44> Mr, Hatchett’s Experiments on the various Alloys , 
The Speaker of the House of Commons. 
The Master of the Rolls. 
The Lord Chief Justice of his Majesty’s Court of Com- 
mon Pleas. 
The Lord Chief Baron of his Majesty’s Court of Ex- 
chequer. 
The Vice President of the Committee of Council for 
Trade. 
The Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. 
The Right Hon. Sir William Wynne. 
The Right Hon. Sylvester Douglas. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The Lords of the Committee of his Majesty’s most honour- 
able Privy Council, appointed by his Majesty, on the 10th of 
February, 1798, to take into consideration the state of the coins 
of this kingdom, having among other circumstances remarked 
the considerable loss which the gold coin appeared to have 
sustained by wear within certain periods, and being desirous to 
ascertain whether this loss was occasioned by any defect, either 
in the quality of the standard gold or in the figure or impression 
of the coins, were pleased to request that Henry Cavendish, 
Esq. F. R. S. and myself would examine, by such experiments 
as should be deemed requisite, whether any of these defects 
really existed. 
Two questions were to be principally decided, 
1st. Whether very soft and ductile gold, or gold made as 
hard as is compatible with the process of coining, suffers the 
