This second letter, dealing with the same matter, is also worthy of note:—
We have great occasion for his majesty's use to procure as much hamered or forged copper and brass as your parts can afford, and judging by the decay of trade and desolation of the country, that there may bee a great deale in your district or port, we desire you, by yourself and officers, to inform us presently what quantity you may bee able to furnish us with, and what the currant prices are of each. And whatever you can gett, buy at the best rates you can, and as soon as you have four or five hundred weight pray send it to us the commissioners of his majesty's mint, at the mint-house in Capel-street, Dublin, and what you pay shall bee allowed you in your accounts at the custom house, so doing you'll oblige,
A third letter, which we give below, was written by one of the King's emissaries who, with other trusty servants, was sent out to scour the country for further supplies of metal suitable for coining into gun-money.
Sir,
Last Tuesday, the carriages parted from hence with six thousand six hundred weight of gunn mettle, six hundred a quarter and two pounds of fine pewter, and a thousand weight of steele, they will be eleven or twelve days a goeing because the roads are very deep—The pewter cost ten pence per pound, and steele six pence. You may expect very soone a farther supply of mettle for I have made an agreement with two eminent dealers from Corke who have five or six thousand weight of copper and brass which they are to send here. I must have an order from the lords of the treasury, for sending it to your mint: there are foure or five broken bells in the country, which I can have if you send an order for seizing them for the king's use: there is an useless cannon at Gallway, and one or two at Kingsaile: I forgot to send you some of our coyne as you desired, by the next occasion I will not faile. I cannot buy fine pewter now under eleven or twelve pence the pound, for they say that you give fourteen or fifteen pence in Dublin, the rates for carriage from hence to Dublin is eight shillings the hundred weight.
I rest your humble servant,
Wat Plunkett.
To John Trindar Esq."
Summing up James's treatment of the coinage in Ireland, Dr. Nelson says: "Such a debasement of a country's coinage as we have seen above must ever be regarded as a sign of national weakness: also, from the sense of insecurity so engendered, it must inevitably bring disaster in its train, and such a fate overtook the cause of James alike in Ireland and in England. It was doubtless the intention of King James to redeem his gun-money coins, month by month, as opportunity permitted. Circumstances, however, decreed otherwise, as after the Battle of the Boyne he departed for France and was compelled to leave his adherents to their fate."[29]
[29] Dr. Nelson, "The Coinage of Ireland in Copper, Tin, and Pewter," p. 24.
With the advent of William and Mary, the gun-money of James was re-valued at rates which were practically ruinous to those who held any but small quantities of it. The proclamation ran as follows:—
"Having taken into our consideration the great oppressions and abuses committed by our enemies in this our kingdom of Ireland, by coyning and making currant brass money of copper or mixt metal, and raising the value thereof to an extravagant height, thereby to enable them to continue the war against us, and to impoverish our loving subjects in our said kingdom: We have therefore thought it necessary to put stop thereto, and to the end that such part of the said copper or mix't metal money, which remains in the hands of our said subjects, may not be wholly lost, we have thought fit to reduce the former value of the said copper money, to the value or standard of the like copper money formerly currant in this our kingdom, and accordingly we do hereby will and require all our subjects, within our said kingdom of Ireland, to take and receive all such copper or mix't metal money, lately coined in the mint erected in our city of Dublin, at the several and respective valuations following, and that the same do pass currant in exchange of money, and for all manner of goods and provisions whatsoever, and shall be received by all the officers and collectors of our customs, excise, or other branches of our revenue accordingly, viz.
"The large half-crown of copper money, together with the crown pieces, of like metal and weight, lately stamp'd shall pass at one penny sterling.
"The small half-crown of copper, lately stamp'd shall pass at three farthings.
"The large copper shilling shall pass at a half-penny sterling.
"The small shilling, lately stamped, and sixpence, shall pass each at one farthing.
"And our will and pleasure is, that all such pewter pence, as have been lately coyned in the said mint, shall pass for half-pence, and all the half-pence of the like metal, stamped in the said mint, shall pass currant for farthings.
"Which several sorts of coyn shall be deemed as currant money at the rates before mentioned, in all payments whatsoever within this our kingdom. Given at our camp by Dublin, this tenth day of July, 1690, in the second year of our reign."