[A1594/1/17/1]¹

Legislation

Act anent the cunyie of gold and silver

The quhilk day oure soverane lord, considdering the grite confusioun and inconvenient presentlie within the realme throu the multitude of divers sortis of money, alsweill gold, silver as allay propir and foreyne of variant wecht, fynes, prentis and priceis current without ony certane stand or cry (bot at the appetyte of the gevair oute or ressaver), to the grite trouble, fasherie and hinder of his hienes subjectis in all esteatis and degreis; for remeid quhairof, and that thair may be ane universall and uniforme gude money passand amangis his people, his majestie, with avise and consent of his prevey counsall, officiaris of estate, commissionaris of the parliament for the cunyie, auditouris of the chekker and senatouris of the college of justice undirsubscryvand, hes concludit and concludis that the haill gold, silver and allayed money within this realme be reducit to certane kyndis of gude cunyie, the gold to the fynnes of tuentie twa carret with twa granes of remeid, alsweill abone as under, at threttie pundis the unce, to be sett furth in fyve pund peceis, quhairof thair salbe sax peceis in the unce with halffis at L s the pece, with twa granes of remeid of wecht upoun ilk pece, alsweill licht as havy, haveand on the ane side his majesteis portrat on horsbak, armed, with this circumscriptioun: 'Jacobus 6 D. G. Rex Scotorum', with the date of the yeir undir the horse; and on the uthir syde, the lyoun in a sheild, crowned, with this circumscriptioun: 'Spero meliora', and that the haill silver and allayed money (except the penneyis, twa penneyis and lait plakkis) be reduceit to xj d[eneir] fyne with twa granes of remeid of fynnes, alsweill abone as undir, ane be sett furth at l s. the unce, in sortis of ten shilling, fyve shilling and threttie penneyis and tuelff penny peceis, with twa granes of remeid of wecht upoun ilk pece, alsweill licht as havy; the prent of the silver to have the portrat of his majesteis face, bair heidit, on the ane syde, with this circumscriptioun: 'Jacobus 6 D. G. Rex Scotorum', and on the uthir syde, ane thrissill crowned with three heidis, with this circumscriptioun: 'Nemo me impune lacesset', and the date of the yeir. And for the furtherance of the work of the said new money, that all his hienes lieges and uthiris within the boundis of his dominionis inbring to his cunyiehous all gold, silver and allayed money, alsweill foreyne as inward, upoun the priceis following, that is to say the Frenshe crowne of the sone for fiftie sevin shillingis, and all uthir foreyne gold according to the rate thairof, and all gold of the cunyie of this realme for the priceis that thay ar presentlie current, and all sortis of silver, alsweill foreyne as inward, upoun the pryceis following, that is to say the pece cunyeit for fourty shillingis, for fourty twa shillingis and the threttie, tuentie, ten shilling peceis and testanes and all uthir silver according to the rate of the samyn, and all maner of allayed money (not heirtofoir exceptit) for the price that thai ar presentlie current, and that betuix the date heirof and the first day of Maii nixtocum; for the quhilk gold, silver and allayed money swa ordanit tobe inbrocht to his hienes cunyiehous, the inbringaris salhave the pryceis befoir specifeit. And his hienes, with avise and consent foirsaid, declairis and decernis that all gold, silver and allayed money now ordanit tobe inbrocht to the said cunyiehous as said is quhilk sall nocht be inbrocht to the same betuix and the said first day of Maii nixtocum salhave na cours nor passage fra thynefurth, bot quhairevir ony of the same may be apprehendit thaireftir, changeand, wissilland or payand debtis or blokis, tobe intromettit with and escheitit, togidder with the pane and unlaw of ane hundreth pundis, tobe uptakin of every persone contravening this his hienes ordinance and proclamatioun; and that the panes of the saidis escheat and unlaw sall stryke upoun quhatsomevir persone or personis that takis upoun hand to by, brek doun, fyne or melt ony of the said gold, silver and allayed money without warrand and directioun of sic as his hienes hes grantit power and licence to do the same. Further, his majestie, with avise and constent abonewrittin, decernis, declairis and ordanis that it sall nocht be lesum to mak reversionis, contractis, obligationis, decreitis or sentenceis upoun ony kynd of money in tyme cuming eftir the date heirof bot in the new cunyie of gold and silver presentlie appointit tobe maid and have cours, the gold of tuentie twa carrett fyne and the silver of xj d[eneir] fyne, undir the pane of ane hundreth markis money of this realme tobe incurrit be quhatsumevir persone doing in the contrair alsoft as thay salbe apprehendit or salbe adjugeit and decernit to have incurrit the same pane, with tinsaill and escheitting of the saidis sowmes of money, tobe uptakin and intromettitwith be sic as his majestie hes appointit. Thairfoir ordanis lettrez tobe direct to officiaris of armes, schireffis in that parte, for publicatioun heirof at the mercat croceis of the heid burrowis of this realme and uthairis placeis neidfull, that nane pretend ignorance of the same, and to command and charge all and sindrie the liegis to observe and fulfill this his hienes ordinance and proclamatioun, safer as concernis thame and everyane of thame, and speciallie the maister cunyeour, wardanis, assayair and sinkair in the cunyiehous, to proceid with all diligence in making, prenting and geveing oute of the said new money and all the liegis in inbringing of the said money appointit tobe brocht in, and in accepting and interchangeing of the said new money, being gevin oute undir the panes abonespecifeit, and all uthir pane, charge and offence quhilk thai and everyane of thame may committ and inrin aganis his majestie in that parte. And that the proclamatioun tobe past upoun this act and ordinance be imprentit, for the quhilk the copie of thir presentz, subscrivit be the clerk of register, salbe to his hienes prentair sufficient warrand.