in the King's Mint in the Tower of London, pafs current in this Place.

And their Weights and Measures are much the fame as thofe of the other Parts of South-Britain, or London.

They exchange with London at fo much per

Cent.

Of IRELAND, or DUBLIN.

In this Kingdom they keep their Accounts in Pounds, Shillings and Pence; and reckoning 12 Pence to a Shilling, and 20 Shillings to a Pound Irish Money.

The Irish have not the Privilege of Coining Money, as they have in Scotland. The Coins current among them are fome English, fome Spanish, fome French, fome Portuguese, and fome Dutch ones, &c.

Their Weights and Measures are the fame as thofe of London.

The Exchange between London and Dublin runs from 4 to 12 per Cent. and they exchange to most foreign Places by the Way of London.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.
IV. ↑

Of AMERICA and the WEST INDIES.

IN

N all the British Dominions in America and the West Indies they keep their Accounts in Pounds, Shillings and Pence, as they do in London; but in the above Places they call their Money Currency.

And in most of the British Settlements upon the Continent of America, they have very few Coins of any Sorts circulating among them; and what few they have, are chiefly French and Spanish Pieces: So that they are obliged to deal in what they call Paper Money. For Notes of Hand do pass so common among the People of New England, as I have been told, that they are frequently given for fo fmall a Sum as Five Shillings, and fometimes under that Sum: This being what they call their Paper Money; and it being fubject to fo many Casualties, that it caufes a very great Undervalument of their Currency; it being fometimes at 6 or 700 per Cent. Discount for Sterling (or for good Silver or good Gold.) Nay, in Carolina and New England, the faid Currency has fometimes been known to be at above 8 or 900 per Cent. Difcount.

They coin no Money in any of the above British Settlements, but only in New England; and there but only one Piece, which is called the New England Shilling: It is made of good Silver,

and

and is much about the Value of a common English Shilling. This Piece they first coined in Oliver Cromwell's Time; and I have been told, they continue to coin the faid Shilling to this. very Time, and do ftill retain the first Date upon the fame.

I have never seen one of these Shillings, but I am told, that on one Side is a Palm-branch and a Laurel united together like a Tree; and on the Reverse Side is St. George's Cross in a Shield, conjoined to another Shield, within which is an Harp for Ireland, vulgarly called a Pair of Breeches.

In all the English Islands in the Weft Indies, they have fo great a Plenty of foreign Coins, that their Currency is fometimes at no greater Difcount than 25 per Cent, and seldom more than at 50 per Cent.

Their Weights and Measures in all the aforefaid Colonies and Plantations are the fame as those of London, differing only in their Kintals, or Hundred Weight; their Hundred being only 100 lb Avoidupois, and that of London is 112 Avoirdupois.

SECT. I.

T HE following Table fhews at what Value the faid foreign Coins are to pass in the English Colonies and Plantations on the Iflands in America, called the Weft Indies; according to an Act of Parliament, made in the 6th Year of Queen Anne, for afcertaining their Value.

Pieces of (old Plate) of Sevil 17 12 4

Ditto of new
Mexico ditto

Piller ditto

66

5 5 10 23 45 10 1 67 4

75

26 10 31 660

Peru ditto (old Plate)
Crofs Dollars

Ducatoons of Flanders

French Crowns or Ecus

Crufadoes of Portugal

Old Rix-dollars of the Empire 18 10 4

The half Quarters, and other Parts in Proportion to their Denominations; and light Pieces in Proportion to their Weights.

And to remedy the Inconveniencies, which were caused by the different Rates at which Pieces of the fame Species were current, it was ordered by Proclamation, and confirmed by the said Act of Parliament, that, after the First of January 1704, no Piller, Mexico, or Sevil Pieces of Eight, though of full Weight as above, fhall be received or paid at above Six Shillings a-piece; and the Half, Quarters, and the other leffer Pieces in Propor

tion.

And the Currency of all the other Pieces above-mentioned are not to exceed the fame Proportion.

And the faid Act enjoins, That if any one fhall receive or pay any of the faid Pieces for any more than as above, they fhall forfeit Ten Pounds.

As

As I faid before, they keep their Accounts throughout all the English Settlements in America in Pounds, Shillings, Pence and Farthings, the fame as they do in London; but their Pounds, Shillings and Pence, which they keep their Books in, is what is called Currency; and the Difference between the Pounds, Shillings and Pence of London and their Currency, is between 20 and 800 per Cent. They do often draw upon London. If it be from any of the Islands of the Weft Indies, they give from 125 to 170 Pounds of their Currency, to receive 100l. in London: But if it be' from New England, Carolina, cr on the Continent, they give from 170l. to 800l. and upwards of their Currency for 100l. in London, by reafon, as it is faid before, that Gold and Silver is fo very fcarce among them.

W

SE C T. II.

A Weft India Table, fhewing

HEN any Sum is advanced upon an Ounce of Sterling Silver, upon 5 Shillings for an Ounce; or when any Sum is advanced over 41. for an Ounce of Standard Gold; this Table fhews how much the faid advanced Money amounts to per Cent. from 50l. advanced upon 47. an Ounce of Standard Gold, to the Part of a Penny; and upon Silver, from 27. advanced upon 5 Shillings for an Ounce, to the Part of a Penny.

The