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RECOINAGE OF 1696 437 
pains to get the maximum product out of each of the presses AD, 63 
in London?; but the manner in which the work dragged on which ve 
gave some opportunity for political intrigue?, and offered a carried 
considerable field for speculative dealings in coin®, The first Drought 
steps were taken in the Proclamation of 19 Dec. '1695¢, hy Neen, 
which clipped crowns were to cease to be current after 1 Jan. 
1696; provision was made for the continued use of un- 
clipped hammered money, which was punched and retained in 
circulation temporarily®; and the whole operation was con- 
cluded by 1 March, 1698, when all hammered money was 
{ Haynes, op. cit. p. 138. Newton’s technical skill was also effective in 
exposing the mistakes in Challoner’s proposed method of coining, sb. p. 174. 
Haynes bears interesting testimony to his general influence on the work which 
was carried on under his supervision. “For 25 March, 1696, Mr Isaac Newton, 
publick Professor of the Mathematicks in Cambridge, the greatest Philosopher, 
and one of the best Men of this age, was by a great and wise Statesman recom- 
mended to the favour of the late King for Warden of the King’s Mints and 
Exchanges, for which Station he was peculiarly qualified, because of his extra 
ordinary skill in numbers and his great integrity; by the first of which he could 
judge perfectly well of the Mint Accounts and transactions, as soon as he enter’d 
apon his office; and by the later, I mean his Integrity, he sett a standard to the 
conduct and behaviour of every Officer and Clerk in the Mint. Well had it been 
for the Publick, had he acted a few years sooner in that Station; it’s more than 
probable a good part of the silver monys had been preserved by his vigilant and 
indefatigable prosecution, from the havock that was made upon ‘em by clipping 
and counterfeiting. And the Assize of our gold monys had been brought to that 
exactness, as to have prevented a very ill, but a very ordinary practice of picking 
out and remelting the weighty pieces. This was a very beneficial trade to some 
persons, but fatall to the Standard and increase of the publick Treasure. Since 
the Assize of the Coin has been more immediately a part of this Gentleman's care, 
wee have seen it brought to that extraordinary nicety, especially in the gold monys, 
as was never known in any reign before this, and perhaps cannot be parallel’d in 
any other Nation. So that in time we may defy the cunning and Artifice of all 
mankind to make any advantage by the inequality of the pieces coyn’d at the 
Tower. Of so great consequence to the State is the well executing the office of 
Warden of the Mint, and of so good consequence has the execution of it been 
ander this admirable Gentleman that in time he will be no less valued at Home on 
this account than he is admired by all the Philosophic World abroad for his 
wonderful advancement of the Mathematicall Sciences; by the last he has 
benefitted Mankind, and by the first he has done justice to the English Nation, of 
which he is one of the chiefest Glorys.” pp. 131. 132. 
* Dalrymple, op. cit. Part m1. book Iv. p. 85. 
8 Evelyn, Diary, 1850 (June 11, 1696), 11. 843. Kennett, Complete History, 
William 111. Vol. m. p. 725. 
¢ [Brit. Mus. 21. h. 8 (175)]. Permission was given to pay them to the re- 
ceivers of taxes till a later date, and another Proclamation was issued 4 Jan. 1696 
‘Brit. Mus. 21. h. 3 (178)), insisting that the Collectors should accept this money. 
® 7W. IIL c. 1 (9). F. Philipps suggested an ingenious scheme for a temporary 
token currency of inferior metals. Archeologia. x111. 188.