An Act for Ascertaining the Rates of Forein Coins in Her Majesty's Plantations in America.

WHEREAS for Remedying the Inconveniences which had arisen from the different Rates at which the same Species of Forein Silver Coins did Pass in Her Majesties several Colonies and Plantations in America,Preamble. Her Most Excellent Majesty has thought fit by Her Royal Proclamation, bearing Date the Eighteenth Day of June, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Four, and in the Third Year of Her Reign, to Settle and Ascertain the Currency of Forein Coins in Her said Colonies and Plantations, in the Manner and Words following.

We having had under Our Consideration the different Rates at which the same Species of Forein Coins do pass in Our several Colonies,Forein Coin passing in He [...] Majesty's Plantations in America. and Plantations in America, and the Inconveniences thereof, by the indirect Practice of Drawing the Money from one Plantation to another; to the great prejudice of the Trade of our Subjects: And being sensible, That the same cannot be otherwise Remedied, than by Reducing of all Forein Coins to the same Current Rate within all Our Dominions in America: And the principal Officers of Our Mint having laid before Us a Table of the Value of the several Forein Coins which usually pass in Payments in Our said Plantations, according to their Weight; and the Assays made of them in Our Mint, thereby shewing the just Proportion which each Coin ought to have to the other.

[Page 2] Which is as followeth, Viz.

Sevill Pieces of Eight, Old Plate, Seventeen-peny Weight Twelve Grains,The several sorts of Fo­rein Coins Stated Four Shillings and Six-pence; Sevill Pieces of Eight, New Plate, Fourteen-peny Weight, Three Shillings Seven-pence One-farthing; Mexico Pieces of Eight, Seventeen-peny Weight Twelve Grains, Four Shillings and Six-pence; Pillar Pieces of Eight, Seventeen-peny Weight Twelve Grains, Four Shillings and Six-pence Three-farthings; Peru Pieces of Eight, Old Plate, Seventeen-peny Weight Twelve Grains, Four Shillings and Five-pence, or thereabouts; Cross Dollars, Eighteen-peny Weight, Four Shillings and Four-pence Three-farthings; Ducatoons of Flanders, Twenty-peny Weight and Twenty One Grains, Five Shillings and Six-pence; Ecu's of France, or Silver Lewis, Seventeen-peny Weight Twelve Grains, Four Shillings and Six-pence; Crusadoes of Portugal, Eleven-peny Weight Four Grains, Two Shillings and Ten-pence One-farthing; Three Gilder Pieces of Holland, Twenty-peny Weight and Seven Grains, Five Shillings and Two-pence One Farthing; Old Rix Dollars of the Empire, Eighteen-peny Weight and Ten Grains, Four Shillings and Six-pence: The Halfs, Quarters, and other Parts in proportion to their Denominations; and Light Pieces in proportion to their Weight.

Time Affixed to the Colonies as Plan­tations how to Receive or Pay said Fo­rein Coins. We have therefore thought fit for Remedying the said Inconve­niences, by the Advice of Our Council, to Publish and Declare, That from, and after the First Day of January next Ensuing the Date hereof, no Sevill, Pillar, or Mexico Pieces of Eight, though of the full Weight of Seventeen-peny Weight, and an Half, shall be Accounted, Re­ceived, Taken, or Paid within any of Our said Colonies, or Planta­tions; as well those under Proprietors, and Charters as under Our Immediate Commission, and Government at above the Rate of Six Shillings per Piece, Current Money, for the Discharge of any Con­tracts, or Bargains to be made after the said First Day of January next; the Halfs, Quarters, and other lesser Pieces of the Coins, to be Accounted, Received, Taken, or Paid in the same Proportion.

And the Currency of all Pieces of Eight of Peru, Dollars, and other Forein Species of Silver Coin,To be Regu­lated accord­ing to their Fineness and Weight. whether of the same, or baser Alloy, shall, after the said First Day of January next, stand Regu­lated according to their Weight, and Fineness according, and in proportion to the Rate before Limited, and Set for the Pieces of Eight of Sevill, Pillar and Mexico; So that no Forein Silver Coin of any sort be permitted to exceed the same proportion upon any ac­count whatsoever.

And We do hereby Require and Command all Our Governours, Lieutenant-Governours,A Command to Governors &c. Magistrates, Officers, and all other Our good Subjects, within Our said Colonies and Plantations to Observe and Obey Our Directions herein, as they Tender Our Displeasure.

And whereas notwithstanding the said Proclamation, the same indirect Practices as are therein mentioned, are still Carried on with some of the said Colonies or Plantations, and the Money thereby drawn from one Plantation to another, in Prejudice of the Trade of Her Majesty's Subjects: wherefore for the better Inforcing the due Execution of Her Majesty's said Proclamation throughout all the said Colonies and Plan­tations; and for the more Effectual Remedying the said Inconveniences there­by intended to be Remedied.

[Page 3] Be it Enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice, and Consent of the Lords Spiritual, and Temporal, and Commons, in this Present Parliament Assembled, Penalty for accounting, receiving, ta­king or pay­ing any of the several Spe­cies of Fo­rein Silver Coins herein mentioned, at any great­er or higher Rate after the First of May, 1709. and by the Authority of the same, That if any Person within any of the said Colonies, or Plantations, as well those under Proprietors, and Charters, as under Her Majesty's immediate Commission, and Go­vernment, shall after the First Day of May, which shall be in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred, and Nine, for the Discharge of any Contracts or Bargains to be thereafter made, Account, Receive, Take, or Pay, any of the several Species of Forein Silver Coins mentioned in the before-recited Proclamation, at any greater or higher Rate than at which the same is thereby Regulated, Setled, and Allowed, to be Accounted, Received, Taken, or Paid, every such Person so Accounting, Receiving, Taking, or Paying the same contrary to the Directions therein contained, shall suffer Six Months Imprisonment, without Bail or Mainprize: Any Law, Custom, or Usage in any of the said Colonies, or Plantations to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding: And shall like­wise forfeit the Sum of Ten Pounds for every such Offence; One moiety thereof to Her Majesty, Her Heirs, and Successors; the other moiety to such Person or Persons as shall Sue for the same, to be Recovered with full Costs of Suit, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any of Her Majesty's Courts of Justice within any of the said Plantations, or in any of the Courts of Justice of the Charter, or Proprietary Governments where such Offence shall be committed.

Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby Declared, That nothing in the before recited Proclamation, or in this Act contained,Proviso. shall Extend, or be Construed to Compel any Person to Receive any of the said Species of Forein Silver Coins, at the Respective Rates in the said Proclamation mentioned.

Provided also, and it is hereby further Declared, That nothing in this Act contained, shall Extend, or be Construed to Restrain Her Majesty from Regulating, and Setling the several Rates of the said Species of Forein Silver Coins within any of the said Colonies, or Plantations, in such other Manner,Provided also. and according to such other Rates, and Proportions as Her Majesty by Her Royal Poclamation for that purpose to be Issued, shall from time to time judge proper, and necessary; Or from giving Her Royal Assent to any Law hereafter to be made in any of the said Colonies, or Plan­tations, for the Setling, and Ascertaining the current Rates of such Coins within the said Colonies, or Plantations; but that such further Regulations may be made, and such Assent given, in as full, and ample manner, to all intents, and purposes as the same might have been done in case this Act had not been made, and no otherwise; Any thing herein before contained to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding.