ITEM, Forsomuch as the ordering of the Coining-house, and the forging of money within this Realm, is a matter of great importance, to the whole lieges thereof, as may appear by divers Acts, made in our Sovereign Lord’s predecessor’s Parliaments of before; And seeing the great necessity now required, for having of good and sufficient coinage within the Realm, seeing the good Silver, as Testans, and other old silver, is utterly melted and destroyed, so that the ounce of silver, is at double price, that it wont [used] to be at, within these late days, where-through the Realm is utterly impoverished by evil Coinage. Therefore it is declared, in this present Parliament, that our Sovereign Lord, with advice of his Regent, may cause print and coin Gold and Silver of such fineness, as other Countries do, to pass within this Realm to the lieges of the same. And that no print nor coinage of any alloyed-money, be made or coined, in any time coming, but advise of the three Estates of Parliament. And suchlike OUR SOVEREIGN LORD with advice of his Regent, and the three Estates foresaids, ordains, that no manner of Gold, nor Silver, already coined within this Realm, be melted, nor broken down, in the Coining-house, or otherwise in any time hereafter, under the pain of confiscation of the half of the goods of the owner, and melter for the first fault. And if the melter be not responsal [solvent], to punish his person at the discretion of the Justice. And the second fault, confiscation of their whole goods.