The Royal Society and the Royal Mint

Abstract

THE 17th century Royal Mint was like a federated State consisting of I autonomous departments. The Master had by far the largest province and was the highest paid; from Neale onwards he was much the highest paid of the officials. Despite this he could not give an order to the Warden, who ranked above him in dignity, nor to the Comptroller, nor they to him. Each could act entirely by deputy and after different dates did so. Moreover, the Master was bound to sub-contract all coining operations, except melting, to the Moneyers, a self-recruited and self-governing body; melting was subcontracted to outsiders or in the 18th and 19th centuries to one of the Master’s clerks. The Melter as such, the Moneyers, the Assayers, the Engravers and some other staff were autonomous.