And indeed if Money were not allowed to be a commodity, yet ’tis a Pledge and Surety of every Traders Property, and I am not reconciled to the Justice of that Law which forbids a man to take his Pledge along with him.
Such a Law makes money nothing but a Commodity, and then we must pay dear for what we buy of Foreigners, for most men will sell Cheaper than they will Barter.
This Article needs I think no more illustration, if it doth the Merchants can tell more of it than I, and I hope they will grant me this Conclusion.
That if our English Money will pass in any other Country for as much as it doth here, ’tis impracticable to hinder the Exportation of it.
CHAP. VI.
Of melting down the current Coyn of England by our Goldsmiths and other Artificers.
Another great grievance of the Nation in the matters of Coyn may be thought the melting of it down.
This hath been a vile and great practice for many Years.
The Criminals have been under two temptations:
1. The inequality of the Mint in all the hammered money; some milled Pieces were of more Intrinsick than Extrinsick Value, and some of less, so that in culling out of the bigest, they made an evident advantage.
But that sort of money being almost all gone and never like to be coyned again, I shall altogether wave the consideration of it.