Tractatus de monetis (1519–1522)

Tractatus de monetis, 1519–1522 (Latin version from the late 16th century)

Copy from the end of the 16th century: State Archives, Toruń, Cat. II, ref. VII–4, pp. 334–336, 20x32.5 cm, included in the summaries of the congresses of the States of Royal Prussia.

Tractatus de monetis is an abbreviation of the treaty of 1519, Modus cudendi monetam, probably drawn up mainly at the end of the 16th century in Toruń and included in the summaries of Toruń recesses. They contain Latin summaries of the German protocols of the congresses of the Prussian States or Royal Prussia from the years 1408–1653. An abbreviation of the treaty can be found in the summary of the Congress of the States of Royal Prussia in Grudziądz in March 1522.

The discoverer of this treatise, L. A. Birkenmajer (Stromata Copernicana, pp. 257–261), wrongly assumed that it was the first Copernican draft of a treatise on monetary reform. This error was corrected by H. Schmauch (Nikolaus Coppernicus, pp. 6–7), who rightly emphasized that Tractatus de monetis is only a summary of the treaty in the German version of 1519, made by a writer from Toruń at the end of the 16th century. Only the German terms “loticht” and “skotgewicht” quoted by him in parentheses, but also a translation of those terms that are not found in the Latin version of the treaty of 1517 (Meditata – cf. no. 4). This is especially the case for terms with the value of a pound of silver "duas marcas vnciales", "marca vncialis pro decem marcis" and "marca vncialis ad 13 marcas".

The writer from Toruń, however, had a different copy of the German version of the treaty than the one from the Gdańsk records. It was included in the original Torun records of the congresses of the Prussian States, burned in 1703 during the great fire of the Old Town Hall. This is evidenced by the ending of the abbreviation, where the value of half-shillings is given: "vnus vero quatuor modernis nummis permutaretur", so as in the copy of the first treatise Meditata from 1517. On the other hand, in the copy of the Gdańsk German version from 1519, the "eyner vor III der itchigen heller gewechselt wurde”.

The writer from Toruń summarized the first, general part of the treaty in the shortest way, and the parts concerning monetary relations in Prussia, especially the project of their reform, in the most extensive way. This summary is faithful and reflects well the main meaning of Copernicus' thought. It additionally verifies the credibility of the full German version from 1522 in the Gdańsk records.

Marian Biskup, Leszek Zygner

Coinage is gold or silver, as determined by each state or its sovereign, by which things bought or sold are regulated. The coinage was created because there were no scales or a touchstone at hand to recognize the goodness of gold and silver. The real value of a coin is that which is little less than the quantity for which it can be purchased, minus the expenses of the miners.

This true esteem is corrupted or deteriorated in three ways: first, if there is a defect in the alloy, for example, if more copper is added to silver than was due; then, if there is any lack of measure or weight; third, if this and that coincide. Coin also becomes worse because of its multiplicity, when less silver can be bought than the coin is worth, so as much coin must be minted as long as it corresponds to the value of the silver. Then, as a result of long use, it is wiped. Therefore, where a new coin is minted, the old coin must be withdrawn and replaced at the mint at the value of silver found in it, otherwise the old coin will spoil the new one.

In Prussia, one ounce (lut) fine is half a pound, and three coin weights (Schotgewicht) are an ounce. The fine contains 60 shillings in a coin. What were once solids are now called pennies, eight of their marks contained one pound of fine silver or coolium, i.e. two uncial marks (for the alloy of such a coin is half silver and half copper). And there was a difference between the old fines and the new ones, and also between the bad ones and the good ones. For the old and poor were equal in weight to the new, but in goodness they were only half as good, for scarcely a quarter was silver. Thus the sixteen marks, which weighed four pounds, contained one pound of fine silver, or two uncial marks. When then the position of Prussia changed and the law of minting passed to the towns, money grew in number, but not in goodness. At that time, only one-fifth of the coin was silver, and four of it was copper, until at last the uncial fine was bought for ten marks, and one pound of fine silver for twenty marks. And since with the new coin also the old one was in some way in use, it happened that the original new shillings came out in sjones, so that 24 shillings was a light fine, and the fine of the common newly minted shillings, 60, was not much better than the old ones. 24. When the skoje began to disappear, because their value was also higher in Pomerania and in the Marches, they were collected in such a way that each skoje was defined as a penny, i.e. three shillings, and although in goodness they did not exceed the smallest fifteen. Thus these pennies were inferior in goodness by a fifth or a sixth to three solids. Later, in order to put this matter in order, the shillings were also made lighter, so that they would agree with pennies. When from day to day, also because of the expenses for the miners, the goodness of the mona decreased, it came to this that the value of the shillings became equal to the goodness of the pennies, and now 2 light marks have the value of one uncial fine, and 24 marks - one pound silver. New pennies follow, the 26 marks of which weigh two pounds, and the silver one pound, so that soon there will be a pound of silver weighing 26 marks, and an uncial fine weighing 13 marks. Goldsmiths receive the best profit.

Therefore, reform is needed so that one pound of silver goes to at least 20 marks, and the one pound (fine) to 10 marks. It could happen that, by virtue of a resolution of the Prussian Senate, a coin was minted at the common expense in only one place, and it was observed that no more than 20 marks should be smelted from a pound of pure silver, according to this formula: three pounds of copper and one pound of pure silver should be combined, less than half an ounce, or as much as it is necessary to spend on the miners' expenses, be melted into one mass, and made of it 20 shillings marks, which in turnover would correspond to one pound of silver, i.e. two ounce marks. Two pounds of copper and one pound of silver could be added, less than half an ounce. From them you need to make coins, 24 of which make one fine. Half-shillings could be melted down into pennies, five of which would make one penny, and one penny would be converted into four new denarii.

According to this provision, the use of the old coinage is to be completely forbidden, so that at the mint for 13 marks of the old coin, ten marks of new solids or skojcs should be paid. This loss must be borne once, so that the greater advantage will flow to this province; it would be enough to renew the coin every 25 years or more.

It was written in 1519

Hic insertus est “Tractatus de monetis” Nicolai Copernici

Moneta est aurum vel argentum signatum quo rerum emptarum vel venditarum solutio fit, secundum institutum cuiusque repub[licae] aut eius gubernatoris. Moneta inde orta est, quod in permutationib[us] nec libramento semper in promptu erant, nec lapis probatorius, quo bonitas auri argentiue dignosceretur. Vera monetae aestimatio est, quae paulo minor sitea quantitate, quae ea emi posset, exceptis sumptibus in monetarios impensis.

Haec vera aestimatio tribus modis corrumpitur, aut deterioratur: primo si vitium sit in materia, utpote si plus aeris argento addatur quam oportebat; deinde si in mensuratione vel libratione aliquid deesse deprehendatur; tertio si utrumque concurrat. Vilior etiam redditur moneta ad eius copiam, utpote si vilius argentum ipsum emi possit, quam moneta valeat, itaque tantum monetae cudendum est, quamdiu valori argenti correspondet, item si longe usu detrita sit. Ubi itaque noua cuditur, vetus abroganda est et in officium monetaria permutanda, idque secundum valorem argenti, quod in ea superesse deprehenditur, alias antiqua moneta nouam corrumpit. In Prussia una marca uncialis (lötticht) facit dimidiam libram et tria pondera scotalia (skotgewicht) faciunt unciam. Marca autem continet in moneta 60 solidos. Olim qui erant solidi, nunc grossi dicuntur eorumque octo marcae complectebantur libram unam argenti puri alias feinsilber, hoc est duas marcas unciales (materia enim monetae eius est, ex dimidia argentea, ex altera dimidia aeres). Et fuir differentia inter marcas antiquas et nouas, atque sic inter leues et bonas. Nam antiquae et leues nouis pondere aequales erant: bonitate autem ex dimidia saltem parte ipsis respondebant, quarta enim saltem pars argentea fuit. Atque eiusmodi 16 marcae, quae quatuor libras ponderabant, comprehenderunt unam libram argenti puri, hoc est duas marcas unciales. Postea cum status Prussiae mutaretur et ad ciuitates quoque ius monetandi rediret, creuit pecunia multitudine non bonitate. Tum enim quinta saltem monetae pars argentea esse coepit, quatuor aereae, usquequo marca uncialis pro decem marcis et una libra argenti puri pro 20 marcis emi coepta est. Cum autem una cum noua moneta, etiam antiqua aliquo modo in usu esset, factum est, ut priores noui solidi in scotones euaderent, ita ut eorum 24 marcam leuem constituerent: cum marca communium nouiter cusorum solidorum numero 60, non multo melior esset illis 24. Euanescentib[us] autem scotonibus, eo quod valor eorum etiam in Pomerania et Marchia gratus esset, eo medio reuocati sunt, ut quilibet eorum grossum, hoc est tres solidos valeret: cum bonitate non exsuperarent quindecim nummos. Ita grossi II bonitate ad quintam vel sextam partem tribus solidis deteriores erant. Postea, ut ea res in ordinem redigeretur, solidi etiam leuiores facti sunt, qui cum grossis conuenirent. Ita quotidie ob monetariorum etiam impensas decrescente bonitate monetae, eo res redijt, ut valor solidorum cum bonitate grossorum aequaretur et nunc 12 marcae leues una marca unciali et 24 marcae una libra argenti aestimentur. Sequuntur grossi noui, quorum 26 marcae, pondere duas libras, argento unam libram continent. Itaque breui libra argenti ad 26 marcas et marca uncialis ad 13 marcas redigetur. Optimum ex ea re fructum capiunt aurifabri. Itaque reformatio op[tima] esset, ut saltem ad 20 marcas libra una argenti et uncialis [marca] ad decem marcas redigeretur. Istud fieri posset, si in uno saltem loco ex decreto Senatus Prussici moneta cuderetur communibus impensis, cauereturque, ne ex argenti puri libra plures quam 20 marcae conflarentur in hanc formam: sumantur tres librae aeris et una libra argenti puri, minus dimidia uncia, aut quantum in sumptus monetariorum erogandum fuerit. Ista conflentur in unam massam: fiant inde 20 marcae solidorum, quaei in emptionib[us] referent unam libram argenti, h[oc] e[st] duas marcas unciales. Possent addi scotones ex duabus libris aeris et argenti una, minus dimidia uncia. Ex his monetae fiant, quarum 24 marcam unam constituant. Pro solidis conflari possent semisolidi, quorum quinque unum scotonem efficerent, unus vero quatuor modernis nummis permutaretur.

Secundum hoc institutum autem usus antiquae monetae omnino abrogandus esset, ut in officina monetaria pro 13 marcis antiqae monetae soluantur decem marcae nouorum solidorum siue scotonum. Id damnum semel subeundum esset, ut inde eo maius commodum ad Prouinciam hanc redundaret; sufficeretque monetam intra 25 aut plures annos renouari.

Hoc scriptum anno 1519.