may commit and incur against his majesty in that part. And that the proclamation to be passed upon this act and ordinance be imprinted, for the which the copy of this act, subscribed by the clerk register, shall be to his highness's printer sufficient warrant.