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Manuscript letter, dated 22 February, 1643, containing an Order of the Committee of Revenue to Thomas Fauconbridge, Receiver of Crown Revenues, to pay 'the poore Pewterers or Hammer men' of London the sum of £100, due to them by virtue of an Act of Parliament. The letter is signed by members of the Committee for Revenue, including Sir Henry Vane, Sir Henry Mildmay, Francis Rous, William Ashhurst, Thomas Hoyle and Dennis Bond. With a receipt dated 27 February 1643, bearing 56 signatures or marks and the signature of Robert Leeson, Warden of the Worshipful Company of Pewteres.

Contemporary copy of a treatise, 1603, by Sir Richard Martin, Master of the Royal Mint, on matters relating to the Royal Mint and solutions to the problems of coinage at the beginning of the reign of King James I. With a dedicatory epistle to King James I. Martin's Indentures for the coining of new monies, which are largely quoted in this treatise, were renewed by James I on 21 May 1603.

Manuscript copy of Reflections on the importation of bar-iron, from our own colonies of North-America, printed in 1757, possibly by Joseph Sykes, in response to The case of the importation of bar-iron (1756), written by the Reverend Josiah Tucker on behalf of the Iron Manufacturers of Great Britain. The volume also includes copies of 2 letters, of 29 April 1765, from Joseph Sykes in Hull to the Master Cutler [Sheffield], and of 1 May 1765 from David Barclay & Sons, London, linen merchants, to Mr [William] Dixon [in Sheffield], both concerning the debate on the import of American as opposed to Swedish iron and proposals for additional duty upon Swedish iron before the Board of Trade.The above items are bound with a printed version of The case of the importation of bar-iron (1756), by Josiah Tucker.

Manuscript volume containing a treatise by Sir James William Morrison, First Clerk and Deputy Master of the Royal Mint, entitled 'Memoirs and observations on the melting and casting of silver for the coinage at his Majesty's Mint', 1807. The manuscript discusses previous techniques in melting, especially experiments made by his father James Morrison, Deputy Master of the Mint from 1787-1799, based on his papers, and his own experiments made with the help of Robert Mushet, Third Clerk to the Master of the Mint, and Robert Bingley, the Assay Master (1798-1836). There are some pencil notes in the margin.

Manuscript volume, 1554-1720, containing nine transcripts relating to the public coinage of France, notably a transcript of letters patent by King Henry IV setting out regulations for the coinage, 3 Mar 1554; a judgment of the Chambre des Comptes, 25 Nov 1690; miscellaneous transcripts giving details of the cost of equipment for minting, possibly for the coinage of Orleans, France; various formularies for the process of casting gold ingots and counterfeit gold coins, drawn up on behalf of Pierre François Guerin, Juge Garde de la Monoye d'Orleans, 30 Apr 1728; memorandum on the establishment of the coinage of Orleans following an edict of Oct 1716, consisting of 24 articles for regulating the work of the officers of the Mint; two treatises on the administration of coinage in France; summaries of judgements concerning coinage, 23 Dec 1719-26 Dec 1720, with a commentary on each; a description of various French coins, [1718-1728].

Manuscript volume containing tracts on coinage by Leon Lee, [1628-1633], namely proposals on the coinage addressed to Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland and Treasurer of England, a paper outlining methods of preventing abuse of the coinage, and an explanation of the exchange. The volume also contains a [presumably unrelated] account of the reception of Princess Elizabeth of England, at Frankenthal, for her marriage to the Elector Palatine Frederick V, later King of Bohemia, Jun 1613.

Letter from Henry Tolcher of Plymouth to 'Most honble. Lord' [Peter King, Chief Justice of Common Pleas], 2 Sep 1720. Suggesting that 'unless a speedy method is taken to prevent the melting of the silver coin of this kingdom it is very likely that its scarcity so much of late complain'd of will be follow'd by a totall consumption of the same ... not less than fifty pounds sterling is to be gott by melting a thousand pounds of English silver coin which is easyly effectected [sic] and with security by almost any person in the space of an hour or two'.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript volume containing a paper entitled 'A state of the trade to Sweden before and since the Prohibition', presented to the House of Commons as a petition for the relaxation of restrictions on trade with Sweden, 1717-1718.

Papers of Augustus Sauerbeck, 1893 and 1895, comprise two letters to Sir Guilford Molesworth; the first thanks him for a letter and two tables of production figures and discusses his own work: 'If you examine the real reduction in cost - not by opening up new countries - but by real scientific improvement, there is probably no important article in which the reduction has been so great as in the case of gold, where it pays now if you get 1/2oz or even less out of a ton of ore', 28 August 1893. The second letter refers to a forthcoming article on prices, to be published in the March issue of the Journal of the Statistical Society, 5 April 1895.

A volume of printed (1788-1818) and manuscript (1784-1814) material relating to the Company of Clockmakers. Including letters, petitions and historical articles. Also including circulars from the Goldsmiths Company regulating standards of gold and silver in watches and material concerning the meetings about the proposed repeal and alteration of the statute 5 Eliz. I c.4 (Artificers and Apprentices).

Papers of John Urpeth Rastrick including memoranda, calculations and diagrams, including estimates for iron arch for Stratford-upon-Avon Railway Bridge; for a roof for William Foster; gasworks at Kidderminster; recipe for brass lacquer; lists of materials of six-horse Boulton and Watts engine, and of the contents of packing boxes, with diagrams of each item entered; notes, specifications and sketches for the Stratford and Moreton Railway; and detailed descriptions, statistics and sketches of bridges, railways and engines. Enclosing the following items: (i-ii) 2 sheets of rough calculations. (iii) Card bearing printed statistics of the Burnton and Shields Railway; annotated in MS and signed by Benjamin Thompson (23 January 1829). (iv) Printed wrapper sent from the Office of Ordnance to Messrs J Bradley and Co, [?at] Foster, Rastrick and Co Ironworks, Stourbridge; used for rough calculations and draft accounts in MS.

Papers of John Urpeth Rastrick, 1800-1855, comprising a miscellany of correspondence (including drafts of copies of outgoing letters), with notes, engineering drawings, etc. Many of the notes and calculations are written in Rastrick's private cipher. Major correspondents include the London shipping iron merchants Henckell and Du Buisson; the 2nd Earl of Powis; John (later Sir John) Gladstone [father of W E Gladstone]; the lawyer, estate manager and politician James Loch and [?his son] George Loch; and Rastrick's sons and employees. Topics covered include the canal and railway interests of Rastrick and the other correspondents, as well as the iron industry. Most of the letters were dispatched to or from London or the industrial areas of South Wales and the West Midlands.

Letter from Mordaunt Martin of 'Burnham' to Dr [John Coakley] Lettsom, Sambrook House, London, 8 Mar 1801. Stating that he has despatched to Lettsom a parcel of mangelwurzel seeds. Explaining that he was prevented from answering Lettsom's letter of 3 Jan by an attack of gallstones, since relieved by pills of soap and rhubarb. Discussing the 'Brown Bread Act' [probably 41 Geo.3.c.16] to which, he says, Lettsom was in some degree accessory; quoting Lettsom and Horne Tooke on the Act; Martin prefers brown bread for his breakfast, using his own wheat 'sifted in the coarsest hair sieve', but deprecates the 'indiscriminate use of it'. Attacking at length the Potato Premium Bill, which had just been rejected, according to 'the paper of this night'; claiming that such a bill would force by premiums an unnatural produce on land which the occupiers could use for more profitable crops. Adding that his and Lettsom's 'hearts will beat in unison' on reading pages 109-110 of the 2nd edition of [Robert] Fellowes's Christian Philosophy [1799].

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript volume containing notes, [1846-1850], on coins minted in Kent from 561-1154, beginning with King Ethelbert I and ending with King Stephen. There is also an account of the coinage under the archbishops from 763-923, and a drawing of a coin of King Athelbald (856-860) from the author's own collection.

Correspondence to John Bradley & Co., mostly being very detailed orders for iron, except for a few letters addressed to James Foster himself.

A volume entitled Customs of ye Stanarys & Journall of ye Convocators 1703. It relates chiefly to the stannary of Blackmore, but also other Cornish stannaries. Concludes with a note that information used 'were copied out of a manuscript I had of Mr Thomas Hawkins. Signed John Hill.'

Manuscript volume containing papers relating to coinage and the Royal Mint, 1722-1774, including a table of the gold and silver minted in the reigns of kings and queens of England from Queen Elizabeth I up to 1772, with a value in sterling for the total in each reign; a table of gold and silver minted from 20 Jul 1660-31 Dec 1751, with a value in sterling for the amount minted in each reign within this period; table of the weight of gold brought to the Mint for 20 years [1751-1770], with columns showing by whom it was brought and in what species it was coined; a table of 'gold at the Mint before the diminished guineas were sent', with a monthly account of gold coined from Aug 1773 to May 1774 and a statement of all gold coined from 1760-1774; an account of cut guineas imported into the Mint between 25 Aug 1773 and 9 Aug 1774, and delivered out between 13 Oct 1773 and 5 Oct 1774; tables giving the costs of coining various metals; a calculation table [for measuring fineness]; details of rises in salaries for officers of the Mint; details of salary scales for officers of the Mint, [Aug 1772].

Manuscript volume, [1580], containing instruction for all (Dutch) Exchangers for the alteration of coinage books and manuals following a proclamation that the fortieth part of all golden moneys is to be reserved for their salaries. The manuscript gives translations of the mottoes on various coins in place of the engravings of the coins found in the printed book.

(1) Letter from James Bridgnell to H W I Wood, 28 Apr 1857. Relating to the introduction of a gold currency into India. (2) Reply from H W I Wood to James Bridgnell, 4 Jun 1857. Both letters with signatures.

Letter from W Beresford of Elsfield House, Oxford to Messrs Birch, solicitors, Burton upon Trent, [Staffordshire], 21 Mar [1840]. Concerning a dispute over the sale of manure and hay. Autograph, with signature. Year taken from the postmark. Endorsed: 'Beresford Mr. His insolent letter respg the Manure and Hay'.

Draft minutes of the weekly meetings of the proprietors of Anderson, New and Co., held at the Compting House, Redcross St., Bristol, from 2 Jul 1798 to 11 Mar 1799. The proprietors were James New junior, Samuel New junior, Francis Bull, S. James, William Walker and Charles Anderson. The drafts record their decisions in some detail, concerning the purchase of land at Netham Mill and Blacksworth, the building of warehouses, and the purchase of raw material and machinery. At the foot of each sheet is written 'Ent[ere]d', followed usually by the initials 'J.N.'