AN INSTRUMENT OR MACHINE FOR WEIGHING THE COIN OF THIS KINGDOM, AND ALSO FOR ASCERTAINING WHETHER THE SAID COIN IS COUNTERFEITED, OR ANY BASE METAL MIXED THEREWITH
Year: 1774

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, SOLOMON
HENRY, of Swithin's Lane, London, Merchant, sends greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain; bearing date the
Twelfth day of September, in the fourteenth year of His said Majesty's
reign, did give and grant unto the said. Solomon Henry, his executors,
admňors, and assigns, his or their deputy or deputies, servant and servants; and
Buch others as the said Solomon Henry, his executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, full power; sole privi-
ledge and authority, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, to use; exercise, and vend; within that part of Great
Britain called England, and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, his Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT OR MACHINE FOR WEIGHING THE
COIN OF THIS KINGDOM, AND ALSO FOR ASCERTAINING WHETHER THE SAID COIN IS
COUNTERFEITED, OR ANY BASE METAL MIXED THEREWITH," which he presumed
would be of great use and service to the public in general, in such manner
as to him, the said Solomon Henry, his executors, admors, and assigns,
should seem meet, and that the said Solomon Henry, his exors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should and might have and enjoy the whole benefit, profit,
comodity, and advantage accruing by the said Invention during the time
aforesaid; and whereas there is a proviso in the said Letters Patent contained,
that in case the said Solomon Henry should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of his said Invention, and in what manner the same was

page_text: to be performed, by an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four calender months next after the date of the said Letters Patent,
that then the said Letters Patent should be void.
on a
NOW KNOW YE, that the said instrument or machine is proposed to be
made of silver, gold, brass, copper, steel, iron, or any other metal, metals, or
mixtures of metals, of ivory, bone, horn, wood, tortoiseshell, or any composi-
tion whatsoever. That the said ballance shall consist of a beam (hanging on
two central points), which shall be poised at each end of the beam with two
swinging or fixed pieces for that purpose, the one to consist of or to contain
the weights, the other to contain the coin, coins, or comodity to be so
weighed in the center of the said ballance a laver to be fixed, playing
spring or springs, and so constructed that it will keep the said beam steady in
an exact horizontal manner, not only for the more conveniently placing the
coin and weights thereon, but likewise for the more speedily and exactly
ascertaining the weight or value of the said coins or comodity to which the
said ballance shall be so approprited; that the beam of the said ballance shall
have a figured scale of parts marked thereon, which, by means of a weight,
either sliding on the beam or to be put into a receiver at the end thereof,
appropriated for that purpose, will discover the exact number of pennyweights,
grains, or quarters that the said coins or comodities shall weigh; that the said
beam shall have at each end fixed a swinging pan, either of a round, square,
or triangular form, with the sides thereof inclining upwards, to which shall be
fixed a gauge consisting of a slit or cut through which the coin or coins may.
pass, and thereby, after weighing them, to discover the exact dimensions in
thickness and circumference; that the gauge shall be either fixed to or
seperate from the said ballance; that it shall be either of a round, square,
triangular, or an oblong form; that there be fixed on the bottom plate, or
any part of the said ballance, a touchstone, whereby the quality of the coin or
coins so weighed or gauged may be assayed, which said instrument or machine
is particularly delineated and described in the margin hereof.
In witness whereof, the said Solomon Henry hath hereunto set his
hand and seal, the Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in tho
year of our Lord 1775, the aforesaid Solomon Henry came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
5 written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the
tenor of the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and
Queen William and Mary of England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and seventy-five.