A proposal to prevent the corruption of the coyn. Lewis, John, writer on currency. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B25942 of text T42839 in the English Short Title Catalog. Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 9KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B25942 Wing L1840C Interim Tract Supplement Guide 712.m.1[77] ESTC T42839 ocm99894667

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B25942) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 186451) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books; Tract supplement ; C4:3[68]) A proposal to prevent the corruption of the coyn. Lewis, John, writer on currency. 1 sheet ([1] p.). s.n., [London : between 1695 and 1701] Signed: John Lewis. Imprint suggested by Wing. ESTC dates this item 1701?. With a docket title. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Imperfect: appears to be closely trimmed, but without loss of text.

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 eng Coinage -- England -- Early works to 1800. Money -- England -- Early works to 1800. Counterfeits and counterfeiting -- England -- Early works to 1800. Adulterated coins -- England -- Early works to 1800. eebo A proposal to prevent the corruption of the coyn. . Lewis, John, writer on currency. 1695 4 1553 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2014-05 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2014-07 Sampled and proofread 2014-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2015-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
A Proposal to Prevent the Corruption of the Coyn .

't is too well known how much the Coyn of this Nation was injur'd before the last general Melting ; near a third part of the whole was lost ; which Loss arose chiefly by its being so exorbitantly Clipt , but partly by its being Corrupted . This Honourable House has prevented the Return of the first Evil , but the latter is still growing upon us , and may in time appear as formidable a Mischief as the Clipping did , unless some way be found out to check it ; for we see daily a Multitude of False Money run in Mixture with the Good ; and the Quantity increases so fast , that the longer the Remedy is delay'd , the more difficult it will prove .

To prevent this , there has been hitherto no Provision made , but only one Act of Parliament , that commands and requires all Persons concern'd in the Receipt of His Majesty's Revenue , to Cut and Destroy all Pieces of Counterfeit Money that comes to their Hands ; which Act perhaps is faithfully executed ; but with humble Submission we don't find that Act sufficient .

Because first , the Act is not only limited to the Offices of the Revenue , but it seems to want a Penalty to enforce it with the utmost Severity .

But the greater Reason is , that by being only directed to such who are concern'd in the publick Revenue , it leaves all other Persons at Liberty to do what they please ; and 't is easie to guess what Abuses are made of such an Indulgence : For while the Bank and Bankers , the several Companies , and other Private Dealers , have it at their Pleasure to take or return to their Customers that Base Money that ought to be destroy'd , no doubt but such a Liberty makes 'em act more for their own Interest than the Publick : So that while this Liberty is allow'd , 't is impossible our Cash can be kept clean , there being so many Passes for the Bad to escape : In such a Distress certainly there 's a Necessity of doing something to prevent it ; but what that is to be , best becomes the Wisdom of this Honourable Assembly .

In order to this , a Proposal was presented last Session to this Effect : I. That an Act of Parliament should be made to compel all Persons whatsoever , ( as well as them concern'd in the Revenue ) under some severe Penalty , to Cut and Deface all Pieces of Money that should be tender'd in Payment , and discover'd to be Counterfeit . II . That there shou'd be no manner of Liberty to return such Money to the Owner , nor to connive at the issuing of it any way , till it was first Defac'd , and made incapable of passing again . III . That when such Money was Defac'd , it should be return'd to the Owner . IV . That if by Negligence or Mistake any False Money escape any Clerk or Receiver in the several Offices of the Revenue , such Money shou'd be Cut by him who next finds it , and he who received it to suffer the Loss .

But this Proposal admitting of some Objections , was not thought so practicable as so important an Affair ought to be , so that it were happy if something else cou'd be thought of more effectual : I believe every good Subject wishes this Reformation were made , but what Means shall we propose to effect it ? There the Question stands , and 't wou'd be a fortunate Discovery if we cou'd fall upon such Measures as wou'd render the Project successful .

But that 's not so easie ; and tho' there 's a fatal Necessity of arming against this Intestine Enemy , yet it 's a hard Matter to determine what Arms we shall use ; and after our utmost Speculations there will not appear a Method more probable than that already mention'd , or this which follows , propos'd to be by a general Oath .

An Oath is the most sacred Pledge our Consciences can bear ; 't is the last Evidence in Law , upon which the Foundation and Establishment of Justice chiefly subsists ; and when no other Fetters will bind up the Hands of the Libertine , an Oath ties him down , and keeps him within the Check of his Conscience .

Therefore with great Resignation to the Wisdom of this Honourable House , it is Proposed as the most effectual way to oppose the Counterfeiting of the Coyn , and the suppressing that which is now running , and so by degrees to Purge the whole Nation of it , as thus .

The PROPOSAL . I. That a solemn Oath be made , strict and ingaging to the Conscience , to oblige all Persons of all Circumstances and Conditions , who are suppos'd to be conversant in Money ( except such as are hereafter excepted ) to receive to the best of their Knowledge no Money , but what they shall verily believe to be Standard Gold and Standard Silver . II . That all concern'd in His Majesties Revenue and Exchequer , Tellers of the Bank , Cashiers of Companies , Goldsmiths , Merchants , Shopkeepers and all Tradesmen , with their Servants , or whomsoever they employ , in taking or paying Money , all Stewards , Drovers , Carriers , and all other Persons conversant in Money ( Noblemen excepted ) to take this Oath . III . And as this Oath is to be taken by Servants as well as Masters , so it shall be understood to be sufficient once to have taken it , and never to be requir'd again . IV . No Person to be capable of receiving the Sum of Five Pounds , till he has first taken the Oath , unless it be in case of Minority , provided for in the next Article . V. That all under the age of Eighteen , who are suppos'd incapable of taking an Oath , shall be ty'd up in their Indentures to the same purpose , as if they were actually sworn . VI . That by virtue of the same Oath , all Persons shall be obliged to Cut and Deface all Counterfeit Money , and to render it for ever incapable of passing . VII . That if by mistake any one receive a piece or more of false Money , and discovers it afterwards to be so , he shall be oblig'd by the same Oath not to offer it in Payment , but to deface it , tho' it be his own . VIII . This Oath to be administred by the next Justice , and a Certificate to be given to vouch for the same . IX . That a Register be made to record the Certificates , and kept by the Minister , or chief Officer of the Parish . X. That the Charge of the Oath and Recording be very easie , and the Profits arising from it be a Consideration to those who are employ'd in the Registry .

And tho' at first Appearance this Proposal of Swearing seems troublesome , yet why shou'd it be thought more troublesome than the Oath of Allegiance , which was given to all the Nation ? And when it is made a Case of Conscience to utter any False and Counterfeit Money , it will be an Encouragement to all Good People , and a Terror to all Evil ; for than this nothing can be more solemn and aweful .

As to the Prejudices which we feel in Gold Coyns , and for the rectifying the Currency of Guineas , 't is further humbly offer'd , That some Order be made , that all Light Guineas , under such a Weight as shall seem convenient to this Honourable House , may be Cut in sunder , and Return'd to the Payer ; a reasonable Allowance for Wear of such Coyned in King Charles II . and the late King's time , to Six Grains ; and in this present Reign , to Four Grains . And when this Proposal shall be approv'd and made a Law , 't is hop'd it may be the Means of preventing the running of False , and preserving the Good Money from Diminution .

And that this Honourable House may take into Consideration so necessary a Work , and , among the rest of your good Decrees , may form such an Act , whether according to this Proposal or any other , as may put a Stop to the present Run of bad Money , and prevent it hereafter , and make the Nation easie from this Perplexity , is the sincere Desire and Design of the Author of this Paper .

JOHN LEWIS .

A PROPOSAL To prevent the CORRUPTION OF THE COYN .