Close Rolls, Henry VI: 1431

Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 2, 1429-1435. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1933.

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'Close Rolls, Henry VI: 1431', in Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI: Volume 2, 1429-1435, (London, 1933) pp. 173-177. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-close-rolls/hen6/vol2/pp173-177 [accessed 26 March 2024]

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1431

Membrane 12d.
The king and William Rus citizen and jeweller of London. Indenture witnessing that the king has appointed him master and maker of his moneys of gold and silver in the Tower of London and in Calais, York and Bristol, to make three kinds of money of gold, one current for 6s. 8d. a piece to be called the gold noble, there shall be fifty pieces in the pound of the Tower weight, another of half that weight current for 40d., there shall be a hundred in the said pound, and another one fourth the weight of the first current for 20d., there shall be two hundred in the pound, and these shall be of 24 carats 3½ grains of fine gold worth 16l. 13s. 4d. the pound, and of every pound by weight the king shall have 3s. 6d. by tale, and the master for his labour, waste of gold, loss of weight, expenses etc., the wages of the warden and other ministers of the king excepted, 18d. by tale to be paid by the warden's hands, and so for every pound of gold according to the standard of the noble which he shall put in the Tower there shall remain to the merchant 16l. 8s. 4d. by tale; and because the money may not always be made according to the standard, but peradventure by default of the master or workmen it may be found too strong or too weak more or less in weight, in alloy or in both, the king's will is that when at the assay before delivery it shall be found too strong or too weak by the sixteenth part of a carat in the pound by weight and no more, which shall be called the master's remedy, it shall be delivered as good, provided the fault be accidental and not otherwise, but if greater be found, delivery shall cease, the money shall be challenged by the king's assayer, judged to be bad, and again molten and made at the master's cost, and for a particular cause it is agreed that of every pound by weight the master shall make 8 ounces of nobles, three ounces of half nobles, and one ounce of ferlings of gold, and this shall not by him be changed until he shall have command to the contrary. And he has undertaken to make five kinds of money of silver, one current for 4d. a piece to be called a groat, there shall be ninety in the said pound, another current for 2d. to be called a half groat, there shall be 180 in the pound, a third current for 1d. to be called the stirling, of the coin of the old sterling, there shall be 360 in the pound, a fourth to be called the maile worth half the sterling, there shall be 720 in the pound, and the fifth to be called the ferling worth half the maile, there shall be 1,440 in the pound, and all shall be of alloy of the standard of the old sterling, to wit every pound shall contain 11 ounces 2 pennyweights of fine silver and 18 pennyweights of alloy, every pennyweight containing 24 grains, and of every pound of silver by weight so made the warden of the money shall take 8d. by weight making 12d. by tale, whereof he shall pay the master 9d. by tale for his labour, for offal, loss of weight and costs, the wages aforesaid excepted, keeping the residue for the king's use, and so of every pound of silver by weight according to the standard which he shall put in the Tower there shall remain to the merchant 29s. by tale; and because etc. (as above) the king's will is that when the silver money shall be found too strong or too weak by 2 pennyweights in the pound and no more, which shall be called the master's remedy, it shall be delivered as good provided the fault be accidental, but if greater be found (as above), and it is likewise agreed that of every pound of silver the master shall make 4 ounces in groats, 2 ounces in half groats, 3 ounces in sterlings, 2 ounces in mailes and 1 ounce in ferlings, and this shall not be changed etc. (as above). The warden and the king's changer, assayer and controller shall oversee the moneys at all times as to their office pertains, and before every delivery a prise of gold and silver shall cunningly be taken of the whole sum to put in a box whereof the assays at Westminster shall be made, to wit of every ten pounds of gold by weight the value of one gold noble, so that nobles, half nobles and ferlings shall be taken in due proportion, and of every hundred pounds of silver by weight 2s. by tale, whereof groats, half groats, sterlings, mailes and ferlings shall be in due proportion, and the same shall be sealed up in a box with the seals of the warden, assayer and master, and the box shall be locked with three keys whereof one shall remain with the warden, a second with the assayer, and the third with the master, and the box shall be put in a hutch for safe keeping, and opened once every three months before lords of the council chosen for the purpose, in presence of the warden, assayer and master, and assays shall be made of the moneys therein found by fire or by touchstone or by both, to the end that if they be proved good the master shall be quit to that time, and if he will shall have a patent under the great seal, and if they shall be proved too weak in weight, in alloy or in both up to the said remedies and no more the fault shall be recorded, and the master charged to make recompense to the king without delay and without claiming any advantage of the said remedies, saving that in case at any time the moneys be found to exceed the standard, it shall be recorded, and set off against any default, and if the default exceed the said remedies the master shall incur forfeiture of life and goods; and he shall be bound at his peril to set a privy mark on all moneys he has made, so that if need be he may know which are his own work and which are of others. Whereas heretofore he who cut the irons was appointed by the master and at his cost, the king's will is that henceforth he shall be appointed by the council, and sworn truly to do his office in a house in the Tower appointed for the purpose and nowhere else by oversight of the warden, and shall be paid by the warden's hands, and it shall be agreed before the council what he shall take; and in presence of the warden he shall deliver the irons when cut to one appointed by the king to keep the same. The master shall be bound to receive every sort of gold and silver brought to the Tower in presence of the warden and changer according to the value thereof, every parcel according to its quality, and if the master and the merchant may not agree, the king's assayers shall try the truth in presence of the warden and master, and the master shall take it at the value so found, and shall be therewith charged; and the king's will is that two good stones and one pair (part) of true touchstones shall be purveyed to his use to make such assay, and shall remain with the warden and changer, and that the balances and weights shall be corrected from time to time when need be, that no fault be therein found to the hurt of the people; and upon receipt of gold and silver the master shall be bound to give the merchants bills of what they have brought, with the sums they are to receive, so that at the delivery they or their attorneys shall be repaid upon producing such bills; the master shall give delivery upon such bills when required, and a merchant bringing gold and silver to the Tower shall have free ingress and egress without interference of porters or others, and without giving aught to any of them against his will. Delivery shall be made twice a week, or once at least, and after the assay the warden, changer and master shall look at the amounts received and the number of persons to take delivery, so that in case the sum worked be not sufficient to make full payment to all, every one may have part payment, having regard to the time when each brought his gold and silver and when it was molten, and the master shall then be bound when required to shew every merchant his amount; and in case a merchant be absent at any delivery, and have no attorney ready to receive his money for him, the master shall be bound to take the same and safe keep it under the seals of the changer and master until such merchant or his attorney shall come for payment, and shall then deliver it as if he were present at the public delivery. Forasmuch as the warden shall take all the profit pertaining to the king, and shall render account thereof, the master shall not be bound to render any account to the king, but only to the warden, save for damages reckoned against him for defaults found by the assay at Westminster by way of remedies as aforesaid, for which he shall answer to the king: he shall take order that the mint at Calais shall be kept by himself or by a deputy for whom he will answer, according to the articles above rehearsed. The king shall cause proclamation to be made throughout his realm and power, forbidding any man to take out of the realm money or bullion of gold or silver under pain of losing the value thereof and his body at the king's will, save by special licence of the king or a sum for expenses of those passing out of the realm, and that such money shall be of the king's coin, and such quantity as shall be reasonably sufficient for each in his degree; that no man shall bring to England any false or counterfeit money under the pain aforesaid; and that any who may spy people so doing, and will sue for the king in that behalf, shall have a third part of money found to be false, and the king two thirds. The king hereby confirms to the master, ministers and workers of his money the charters of liberties formerly granted to the moneyers.
Membrane 11d.
The master has made oath and hereby gives his bond truly to keep the covenants aforesaid, for his good behaviour in his office toward the king and people, and to recompense the king and all men for the weight of their gold and silver by him received so long as he shall be in office, and for greater security he has found mainpernors before the chancellor, treasurer and others of the council, to wit Thomas Leget, Richard Spencer, John Sutton, John Cary, John Pake, William Walton, William Boton, John Tewkesbury, John Frensshe and Robert Assheby of London in 100l., himself giving a mainprise in 2,000l. to recompense the merchants.
Moreover the king has appointed the said William Rus warden and changer of his exchanges of gold and silver in the city of London, to hold the same in open high places by him and his deputies for whom he will answer as the king shall please, and he shall be bound to receive all manner of gold and silver brought to the same, paying to the bearer the reasonable value subject to a rebate at the rate of 5s. in the pound of gold by the Tower weight for seignorage and coinage, and 15d. for the exchange, and no more, which amounts to 1½d. in the noble; and he shall pay to the king for the exchanges 100 marks a year, bearing all charges, costs and expenses. He shall be bound to pay the people good money of England of such weight and alloy as in the Tower of London is made, by weight or by tale as the receiver shall choose, without delay or difficulty, and if any notable fault be found in money so paid it shall be lawful for the finder before he shall leave the exchange to refuse what is faulty, and the changer shall be bound to pay good money for it without danger or delay. The changer shall be bound to carry to the Tower of London all gold and silver received in the exchanges or bought by virtue of his office, there to be molten and made into money by view and witness of the king's assayer and controller there for the time being, for increase of the coinage, profit of the realm and ease of the people, not being sold, aliened or put to other use on pain of paying double to the king; and he has promised and is bound to have in the exchanges sufficient sums to deliver to the people repairing thither, that they be not delayed for lack of money; and he has promised and given his bond to the king that he will not willingly for his own profit or advantage by reason of the exchanges in the city delay any man who shall bring gold or silver to the Tower to be coined, neither will he on any pretence constrain any man to go to the exchanges, but will give delivery at the Tower as speedily as he is hereby bound to do on pain of paying double to the party aggrieved. The king shall cause proclamation to be made forbidding all his lieges and others save his changers privily or openly to hold any public exchange in the said city, or take any profit for such exchange under the pain and forfeiture contained in the statute of 25 Edward III, of which forfeiture by advice of the council the king's will is that the said William shall have 12d. in the pound when such a case shall happen and when proof and judgment shall be given at his suit. Dated Westminster, 8 September 10 Henry VI. French. By p.s. [2437A. (fn. 1) ]

Footnotes

  • 1. The writ of privy seal is dated 28 September.