Laws were also passed to the effect that the officials of the mint should be appointed every two years, and by the viceroy only;[1] that civil suits against employés in the mint be adjudged by the alcaldes of the mint, and by no other judicial authority;[2] and that no silver should be received unless it bore the stamp which certified that the royal fifth had been satisfied. Persons who contravened this law were to suffer death and confiscation of property. The silver thus presented was to be seized.[3] No official could buy or sell bullion.
It must not be supposed that the appointment of the mint officials by the king or viceroy constituted them royal officers. From its first establishment the mint was leased to private individuals,[4] and the officials were as yet in the service of the lessees and not of the crown, which, however, retained the right of their appointment. The work of improving the specie system of exchange was at once begun. In 1536 the tepuzque coinage, the value of which had been arbitrary, fluctuating, and above par, was ordered to be called in and recoined into pieces of oro de minas.[5] A large quantity of silver coin[6] was struck off the
- ↑ Viceroy Mendoza in his letter to the king of December 10, 1537, complains that though he Had been authorized to make these appointments, assayers, engravers, and other employés holding royal appointments had arrived from Spain. This had been the cause of ill-feeling. Carta al Rey, in Florida, Col. Doc., 126-8.
- ↑ This did not apply, however, to matters touching the king's fifth or other tributes. Such cases were to be tried by the justicias ordinarias. Id., ii. 92. The alcaldes of the mint were officers who attended daily to adjudicate on business connected therewith. Puga, Cedulario, 131. The viceroy was instructed to appoint jueces de residencia of the alcaldes and mint officials every two years. Recop. de Ind., ii. 90.
- ↑ Viceroy Mendoza in his letter to the king of December 10, 1537, urges the abrogation of this severe law, and suggests that all bullion should be sent to the mint before being quintada, and that it should be taxed the royal fifth at the establishment. Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., ii. 191. Yet this law was restricted in 1565, 1620, and 1646. Fonseca and Urrutia, Hist. Real Hac., i. 113.
- ↑ Mex. Guia de Hac., ii. 59; Humboldt, Essai Pol., ii. 675-6.
- ↑ The further coinage of gold, however, was prohibited.
- ↑ These coins were not circular, but of irregular polygonal form, and called macuquina. They were called in to be reduced to bullion in 1774. Disposic,
cédula was passed which provided that three reales should be deducted; two of which were to be devoted to the payment of expenses, and one paid to the king as royalty. Recop. de Ind., ii. 89.
