the place in which the king's money is coined. See COINAGE.

There were anciently mints in almost every county in England; but the only mint at present in the British dominions is that in the Tower of London. The officers of the mint are, 1. The warden of the mint, who is the chief; he oversees the other officers, and receives the bullion. 2. The master worker, who receives bullion from the wardens, causes it to be melted, delivers it to the moneyers, and, when it is coined, receives it again. 3. The comptroller, who is the overseer of all the inferior officers, and sees that all the money is made to the just assize. 4. The assay master, who weighs the gold and silver, and fees that it is according to the standard. 5. The two auditors who take the accounts. 6. The surveyor of the melting; who, after the assay master has made trial of the bullion, fees that it is cast out, and not altered after it is delivered to the melter. 7. The engraver; who engravés the stamps and dies for the coining of the money. 8. The clerk of the irons; who fees that the irons are clean and fit to work with. 9. The melter, who melts the bullion before it be coined. 10. The provost of the mint; who provides for and oversees all the moneyers. 11. The blanchers, who anneal and cleanse the money. 12. The moneyers; some of whom forge the money, some share it, some round and mill it, and some stamp and coin it. 13. The porters who keep the gate of the mint.

Mint was also a pretended place of privilege, in Southwark, near the King's Bench, put down by statute. If any persons, within the limits of the mint, shall obstruct any officer in the serving of any writ or process, &c. or assault any person therein, so as he receive any bodily hurt, the offender shall be guilty of felony, and be transported to the plantations, &c. Stat. 9 Geo. I.

MINT MARKS. It hath been usual, from old time, to oblige the masters and workers of the mint, in the indentures made with them, "to make a privy mark in all the money that they make, as well of gold as of silver, so that another time they might know, if need were, and witte which moneys of gold and silver among other of the same moneys, were of their own making, and which not." And whereas, after every trial of the pix at Westminster, the masters and workers of the mint, having there proved their moneys to be lawful and good, were immediately entitled to receive their quietus under the great seal, and to be discharged from all suits or actions concerning those moneys, it was then usual for the said masters and workers to change the privy mark before used for another, that so the moneys from which they were not yet discharged might be distinguished from those for which they had already received their quietus: which new mark they then continued to stamp upon all their moneys, until another trial of the pix gave them also their quietus concerning those.

The pix is a strong box with three locks, whose keys are respectively kept by the warden, master, and comptroller of the mint; and in which are deposited, sealed up in several parcels, certain pieces taken at random out of every journey as it is called; that is, out of every 15 pounds weight of gold, or 60 pounds weight of silver, before the same is delivered to the proprietors. And this pix is, from time to time, by the king's command, opened at Westminster, in the presence of the lord-chancellor, the lords of the council, the lords commissioners of the treasury, the justices of the several benches, and the barons of the exchequer; before whom a trial is made, by a jury of goldsmiths impannelled and sworn for that purpose, of the collective weights of certain parcels of the several pieces of gold and silver taken at random from those contained in the pix; after which those parcels being severally melted, assays are then made of the bullion. bullion of gold and silver so produced, by the melting certain small quantities of the same against equal weights taken from the respective trial pieces of gold and silver that are deposited and kept in the exchequer for that use. This is called the trial of the pix; the report made by the jury upon that trial is called the verdict of the pix for that time; and the indented trial pieces just above mentioned, are certain plates of standard gold and standard silver, made with the greatest care, and delivered in upon oath, from time to time as there is occasion, by a jury of the most able and experienced goldsmiths, summoned by virtue of a warrant from the lords of the treasury to the wardens of the mystery of goldsmiths of the city of London for that purpose; and which plates being so delivered in, are divided each, at this time, into seven parts by indentures, one of which parts is kept in his majesty's court of exchequer at Westminster, another by the said company of goldsmiths, and two more by the officers of his majesty's mint in the Tower; the remaining three being for the use of the mint, &c., in Scotland. The pix has sometimes been tried every year, or even oftener, but sometimes not more than once in several years: and from hence is understood how it comes to pass, that, among the pieces that are dated as well as marked, three or more different dates are sometimes found upon pieces impressed with the same mark: and again, that different marks are found upon pieces bearing the same date. These marks are first observable upon the coins of King Edward III.; the words above quoted concerning those marks are from the indentures made with the lord Hastings, master and worker to King Edward IV.; and the marks themselves continued to be stamped very conspicuously upon the moneys, till the coinage by the mill and screw was introduced and settled after the Restoration, in the year 1662; since which time, the moneys being made with far greater regularity and exactness than before, these marks have either been totally laid aside, or such only have been used as are of a more secret nature, and only known to the officers and engravers concerned in the coinage: and indeed the constant practice that has ever since prevailed, of dating all the several pieces, has rendered all such marks of much less consequence than before.

See MENTHA, BOTANY and MATERIA MEDICA Index.

MINTURNÆ, a town of Campania, between Sineuella and Formiae. It was in the marshes in this neighbourhood that Marius concealed himself in the mud to avoid the partizans of Sylla. The people condemned him to death; but when his voice alone had terrified the executioner, they showed themselves compassionate and favoured his escape.