Exportation (Silver) Act 1697

& 8 W. III.c.19. § 6.

8 & 9 W.III. c. 8. § 8; Watches, Swordhilts, wrought Plate, &c. may be; exported, as shall be yearly allowed by the Commissioners of the Customs.

Whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Seventh and Eighth Years of His present Majesty [X1 King] William the Third intituled An Act to incourage the bringing Plate into the Mint to be coined and for the further remedying the ill State of the Coine of this Kingdom it is amongst other things so enacted That after the last. Day of March then next ensuing no wrought Plate of this Kingdom can be shipped off under the great Penalties in the said Act contained whereby no Home wrought manufactured Plate though never so beneficial to the Artificers and Trade of this Kingdom is permitted to be exported which was at that time a good and wholesom Law and tended to the Benefit of the Kingdom by keeping Bullion at home to be coined Now forasmuch as by a subsequent Act made in the Eighth and Ninth Year of the Reign of his said Majesty intituled An Act for the encouraging the bringing in of wrought Plate to be coined it is therein enacted That from and after the Five and twentieth Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety seven no Goldsmith Silversmith or other Person whatsoever shal work make or cause to be wrought or made any Silver Vessell Plate or Manufacture of Silver less in Fineness than that of Eleven Ounces and Ten Peny Weight of fine Silver in every pound Troy nor putt to sale the same until it be marked as in the said Act is directed whereby no Profit can arise to any Person who shal export such Plate as hath been or shal be made pursuant to that Act by loseing the Charge of the Fashion in melting down the same and selling the Silver abroard the principal Thing aimed at to be prevented by the first recited Act But on the contrary a great Benefit may accrew to many Artificers and to the Kingdom in general by giving liberty to export Watches Sword-hilts wrought Plate and several other Silver Manufactures made within this Kingdom being of the Fineness prescribed in the said last recited Act Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Four and twentieth Day of June One thousand six hundred ninety eight it shal and may be lawful to export such Watches Sword-hilts wrought Plate and other Silver Manufactures made within this Kingdom being of the Finess : of Eleven Ounces and Ten Peny Weight to every Pound Troy and so proportionable for a greater or lesser Weight according to the Rules prescribed in the last recited Act as shal be yearly allowed by the Commissioners of his Majesties Customs for the time being or any Three of them Any Law or Statute to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

Editorial Information

X1 O. omits.