Treatise on the Royal Mint by Sir Richard Martin

Contemporary copy of a treatise, 1603, by Sir Richard Martin, Master of the Royal Mint, on matters relating to the Royal Mint and solutions to the problems of coinage at the beginning of the reign of King James I. With a dedicatory epistle to King James I. Martin's Indentures for the coining of new monies, which are largely quoted in this treatise, were renewed by James I on 21 May 1603.

The English Royal Mint was responsible for the making of coins according to exact compositions, weights, dimensions and tolerances, usually determined by law. During this period English minting was run from the Royal Mint in London by the Master and Warden of the Mint.
Richard Martin (1534-1617) was the official goldsmith to Queen Elizabeth I. He was Warden, 1560-1595, and Master of the Royal Mint, [1581-1617]. Martin was also Lord Mayor of London in 1581, 1589 and 1594.

Single item.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Part of the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature, initially collected by Herbert Somerton Foxwell and presented by the Goldsmith's Company to the University of London in 1903.

Collection level description.

Manuscript quarto. Bound in vellum.

Compiled by Sarah Smith as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

The British Library, London, holds miscellaneous manuscripts relating to the Royal Mint (Ref: Harleian MSS); Cambridge University Library has a treatise on the reorganisation of the Royal Mint, 1603 (Ref: Add 9300).

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

The eighteenth century binding of the manuscript is stamped with the badge of the Earls of Northumberland, and contains the bookplate of Rogers Ruding (d 1820). It formed part of the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (1792-1872) as MS 9523.

University of London Manuscripts relating to the Royal Mint and coinage include MSS 14, 21, 51, 62, 72, 100, 102, 108, 151, 152 and 499.