CR  
DIEU·ET MON·DROIT  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
By the King.  
A PROCLAMATION, Against Exportation, and Buying and Selling of Gold and Silver at higher rates then in Our Mint: As also against Culling, Washing, or otherwise Diminishing Our Current MONEYS  
CHARLES R.  
WHereas We are well informed, and do visibly perceive a present scarcity of Moneys throughout the circuit of Our whole Dominions, occasioned by the late illegal and promiscuous buying and selling of all sorts of Gold and Silver at higher rates than ever We or any of Our Royal Progenitors have allowed in Our Mint, which therefore is exported, whereby no Gold or Silver can be brought thither, but to the loss of such as bring the same, which ('tis probable) no man will do: And so in consequence a great decay or utter ruin of the general Stock of Moneys (both for present and future times) must necessarily follow, if this mischief be not speedily prevented by a severe and strict observance of those many and wholesome Statutes, Laws, and Proclamations (both ancient and modern) made and Ordained by Our Royal Predecessors and Progenitors in that behalf. And We finding, and humbly acknowledging it hath pleased Almighty God to bless Our Kingdoms with a plenteous and rich Dowry of native and homebred Commodities, both by Sea and Land, above some of Our Neighbours, the Exportation and Product whereof may bring great Treasure, both of Gold and Silver into Our several Kingdoms, which so brought in, should there remain a perpetual Stock not to go forth again, but be preserved as well for making and maintaining of just and honourable Wars Offensive or Defensive, as for adorning and furnishing Our Dominions in time of Peace, and strengthening the same with Reputation; which followeth such Princes as are esteemed rich in Treasure: And considering the makers and Ordainers of the aforesaid Statutes, Laws and Proclamations, had prudently and providently foreseen, that if no Gold or Silver should be suffered (directly or indirectly) to be Exported out of this Nation, it must necessarily follow, that the Foreign Commodities, which are for the most part but delicacies, superfluities, or trifles (which in itself is a thing intolerable) could not possibly be Imported in greater quantities, than the native Commodities of Our Dominions might at least balance and answer in Commerce, because no other means was left to satisfy or supply the Overplus by Our own Gold or Silver; and by continuance of such course, these Nations might have been secure, and certain never to have run behinde-hand, or become indebted, and yet still remain in great possibility to increase in Wealth and Treasure, even as it ever happens to Prudent single Persons, whereof the Public is the compact. Upon these and many other weighty considerations, We, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, are resolved to follow the safe and solid ways of Our Royal Progenitors, for the good of all Our loving Subjects: And We do therefore publish and declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure to be, and We do hereby straight Command and Charge, That no person or persons, Alien or Denizen, or other Subject of what estate or quality soever, do at any time hereafter (without Our special Licence already granted, or hereafter to be obtained) transport, carry, or convey, or attempt, consent, assist, or endeavour to export, carry, or convey out of Our Dominions, and Gold or Silver, in Plate, jewels, Coin, Uessels, Goldsmith's work, Bullion in mass o● otherwise whatsoever, upon pain of Our heavy Indignation and displeasure, and such further punishment, as by the Laws of this Realm may be inflicted on them for such their offence. And to the end that none of Our loving Subjects may hereafter be deceived, or deceive themselves through ignorance of the many and good Laws and Statutes in this behalf made by Our Royal Ancestors, and now in force, We have thought it fit and requisite to insert the particular branches thereof in this Our Proclamation (That is to say) The Statute made at York in the ninth year of King Edward the third, called, The Statute of Money, First, six, and Ninth Chapters, whereby it is provided, that from thenceforth none should carry any Sterling out of the Realm of England, nor Silver in Plate, nor Uessel of Gold or Silver, upon pain of forfeiture of the same Money, Plate or Uessel: And that the Mayor and Bailiffs in every Port, where Merchants and Ships be, should take an Oath of the Masters and Merchants of Ships going and coming again, that they should do no fraud against the provision of that Law in any point, and that good and straight Ward should be made in all places upon the Seacoasts, in Havens, and elsewhere, where any arrival should be, by good and lawful men thereto sworn, that in the King's Name they should make diligent search, that no man, of what estate or condition soever, should carry out of the Realm Sterling Money, Silver in coin, either of Gold, or Silver, or Plate, nor Uessel of Gold or Silver without the King's Licence, as by the same Statute (amongst other things) more fully doth appear: and one other Statute made in the Fifth year of King Richard the second, the second Chapter, whereby it was assented and accorded, That no manner of People, upon pain of as much as they might forfeit, should privily or apertly send or bring, or do to be sent or brought out of this Realm, any Gold or Silver in Money, Bullion, Plate or Uessel, but in certain Cases in the same Statute mentioned, as by the same Statute likewise (amongst other things) more fully doth appear. And one other Statute made in the second year of King Henry the fourth, the fifth Chapter; whereby the King, to obvent the subtlety of them the would do fraud or deceit to him, contrary to the said Statutue made in the fifth year of King Richard the second, did Ordain and Establish, That if from thenceforth any Searcher of the King might find Gold or Silver in Coin or in Mass, in the keeping of any that should be passing, or upon his passage, in any ship or Uessel for to go out of any Port, Haven or Créek of the Realm, without the King's special Licence, that Gold or Silver should be forfeited to the King (saving his reasonable expenses) as by the same Statute more at large it doth and may appear: And so much of one Statute made in the second year of King Henry the sixth, the sixth Chapter, whereby it is Ordained and Established, That no Gold nor Silver should be carried out of the Realm contrary to the form of the Statutes before made (except in certain cases therein expressed) upon pain of forfeiture of the value of the sum of money so carried out of the Realm, as by the same statute, amongst other things, at large appeareth: And one other statute made in the five and twentieth year of King Edward the third, the twelfth Chapter, whereby it was accorded, That it should be lawful for every man to exchange gold for silver, so that no man hold the same as exchanged, nor take any profit for making of such exchange, upon pain of forfeiture of the money so exchanged (except the King's Exchangers.) And one other Statute made in the fifth year of King Edward the sixth, the nineteenth Chapter, whereby it was Enacted, That if any person or persons after the first day of April than next following, should exchange any coined Gold, coined Silver, or money, giving, receiving, or paying any more in value, benefit, profit, or advantage for it, than the same than was or should be declared by the King's Proclamation, to be currant for within this Realm, and other his Dominions, That then all the said coined Gold, Silver, and money so exchanged, and every part and parcel thereof should be forfeit, and the parties so offending should suffer Imprisonment for the space of one whole year, and make Fine at the King's pleasure: And one other part of the said Statute made in the said second year of King Henry the sixth, the sixth Chapter, whereby it was Ordained & established, That the Merchant's Aliens should find Surety in the Chancery, every Company for them of their Company, that none of them should bring out of the Realm no Gold nor Silver against the form of the said Statute, upon pain of the forfeiture of the same Gold or Silver, or the value of the same. Which said Laws and Statutes have also been confirmed and strengthened by sundry Orders and Proclamations of Queen Elizabeth, King James, and King Charles' Our Royal Father of blessed memory, whereby this Nation hath flourished for many hundred of years, famous for her constant Sterling Standard, and renowned for her plenteous stock of Moneys, and magnificence in Plate, until these late distracted times, wherein the great Solemnities and Reverence due to the Laws of God and man, have been so miserably trodden down, contemned and violated. And We do Publish, Charge and Command, aswel Our Lord Treasurer of England, Chancellor of Our Exchequer, and Warden of the Cinque-Ports, and his Deputies, and all other Our judges, Barons of the Exchequer, justices of Peace, Officers and Ministers (and more especially Our Officers of Our Mint) Customers, Comptrollers, and Searchers and their Deputies, and Waiters in all and every of Our Ports, and all other Officers and Ministers to whom it may appertain, and to all Our Subjects in general, that all and every the Statutes and Proclamations aforesaid, and all and every Branch and Clause thereof, so as aforesaid, respectively made against the Exportation of Gold or Silver, in coin or Bullion, jewels, Plate or Uessels, and buying and selling of all sorts of Gold or Silver above the Rates appointed in Our Mint, or other things therein contained; as also against Culling, Washing, or otherwise Diminishing Our currant Moneys, be straightly kept, duly observed, and diligently and carefully prosecuted and put in execution, upon pain not only of the Penalties and Forfeitures in the said Statutes or any of them contained, but also of Our high Indignation and Displeasure.  
And We do further by these Presents straightly Command and Charge all Merchants and their Factors, Masters of Ships, Mariners, Passengers, and all other Our loving Subjects whatsoever, that shall have any notice of Gold or Silver in coin, jewels, Plate, Uessels, Bullion or otherwise whatsoever, which shall be hereafter Exported (without Our special Licence) or Shipped for Exportation (reasonable Charges for the Uoyage only excepted) or shall be gathered or got together by change or otherwise, with intention to Export, or put into the hands of such as shall Export it, That they forthwith reveal the same to Our Treasurer of England, Our Under-Treasurer, or other Our Officers before mentioned for the time being; for which their Service, every Searcher, or other person that shall discover or seize any Gold or Silver in Coin, jewels, Plate, in Mass or otherwise, in any Ship, Uessel, or Plate intended to be Exported, shall have and receive in reward, the one half of the Gold or Silver, or the value thereof, being seized and recovered to Our use: And on the other part, if they shall not discover the same as aforesaid, they shall incur and receive such condign punishment, as by the Laws of this Our Realm, and Our Prerogative Royal may be inflicted on them.  
And whereas there is daily a great consumption of the heavy currant Silver, Coins and Bullion of the Kingdom, in making Gold and Silver Wyer, Gold and Silver Thread, Spangles, Ones, Purls and Lace, etc. also by the slight and deceitful adulterate making these aforesaid Manufactures of course Silver, under Sterling, to the great damage and abuse of the Wearers of Gold and Silver Lace, and likewise a vast expense and waste of Gold in all sort of Gildings, whereby many irregularities and abuses are daily practised therein, to the great waste of the Gold of Our Kingdom, We do intend, and shall in due time take such strict course, as shall reduce the makers of these Manufactures into such order, that all these abuses formerly put upon Our Subjects, shall for the future be prevented, and these Manufactures of Gold and Silver dusely regulated and assayed according to the Laws and Statutes of Our Kingdom.  
And We further Will and Command, That this Our Proclamation be set up and fixed openly to be read in all and every of Our Custom-houses in this Our Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the Tenth day of june, in the Thirteenth year of Our Reign, 1661. GOD SAVE THE KING.   

LONDON, Printed by john Bill and Christopher Barker, Printers to the KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY, 1661.  
At the KING'S Printing-House in Blackfriars.