Series 4 > Scottish industrial history

HENRY KALMETEr’s TRAVELS IN SCOTLAND 13
Scottland hath yet its own Minthouse at Edenburgh, but they have
not coined much money since the Union,1 only that the[y] re¬
coined all the Scotts money, tho’ they may do it if they have silver;
but they get the money from England and loose all the Scotts
money, also the advantages a country may have from coining,
which besides that is a sign of a nation’s independance of an other.
The Government maintains yet all the people (or servants) necessary
for the mint, as the Governor, who is My Lord Laderdeal, a Master
Guardian, etc., whose wages altogether is 1,200 pd. st. whereof 100
go to the reparation of the Minthouse where these people live.
The Weights in Scottland are as follows.
In any course (not fine) goods:
16 onces go to one pound.
2000 pound make a tonne
16 pound make a stone.
But in gold and silver and bread and corn they make use of the Troysh
weight, whereof:
12 Onces go to one pound
20 pennyweight make one once.
24 grains make a pennyweight, which makes 480 grains an once.
16 drops make likewise an once, and 30 grains a drop, which also
makes 480 grain, and consequently 5,760 grains make a
pound.
17 stones and 2 pound or 274 pound make a Svedish Schippond,
or as some say, 17 stones and 4 pound.
n.b. They have in Scottland 2 sorts of weights in course goods;
the Throne weight, whereof they make use for weighing butter,
woolle, etc. and hath 20 pound weight per stone. Th’other is the
Amsterdamer weight, 1/5 part less, or 16 pound per stone, whereof
I have spoken next before. Use is made of this weight in goods
going out, as the lead oar, etc.
The Scotts yard is part longer than the Dutch, and since the Union
equal with the English.
In counting or measuring the time they use the Old Style, which
likewise is here observed, beginning the year with the first of
January.
1 No money was struck at the Edinburgh mint after the reign of Queen Anne. See
Ian H. Stewart, The Scottish Coinage (London, 1955), pp. 120-2.