Biographical Account of Matthew Bcuhm, Efql 6t 



and ftruck a gold medal of the full weight of a guinea, and 

 of the fame form as that of his new copper coinage lately put 

 into circulation. The fuperior advantages of that form are 

 obvious. The impreflion is far lefs liable to friftion ; and by' 

 means of a (leel gauge of equal diameter, mortey coined on 

 that principle mav be examined by meafure as well as byf- 

 weight, the rim being exaftly circular. Moreover, the in-* 

 trinfic is fo nearly equal to the current value of every pieccy 

 that, without a iicam-engine and adequate apparatus, every* 

 attempt to counterfeit the Soho coinage muft be made with' 

 lofs. The fabrication of bafe money feems likely, by ihefe 

 means, to be fpeedily checked, and, it is to be hoped, en- 

 tirely defeated. The reafon why Mr. Boulton has not yet' 

 been employed by government in the coinage of gold and 

 filver, we have not been able to learn. ■ 



The mill at Soho works eight machines, each ef whicJP 

 recttV'es, Jlamps, and dtlivcrs out, by the aid of only a httle 

 hoy,, from f evenly to ninety pieces of copper in one minute. Ei- 

 ther of them is (lopped without the fmalleft interruption to 

 the motion of the others. In adjoining apartments all the 

 preparatory procelles are carried on with equal facility and 

 difpatch ; fuch as roiling: the copper into fheets, dividing 

 them into blanks, and fliaking them into bags clean and 

 re?ady for the die. Without any perfonal comniunication 

 between the difterentclalTes of workmen, &o. the blanks are 

 convened lo the room where they are lliaken, and from thencei 

 to the coining-room, in boxes moving with inmienfe velocity 

 on an inclined plane, and accompanied by a ticket- of- their; 

 weight. • 



, The Sierra Leone company have employed Mr. Boulton's 

 riiint in the coinage of filver, and the £afl India company 

 in that of copper." Two complete mints have likewife been- 

 lately fenl to Peter lb urg'h. 



Since thedemife of the late emprefs Catharine, Mr. Boul- 

 ton prefentcd her fucceflbr, the late emperor Paul I., with 

 fome of the mod curious arlicle:^ of his manufaftory, and in* 

 return received a polite letter of thariks and approbation, to- 

 gether with a fplendid colleftiofl of medals, minerals from- 

 Siberia, and fpecimens of all the- modern money of Ruflia. 

 Among the medals, which for elegance of defign and beauty 

 of execution have never yet been equalled in this or .^ny 

 other country, is a maffy one of gold, impfefled with a ftrik- 

 ing likcners,' it is faid, of that monarch. Our readers will 

 be furprifed, when they are told that this unrivalled picce^ 

 was 11 ruck from a di« engraved by the prcfeni emprcf;;--dow-■ 

 agcr, 



