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Nothing has in all appearance contributed more 

 to its decay, than the frequent changes which have 

 been made in the coin. 1 will give you the hiftory 

 of it in a few words. In 1670, the company of 

 the Weft- Indies, to whom the king had ceded the 

 right to the property of the French iflands on the 

 Continent of America, had leave given to export 

 to the Weft-India iflands, to the amount of one 

 hundred thoufand livres, in fmall pieces, marked 

 with a particular ftamp and infcription. The king's 

 edict is dated in the month of February, and bore 

 that thofe pieces mould only pafs current in the ides. 

 But in fome difficulties which fell out, the council 

 iffued on the 1 8th of November of the year 1672, 

 an Arret, by which it was ordained, that the above- 

 mentioned, as well as all other coin which fhould 

 pafs current in France, fhould alfo pafs current not 

 only in the French iflands, but alfo in thofe parts 

 of the continent of America, which are fubject to 

 the crown, at the rate of thirty-three and one third 

 per cent, advance ; that is to fay, the pieces of fifteen 

 fols for twenty, and the others in proportion. 



The izmt Arret ordained, that all contracts, bills* 

 accounts, bargains, and payments, between all forts 

 of perfons whatsoever, mould be made at a certain 

 price in current money, without making ufe of any 

 exchange or reckoning in fugar, or a y other com- 

 modity, on pain of nullity of the act. And with 

 refpect to tranfactions by-paft, it was ordered, that 

 all ftipulations of contracts, bills, debts, quit-rents, 

 leafes, or farms of fugar, or other commodities, 

 fhould be made payable in money, according to the 

 current value of the above coin. In confequence 

 of this arret, the coin encreafed one fourth in value 

 in New France, which very foon occafioned many 

 difficulties. In effect, M. de Champigny Noroy, 



