[1598/12/3]¹

Act anent the cunyie

The kingis majestie, his nobilitie, counsall and estaittis presentlie convenit, considering the grit confusioun and inconvenient presentlie within this realme throw the multitude of diverse sortis of forayne gold and silver of variant wecht, prentis and pryces current without ony certane stand bot at the appetyte of the gevar out and ressavear, to the grit trowble, faschrie and hinder of his hienes subjectis of all estaittis and degries; for remeid quhairof, albeit thair hes bene diverse actis maid be his majestie, his nobilitie, counsall and estaittis heirtofoir dischargeing the course of all forayne gold and silver within this realme and upoun quhat pryces the same suld be imbrocht to serve as bulyeoun to his majesties cunyiehous, yit the samyn actis hes tane na effect nor executioun bot ar and hes bene planelie violate and contravenit be grit numbreis of his hienes leigis, and the rysing and intertening of the derth of forayne cunyie sa fosterit and avowit that the samyn is far abone the pryces of his majesties proper money, albeit in all utheris weill governit commoun wealthis and republickis all forayne cunyie licensed to haif course is ever upoun inferior pryces to thair awin proper cunyie. And now his majestie, his nobilitie, counsall and estaitis presentlie convenit, considering the present estait and conditioun of his hienes subjectis quha ar not able to underly the extremitie of the saidis actis, and his majestie being alwyis cairfull to moderate the same for thair ease and releif and for the commoun weill and benefeit of the haill realme, his majestie thairfoir, with advyse foirsaid, hes concludit, statute and ordanit that the unce of forayne silver of the fynnes of allevin denneire salhaif course heirefter within this realme for fourtie aucht schillingis allanerlie, and the unce of forayne gold of tuentie tua carret fyne for tuentie aucht pundis xvj s., and that the particular spaces and pryces of forayne gold and silver salhaif course and pas upoun the pryces following aggreable alwyis to the particular pryces of the unce: that is to say the Inglis testane, weyand four denneiris and auchtene granis, at nyne schillings vj d., the fyftene sous pece, weyand sevin denneiris and xij granis, at fyftene schillingis, the Spanische ryell, weyand xxj denneiris and sex granis, at xliij s. iiij d., the croce dolour, weyand xxij denneiris and ten granis, at xlij s. iiij d., and all his hienes awin money to haif course conforme to the formar proclamatioun; the Spanische pistolet, weyand tua denneiris and xiiij granis, at iij lib. ij s., the croun of the sone, weyand tua denneiris and xiiij granis, at iij lib. iij s. iiij d., the Harie dowcat of France, weyand fyve denneiris, tuelf granis, at vj lib. xviij s., the gunhoill angill, weyand four denneiris, at v lib., the dowbill dowcat, weyand fyve denneiris, ten granis, at vij lib., the Ghentis nobill, weyand sex denneiris, sevin lib. xiij s. iiij d., the Portingall dowcate, weyand ane unce and four denneiris, at xxxv lib., the angell noble, weyand four denneiris, at v lib. iij s. iiij d., the Harie noble, weyand fyve denneiris, ten granis, at sevin pundis, and the auld roise noble, weyand sex denneiris, at vij lib. xv s. And with thir his majesties thirsell noble to geve heirefter sevin pundis xvj s., the hat pece iiij lib. ix s., the lyoun pece v lib., and all the remanent of his majesties gold cunyie nawyis to be brokin doun bot to haif course and pryce according to the rait of the unce of xxij carret fyne at threttie pundis, as the act of parliament appointis. And ordanis lettres to be direct to mak publicatioun heirof be oppin proclamatioun at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of this realme, quhairthrow nane pretend ignorance of the same; and to command and charge all his hienes subjectis to conforme thame selfis to the premises and onnawyis to tak upoun hand to ressave or outgeve in exchange ony of the particular spaces abonewrittin of gold and silver upoun hier pryces nor is particularlie abonexpremit, under the pane of escheiting thair haill movable guidis and geir to be imbrocht and upliftit to his majesties use, and ordanis lettres of publicatioun to be heirupoun direct.