| Description | (Press-copy. Marked A.)
My dear Friend,
I intended writeing my Christmass compliments to you and all my friends and favourites at Knill by Mr. Capper, but I found it out of my power. Indeed, I know not any body that hath so little command of an hour as my self, even for private devotions. I have been much engaged for nine days past in disputes with a strange litigeous fellow of Portugal House, also in Westwood's, Roe's, and Hurd's affairs, all which have terminated in my own favour, to which let me add four or five dinners which take place annualy at this season at Soho. I know not anything particular that hath occur'd since your departure. Our police business goes on well. Mr. Watt was named the other morning upon a Committee, which was attacked by Jo. Grove, saying he saw Mr. Watt wink at the chairman (Russell) not to put him on, which Mr. Watt disclaim'd and declin'd upon his honor that he neither winked or thought upon J. G., but desired his name to be withdrawn as he could not act in any Committee with such a man. It was then put to the vote which name should remain and the company were unanimous that Mr. Watt should be name.
As I have not particular news or business to write upon, I will write you a short chapter upon the arts of coining:
In regard to money, particularly that species of it call'd coin, in the early ages of the present world, bars of iron and copper were prepar'd to pass as money. Afterwards smaller pieces were laminated by the hammer and certain sprigs or other marks struck upon them with a hammer and punch, and this was the sort of money that was coin'd by the Kings of Israel, Judea, Syria, and Egypt, some specimens of which are said to be in the cabinets of antiquerians. From Egypt this state of the art was transplanted to Greece, where they continued to use the hammer and punch, to which they added a die fixed in a bolster or coller, and by this means struck impressions on both sides. They also made better moddells, and some of them so high in relief that they were obliged to cast the hind or other impression upon them. This state of the art was afterwards transplanted to Rome, and many medals were made of the emperors by casting the impressions and afterwards struck in dies. The Galls next and the English afterwards, when I believe the first coin was made in the reign of Henry the 1st-but am not sure, as I write only from memory-and this money was executed by artist from Florence. But still it was continued to be struck by the hammer and punch, and it doth not appear that any improvment had been made in the art of coining for above 2000 years untill within these 200 years, when the coining press was invented by one Nicolas Brio (or some such name, a French men), but he ruin'd himself in France by that and other inventions that arose out of it. He afterwards came to England, where his inventions were adopted, and thus English money was the first money that was ever struck by the screw press.
Hence follow the improvment by rolleing the metal, which was cut out by a hollow punch and a hand hammer. The cutting-out press of very late date.
The next improvment of any consequence was by Blondau, who in the year 1762 introduced the art of milling the edges in order to prevent cliping.
The next was made by Mr. Droz, a Swiss engraver, who contriv'd tools to strike an inscription on the dye at the same blow that strikes the observe and reverse, and thereby the pieces become perfectly round and of equal diameter, which is not the present case with English guineas or any other current money in Europe, and the ground of money struck by his means is of a smoother and brighter pollish than it can be by the common mode.
I saw his first experiment at Paris and recommended him and his improvments to Mr. Collins the then minister, but all his improvments were rejected by the officers of the Mint as being too tedious and too difficult for current use in a great national mint, but at the same time I conceiv'd the means of obviating all their objections and even striking faster than by any of the common methods.
At my return to England I communicated my observations to Mr. Pitt, who ardently wished that some means could be adopted to put an end to counterfeit half pence. Hence my zeal was kindled to oblige a great minister, to prevent executions, and to be the author of so great a publick good. But I now perceive my zeal was greater than my prudence, for I have expended a great many thousand pounds in prepareing for the proposed copper coinage, and more than two years close attention in the inventing, executing, and compleating an apparatus which will not only put an end to the counterfeiting of coin and render counterfeiting more difficult and more easy of detection, as well as being much more oeconomical in the fabrication and so expeditious as to be of great importance to the country in case of any general new coinage, and at all times will spare much time and consquently much interest of money.
I presume you will allow, first, that the expences of coining should be the least possible; second, that it should be the best possible, and that it should be made by such as can neither be made or purchased by that class of men who have employ'd themselves in counterfeiting.
Time will not allow me to read what I have wrote, and therefore I must conclude . . . remaining ever, my dear friend, yours affectionately,
Mattw. Boulton
[Edited transcript.]
Copy letter. Matthew Boulton (Soho) to Erasmus Darwin (-). 14 Jan. 1790. (2 pcs.)
(Press-copy. Marked B. Incomplete.) |