| Description | (Press-copy of an original signed for Matthew Boulton.) Concerning the problems of base and forged copper coinage in Dumfries.
‘The Intention of Government in directing me to undertake the new Copper Coinage was to strike at the Root of a Trade disgraceful to the Country & carried on to an extent that was become very alarming to the fair Trader with whom it was evident a great Loss wou’d ultimately settle at… As the most likely means of accomplishing the End in view Government determined to give the Public Copper Coin possessing nearly the same intrinsic as nominal Value & in planning the Penny & Two Penny Piece Coinage it was found that on this Principle one Ounce of coined Copper cou’d be deliverd out to the Public for one Penny; but when the Halfpenny and Farthing Coinage was in contemplation Copper [was] so materially advanced in Price that it became necessarily a Matter of Consideration either to reduce the Weight of the intended Money in proportion to the Advance of Copper or to abandon the projected Coinage altogether; but the Sense of the Public on this Head had been manifestly display’d in the Instance of the Penny Pieces; & was found to be most strongly in favour of an extensive Govt Coinage & it appearing very evident that all the Benefit the Country had derived from the Undertaking would be of no avail unless there were issued immediately a more competent Supply it was therefore resolved by Government to order a Coinage of Halfpence & Farthings of such a Weight as should bear some Proportion to the great Advance in Copper, but still adhering to the Principle of giving the Public as nearly as possible the same Value intrinsically as nominally & it was consequently determined to coin 36 Halfpence of the avoirdupois & 72 Farthings of the avoirdupois which at the present Price of Copper leaves as little Temptation to the Counterfeiter as in the preceding Coinage (& taking also the Construction of the Money into Consideration, far less) & there is little Doubt but the Penny & Two Penny Pieces will soon go to Pot, if Copper shou’d continue to advance progressively a few Months longer…
In reply to your Enqiry respecting Geo: the 2nd Halfpence, I should suppose that none of the old legitimate Mint Halfpence cou’d with any Propriety be refused – this Coinage was not meant to supplant but to reinforce all of that Description.
The 2 Casks of Halfpence you desire to have forwarded to meet your Sloop at Liverpool were sent from hence on the 26th inst…. ’
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