Further Considerations [28]
Mens properties, disorders Trade, Puzzels Accounts, and needs a new Arithmetick to cast up Reckonings, and keep Accounts in; besides a thousand other Inconveniences; not to mention the Charge ofrecoining the Money. For this may be depended on, that if our Money be raised, as is proposed, it will inforce the recoining of all our Money, both old and new (except the new Shillings) to avoid the terrible Difficulty and Confusion there will be in keeping Accounts in Pounds, Shillings, and Pence (as they must be) when the Species of our Money are so ordered, as not to answer those Denominations in round Numbers. This Consideration leads me to Mr. Lowndes's fifth and sixth Reasons, p. 85. wherein he recommends the raising our Money in the Proportion proposed, for its Convenience, to our Accounting by Pounds, Shillings, and Pence. And for obviating Perplexity among the common People, he proposes the present weighty Crown to go at six Shillings three Pence; and the new Scepter or Unite to be Coin'd of the same Weight to go at the same rate; and Half-crowns, Half-scepters, or Half-Unites, of the Weight of the present Half-crown, to go for three Shillings one Penny Half-penny: By no number of which pieces can there be made an even Pound Sterling, or any Number of even Shillings under a Pound; but they always fall into Fractions of Pounds and Shillings, as may be seen by this following Table.
? s. d.
1 Half-Crown, Half-Scepter, or Half-unite piece 3 1 1/2 1 Crown, Scepter or Unite Piece 6 3 3 Half-Crown pieces 9 4 1/2 2 Crown pieces 12 6 5 Half-Crown pieces 15 7 1/2 3 Crown pieces 18 9 7 Half-Crown pieces 1 1 10 1/2 4 Crown pieces 1 5
The present Shilling, and new Testoon going for 15 Pence, no Number of them make any Number of even Shillings, but five Shillings, ten Shillings, fifteen Shillings, and twenty Shillings; but in all the rest, they always fall into Fractions. The like may be said of the present Six-pences, and future half Testoons going for seven Pence Half-penny; the quarter Testoons, which are to go for three Pence three Farthings; and the Gross and Groats, which are to go for five Pence; the half Gross or Groat, which is to go for two Pence Half-penny; and the Prime, which is to go for a Penny Farthing: Out of any Tale of each of which Species there can no just Number of Shillings be made, as I think, but five Shillings, ten Shillings, fifteen Shillings, and twenty Shillings; but they always fall into Fractions. The new intended Shilling alone seems to be suited to our accounting in Pounds, Shillings and Pence. The great Pieces, as Scepters, and Half Scepters, which are made to serve for the Payment of greater Sums, and are for Dispatch in Tale, will not in Tale fall into even Pounds. And I fear it will puzzle a better Arithmetician, than most Country-men are, to tell, without Pen and Ink, how many of the lesser pieces (except the Shillings) however combined, will make just sixteen or seventeen Shillings. And I imagine there is not one Country-man of three, but may have it for his Pains, if he can tell an Hundred Pounds made up of a promiscuous Mixture of the Species of this new raised Money (excluding the Shillings) in a days time. And that which will help to confound him, and every body else, will be the old Crowns, Half-crowns, Shillings, and Six-pences current for new numbers of Pence. So that I take it for granted, that if our Coin be raised, as is proposed, not only all our clip'd, but all our weighty and mill'd Money must of necessity be recoin'd too; if you would not have Trade disturbed, and People more diseased with new Money, which they cannot tell, nor keep Accounts in, than with light and clip'd Money, which they are cheated with. And what a Charge the new Coining of
? s. d.
1 Half-Crown, Half-Scepter, or Half-unite piece 3 1 1/2 1 Crown, Scepter or Unite Piece 6 3 3 Half-Crown pieces 9 4 1/2 2 Crown pieces 12 6 5 Half-Crown pieces 15 7 1/2 3 Crown pieces 18 9 7 Half-Crown pieces 1 1 10 1/2 4 Crown pieces 1 5
The present Shilling, and new Testoon going for 15 Pence, no Number of them make any Number of even Shillings, but five Shillings, ten Shillings, fifteen Shillings, and twenty Shillings; but in all the rest, they always fall into Fractions. The like may be said of the present Six-pences, and future half Testoons going for seven Pence Half-penny; the quarter Testoons, which are to go for three Pence three Farthings; and the Gross and Groats, which are to go for five Pence; the half Gross or Groat, which is to go for two Pence Half-penny; and the Prime, which is to go for a Penny Farthing: Out of any Tale of each of which Species there can no just Number of Shillings be made, as I think, but five Shillings, ten Shillings, fifteen Shillings, and twenty Shillings; but they always fall into Fractions. The new intended Shilling alone seems to be suited to our accounting in Pounds, Shillings and Pence. The great Pieces, as Scepters, and Half Scepters, which are made to serve for the Payment of greater Sums, and are for Dispatch in Tale, will not in Tale fall into even Pounds. And I fear it will puzzle a better Arithmetician, than most Country-men are, to tell, without Pen and Ink, how many of the lesser pieces (except the Shillings) however combined, will make just sixteen or seventeen Shillings. And I imagine there is not one Country-man of three, but may have it for his Pains, if he can tell an Hundred Pounds made up of a promiscuous Mixture of the Species of this new raised Money (excluding the Shillings) in a days time. And that which will help to confound him, and every body else, will be the old Crowns, Half-crowns, Shillings, and Six-pences current for new numbers of Pence. So that I take it for granted, that if our Coin be raised, as is proposed, not only all our clip'd, but all our weighty and mill'd Money must of necessity be recoin'd too; if you would not have Trade disturbed, and People more diseased with new Money, which they cannot tell, nor keep Accounts in, than with light and clip'd Money, which they are cheated with. And what a Charge the new Coining of