[1597/11/27]¹

The pricis of gold and silver of forene cunyie and bulyeoun

Oure soverane lord and estaitis of this present parliament ratifeis, apprivis and confirmis the act maid at Dundie, the fourtene day of Maii the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir sevintene yeiris anent the douncrying of the silver, off the quhilk the tennour followis: The quhilk day the kingis majestie, his nobilitie, counsale and estaitis presentlie convenit, considering the present scarcitie of cunyeit money now current within this realme and the great derthe and exhorbitant pricis quhairunto all sortis of gold and silver, alsweill forene as of his hienes awin cunyie, ar presentlie reducit be the libertie quhilk all sortis and degreis of personis takis at thair awin handis in rasing of the pricis of all gold and silver at thair plesure far above the just awaill prescryvit in his hienes lawis, actis and proclamationis maid theranent, be the quhilk forme of doing and be the unlauchfull transporting of the cunyie at all tymis furthe of this realme great disordour and confusioun hes bene interteneit and is liklie dalie to incres, to the hurt of the commoun weill and great contempt of his hienes and his authoritie gif the lawis alreddie maid heiranent sall nocht be put to dew executioun in all poyntis according to the tennour thairof with all convenient expeditioun. And thairfoir his majestie, with advyis of his said nobilitie, counsale and estaitis foirsaidis, hes concludit and ordanit and be thir presentis ratefeis and apprevis the lawis alreddie maid anent the dischargeing of the dalie rasing of the pricis of gold and silver, and ordanis that all and sindrie personis, transgressoris of the saidis lawis in rasing of the saidis pricis, salbe callit, tryit and punishit thairfoir with all extremitie. And forther that his hienes, with advyis of his said nobilitie, counsale and estaitis foirsaidis, has thocht meit to declair and mak it manifest that fra the xvij day of Maii instant the unce of silver cunyeit in ten shilling picis and the uthair smaller picis of ellewin pennyfyne cunyeit according to the last act of parliament sall stand at fyftie schillingis, and the auld xxx shilling picis, being of the lyk wecht and fynes, at the same price; and the new threttie shilling picis, being thrie quarteris of ane unce at xxxvij s. vj d., and the auld and new xx and ten shilling picis according thairto pro rata; and the unce of gold of xxij carret fyne, being his hienes awin cunyie of fyve pund and fyftie shilling picis, sall also stand at xxx lib. the unce; and forther that the spacis of money and fynes thairof, to wit: of ellewin penny fyne in silver and tuentie twa carret fyne in gold, salbe cunyeit and have cours heirefter conform to the actis of parliament maid theranent. And that all merchandis or uthairis personis, transportaris of the same furth of this realme, be tryit and punishit according to the saidis lawis and actis foirsaidis; and siclyk that na forayne cunyie of gold or silver sall haif cours amangis his hienes liegis heirefter bot haillelie imbrocht to serche² as bulyeoun to his majesteis cunyiehous, and that all gold, silver or uther cunyie quhilk salbe brocht within this realme heirefter quhairunto his hienes subjectis ar astrictit to bring in be his majesteis lawis as bulyeoun, the unce thairof being of tuelf deneiris or being basser and suppleit be compt and quantitie to be worthe tuelff deneiris, the merchandis, inbringaris thairof, sall haif ane unce of his hienes awin cunyie of elleivin dyneiris for everie unce of bulyeoun brocht in maner foirsaid; and of all uther forayne cunyie that they sall voluntarlie bring in to the cunyehous of the said ordiner bulyeoun, that thair be onlie the threttie pennie thairof retenit to his majesteis profeit. And alsua ordanis that all the saidis liegis conforme thame selffis in this mater of the cunyie to the will, declaratioun and determinatioun of his majestie, his nobilitie, counsale and estaitis foirsaidis, and on nawayis tak upon hand to brek and contravene the samin in ony pert as they will answer to his hienes upoun thair obedience at thair uttermest charge and parrell and under the panis proscryvit in his hienes lawis to be execut upon tham without favour. And to this effect, that the thesaurar and his deputis insist and seik the executioun of the panis and punishementis prescryvit in the saidis lawis aganis the contravenaris thairof with all rigour and extremitie as they will answer to his hienes upon thair office and obedience, and that the generall maister cunyeour, warder, compter warder, maister cunyieour, assayer, sinker, meltar, forgear and uthairis officiaris of his hienes cunyiehous proceid to the cunyeing, straiking and forgeing of new cunyie according to the lawis alreddie maid and this present act and ordinance as thai sall answer to his majestie upoun thair officis. And to the effect his majesteis subjectis may be resolvit upon the pricis of all gold and silver to be brocht be tham within this realme and quhilk the maister cunyeour salbe astrictit to pay to tham conform to the tennour of thir presentis, he salbe astrictit to haif oppinlie affixit in his hous of exchange ane autentik table to be maid be his hienes commissioneris appoyntit to that effect contenand the perticular pricis of all spacis of foran gold and silver usuallie inbrocht within this cuntrey according to the availl, wecht and fynes thairof. And that the clerk of his hienes registrie caus imprent thir presentis and all uthair actis maid concerning the cunyie, customes and bulyeoun quhairthrow his hienes subjectis pretend na ignorance thairof. Quhilk act abonewrittin, oure said soverane lord, with advyis of the saidis estaitis in parliament, ratefeis, apprevis and confirmis in all poyntis efter the tennour thairof, and decernis and declaris the samin to haif the strenthe, force and effect of ane law and act of parliament in all tym cumming.