| Description | There are three surviving Bill Books, in which are recorded the details of bills of exchange drawn by, or in favour of, the Mint. They do not form a continuous series, and the second volume contains only details of bills receivable.
The second volume (1810-1818) is stamped "Receivable" on the front cover (the spine has come off). The entries are recorded in eleven columns, headed as follows: No.; When received; From whom; By whom drawn and where; On whom drawn and where; Date; To whom payable; Time; Due; Sum; When and how disposed of. The bills are entered in the order of their receipt. The book was kept by James Pearson until 26 Jun. 1815 and thereafter by William D. Brown.
The third volume (1820-1838) is entitled (on the spine) "M. R. Boulton. Mint and Coinage Bill Book." At the front are recorded Bills Payable; at the back Bills Receivable. The entries for Bills Payable are made in nine columns, the first eight of which are headed as follows: No.; When advised; On whom drawn; To whom payable; Date; Time; Due; Sum. In the right hand margin is noted what seems to be the name of the corresponding Ledger account—Personal, Rolling Mill, Private House, Coinage, and so on. The bills are entered in order of their dates. In the case of bills payable on demand no due date is recorded; otherwise, the due date is obtained by adding the "time" of a bill to its date, with the addition of three days’ grace. The bills dated before 30 Jun. 1832 were drawn on the firm of M. R. Boulton, J. Watt, & Co. (occasionally "per Matthie & Son"). After that date bills were drawn on the Cashiers of the Bank of England, in account with M. R. Boulton and J. Watt, and the heading of the second column was altered to "When paid away." The entries for Bills Receivable are made in eleven columns, headed as in the 1810-1818 volume. In a narrow margin on the right hand side is occasionally recorded what seems to be the name of the corresponding Ledger account. The bills received before 30 Jun. 1832, were disposed of by remittance to M. R. Boulton, J. Watt, & Co., or occasionally they were sent to M. R. Boulton at Tew to be forwarded by him to London. After the date mentioned they were remitted to the Cashiers of the Bank of England, in account with M. R. Boulton and J. Watt. |