{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/coin-act-1694/section-VII",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/coin-act-1694/section-VII.json",
  "legislation": "aep/WillandMar/6-7/17",
  "legislation_title": "Coin Act 1694",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/coin-act-1694",
  "path": "section/VII",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "VII",
  "heading": "Wardens, &c. in Bills of Mortality, and Justices of Peace in other Places, may break open Houses, &c. and search for Bullion;",
  "text": "with the Assistance of a Constable; and may seize such Bullion, and also Persons having such Bullion in Possession; Person in whose Possession Bullion is found, and cannot prove it to be neither Coin nor Clippings melted; Punishment.\nAnd for the better discovery of Offenders in the Premisses Bee it further enacted by the Authority afore said That it shall and may bee lawfull to and for one or more of the Wardens of the said Company of Goldsmiths with any Two or more of the Court of Assistants of the said Company within the compasse of the Weekly Bills of Mortality and to and for any Two Justices of the Peace within any County City or Towne Corporate out of the compasse of the Weekly Bills of Mortality to enter into the house room or workshopp of any person who shall bee suspected to bee guilty of buying or selling unlawfull Bullion and to search for the same and in case the Occupier or Occupiers of such house room or workshopp shall refuse to permitt the said Warden and Assistants or Justices to make such search as aforesaid it shall and may bee lawfull to such Wardens and Assistants and Justices with the assistance of a Constable to break open any door box trunk chest cupboard or cabinett in order to search for and discover such Bullion as is aforesaid and in case the persons soe searching shall att any time find any such unlawfull Bullion the persons soe finding the same are hereby required to seize as well such Bullion as the person and persons in whose possession the same shall bee found And the said Wardens Assistants and Constables shall bring him and her before the next Justice of the Peace who shall upon Oath made of such finding which Justice within the Weekly Bills of Mortality and the said Two Justices without the said Bills of Mortality shall and may examine the person soe brought before him or found by them respectively upon Oath whether the Bullion soe found bee lawfull Silver and whether the same was not (before the melting thereof the currant Coin of this Realm or clippings thereof And in case the said person soe examined shall not prove by his or her Oath or by the Oath of one credible Witnesse before the said Justice and Justices respectively that the Bullion so found is lawfull Silver and that the same was not before the melting thereof the currant Coin of this Realme nor Clippings thereof then and in such case the said Justice or Justices respectively shall committ the person soe examined to Prison and shall secure the Bullion soe found and shall likewise oblige the persons that can give any Evidence concerning the same to enter into a Recognizance to prosecute the said Offender and Offenders And in case such Offender and Offenders in whose possession such unlawfull Bullion shall bee found shall not upon his her or their Tryals on an Indictment for melting the currant Silver Coin of this Realme prove by the Oath of one credible Witnesse at the least the Bullion soe found to bee lawfull Silver and that the same was not the Currant Coin of this Realme nor Clippings thereof then and for want of such proof such Offender shall bee found guilty of the Offence contained in such Indictment and shall suffer Imprisonment for the space of Six Months without Bail or Mainprize.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "X",
      "label": "X1",
      "text": "interlined on the Roll."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMar/6-7/17/section/VII",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T20:23:54.588199+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}