A. D. 1649. 40^ 



in 1650 and overpowered the Spaniards, obliging them to return forth- 

 with to Porto Rico. Here the French fettled themfelves, and have held 

 it ever fince. 



The Danes have held the Caribbee ifland of St. Thomas for many years 

 part, (though the exad year of its firft fettlement be uncertain.) It is 

 one of the cluftcr of numerous fmall iflands fituated to the eafl; of Porto 

 Rico, called the Virgin iflands, mofl of which are uninhabited and bar- 

 ren : is about feven leagues in compafs ; a free port ; and by its fituation 

 very capable of commerce, efpecially of a contraband fort, with the 

 neighbouring iflands and territories of other European nations, in which 

 it has often been very fuccefsful. 



We have before related, that in the year 1636 King Charles granted 

 a monopoly patent for the fole coining of copper or brafs farthings, 

 though they were not then to be forced upon poor people. Yet it ap- 

 pears from Mr. Drake's Hiftory and antiquities of York that in this 

 year, 1649, there fl;ill were private tradefmen's copper halfpence in that 

 city, of many of which (and particularly one of this year from the col- 

 ledion of James Weft, Efq.) he has exhibited the prints. He al- 

 leges, that thefe began firft to be in ufe in the time of the ufurpation u 

 •and indeed the pradice of fuch private copper coins was not effedually 

 reftrained until the 24th year of King Charles II, (1672) when the 

 king's public ones took place in their ftead by his proclamation : where- 

 by farthings and halfpence, made and ufed till then by private perfons 

 in trade and commerce, were exprefsly prohibited to be either paid or 

 received in trade any more. This was a very needful and much-wanted, 

 regulation, more efpecially in retail trades. 



An ordinance of the Englifli lords and commons made in this year 

 diredls the new gold coins of their commonwealth to be of 20/, 10/, and; 

 5/ value ; and their filver ones of 5/, 2/6, i/, 6d, 2d, id, and id*. 



In Thurloe's CoUedion of ftate-papers [K i, pp. i 27, 226] under this 

 year we learn, that Mr. Strickland, the Englifti commonwealth's refident 

 in Holland, acquainted the Englifli council of ftate, that the ftates-gene- 

 ral of the United Netherlands had juft concluded a treaty with the king 

 of Denmark, whereby they farmed of him the toll of the Sound for 

 about L35000 fterling yearly. So that all nations as well as the Dutch 

 themfelves were now to pay this toll at Amfterdam, which was always 

 before colleded at Elfinore. And even the Swedes, who before claimed 

 an exemption from this toll, were now compelled to pay it at Amfter- 

 dam like wife. 



* Such fmall pieces as filver halfpence muft have filver coins under fixpence, laid by as curiofities,. 



been very troublefome; and there could liave been rather than ufcfiil circulating money. How much 



no ufe for them, if regular legal copper money was more minute and trifling mult filver halfpence have. 



then in circulation. We have feen in our own been, which were thci worth no more than t!it 



days the quarter-guineas of gold coin, and all the twenty-fourth part of our prcftat fliiUiug. j4^^ 



