THe Queenes Maiestie vnderstandeth, that now of late since the base and copper moneys of this Realme haue (to the greate honour of the same) bene altered into fine syluer moneys, by reason that a great parte of the sayde base moneys were rated at sundry small values, and that the greateste quantitie of the fine syluer mo­neys nowe lately coyned, hath ben in greate peeces of shyllinges, and but a small quantitie in grotes & pence, or halfpence, in respecte of haste and expedicion to auoyde the base moneys: There is rysen great anoyaunce amongst the poorer sort of her subiectes, for lacke of small moneys of fine syluer. Wherevpon her Maiestie hauyng a perpetuall care from tyme to tyme, and from one degree to another, to releeue the common hurtes or griefes of her subiectes, as they maye be perceiued: hath presently ordered, that in her Myntes no more peeces of shyllynges shoulde be coyned, but that besyde the peeces of grotes, halfgrotes, and pence, there shalbe im­mediatly coyned in fine sterlyng moneys, halfe shyllynges of six pence, quarter shyl­lynges of three pence the peece, and a halfe peece thereof called three halfpence. And because a halfpeny cannot be made of such finenesse to beare any conuenient bulke, an other small peece shall also be coyned of three farthynges. All whiche peeces her Maiestie assureth her subiectes shalbe of meere fine starling syluer. And whatsoeuer may be reported to the contrary (as percase hath ben, though most falsly and slaunde­rously of the money already coined, as of late hath ben notoriously proued:) Her Ma­iestie letteth them all to vnderstande, that she neuer entendeth (Gods grace assistyng her) to leese the fruicte of so famous an acte, by abasyng of the coyne of this Realme, which she founde to be for the more parte copper, and hath nowe recouered it to be as fine, or rather finer sterlyng syluer, then euer it was in this Realme by the space of these two hundred yeres and more, a matter worth markyng and memory.

And further, her Maiestie vnderstandyng what quantities of forrayne coynes of golde and siluer be here in this Realme receiued of the subiectes vpon farre great­ter values then they be worth, and that nor value certeine can be sette vpon them, by reason the forrayne standardes of those moneys be so commonly chaunged for gaine, and so easely counterfayted: By which meanes the subiectes receyuyng the same, be dayly greater losers then they commonly can vnderstande, eyther in delyueryng mo­ney or wares for the same: Hath thought meete strayghtly to commaunde & charge her subiectes, that from henceforth they nether pay nor receiue any maner of coynes forrayne of golde or syluer, as, and in the name of currant money, sauyng only the Frenche crowne, and the Flemyshe or Burgondion crowne: the Printes wherof are (for better knowledge) in the margent of this Proclamacion playnely sette foorth, to be currant at the values lately limitted in a former Proclamacion, dated in Octo­ber the second yere of her Maiesties raigne. But whosoeuer by any meanes shall haue any maner forrayne coynes of golde or syluer: the same shal from tyme to time haue at the towre of London, fully as muche money in golde or syluer of the fine coynes of this Realme, as the same shall holde in golde or syluer.

[Page] [...], that of late a forreyne peece of golde printed lyke [...] into this Realme, and is payde for ten shyllynges of [...]. And for demonstracion of the errour that may be [...] betwixt the Aungell of England, and that other: the [...] of both be also in this margent. By example whereof it is to be seene what greate losse hath and myght come to this Realme by common allowaunce of suche forrayne moneys in paymetes. Of these thynges her Maiestie hath thoughte meete to warne all her subiectes, leaste by greedinesse and errour, they entre into greater losse then they woulde or ought to do.

Yeuen at her Maiesties Manour of Saint Iames the .xv. of Nouember, the thirde yere of her Maiesties moste prosperous raigne.